A counter top is selected BEFORE a back splash. For several, reasons not the least of which it is the far more expensive surface, and it is installed first. I would urge you to select the tops now, hold the splash in abeyance until that selection is firm, and then proceed OR NOT on the splash as you selected. No riser for the splash please : )

A back splash can be installed at ANY time, once the tops are installed. You don't buy accessories, until you select the automobile..............

You choose your counter before your backsplash IMHO and if those wood look tile are for your backsplash they are very busy and will make choosing a counter that much more difficult and I think they do not work with the table top

thanks for the comments. Certainly understand we did it backwards, which is why i'm asking for help trying to find a countertop that makes it work together. We fell in love with the backsplash and table...would love any comments on helping to make those work together with a countertop....thanks.

I really like your second counter top option. The first one might be too busy :)

Want the truth? No please to the back splash. Please do as advised, select a top, and wait to select a splash. When you are done with top install, and see your flooring and your table in the kitchen? You are NOT going to want that splash. That's the truth , Sorry ( : You're out of selection order, and unless you'd like to be back here ruminating on the result? I'd heed the seasoned /experienced PRO advice.

Attempting to repeat the herringbone effect of the RH table on the splash, will simply dilute the table impact, , and confuse your eye. Meaning..... a busy result and you will certainly be painting yourself into a design corner for your tops. Not a wise thing to do with virtually endless tile options to select from.

thanks Jan. Let's take the backsplash out of the equation. Can you recommend countertop (and maybe other backsplash ideas) that would go with our table and other colors? No subway tile please. Thanks for the advice!

I don't think it's impossible to choose a counter after a backsplash. Not ideal, perhaps, but not impossible.

The herringbone tile has a bit of color variation, but in general you're staying with whites, grays, and neutrals. You could try a countertop with a bit of contrast like the one here:

Or even darker here:

Or you could select a slab that emulates a pattern similar to one of the patterns in the herringbone tile like this kitchen did:

If you love those rustic-feeling patterned finishes, then just get something very plain for your counter. That's how you balance it. I think I'd try to find some company that makes a gray quartz that harmonizes with the tones of the backsplash -- grays are all over the place in tone (from greenish to purplish), so you have to get a bunch of samples and pick the ones that work together. Alternatively, get a white with no pattern but just a little flecking, so that it doesn't compete with the backsplash but still gives contrast. I think it would be easier to find a gray, as you might find a light one that keeps the room light, or a dark one that gives more contrast...

Third choice would be to find a quartz that has pattern but that mirrors the color range of the backsplash. That will be too busy for a lot of folks, but given your "not too white, not too gray," I'm not entirely sure what effect you're after...

If maintaining soapstone isn't appealing, you might also look at Virginia Mist granite - a similar look, but more forgiving. Also look at caesarstone Shitake - might look nice with your other choices:

LOVE that table. Love the white raised panel cabinets as well. I am not crazy about the backsplash :/ I think it takes away from the table... I do like the idea of possibly coordinating the backsplash with the salvaged wood color.... maybe a clay colored lantern/arabesque.

thank you all! Been looking at soapstone a lot. Are there any issues with soapstone, such as marble you have to cure, etc.?

I was simply looking at tile for ideas when I fell in love with a backsplash, and I hadn't even closed on my condo. I just bought a 12x12 sheet to take with me to pick out everything else. I broke every single rule when it came to my place :-) If you absolutely love the backsplash and are designing around it, then take it and your cabinet sample to a stone distributor (they'll keep a larger selection vs. a fabricator). Take your samples and walk stone to stone until you find something that compliments the design. The reason picking a backsplash first is against the rules, is you may very well end up with a stone you wouldn't normally pick, but works great with the backsplash. Also, plan on taking triple the time to pick your counters.

You better read about soapstone. It isn't as hard as granite so there will be issues.

Lots of info & reviews out there regarding Soap Stone. Here are a couple.

[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-counters-durable-easy-clean-soapstone-stsetivw-vs~3561803[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-counters-durable-easy-clean-soapstone-stsetivw-vs~3561803)

This site has some good videos and if you have any questions they will be happy to answer them. I haven't had any contact with them but their name keeps coming up when I searched soapstone on houzz.
http://www.soapstones.com/

Honestly? Soapstone has survived toxic laboratories and substances for a hundred or more years! You seal it with ordinary and simple mineral oil and wipe it off. A scratch? A piece of sandpaper and a few dabs of mineral oil and gonzo! Soap and water clean up.! What "issues"? You'd probably be dead before you could kill it. The Canadians always have great style............

https://houseandhome.com/gallery/soapstone-counters-kitchens-bathrooms/

Always a bit ahead of us too........check the splash on this months cover below, a deep curb.

I will add that I think the arabesque fascination in tile is going to end in "been there, done that yr. 15/16/17/ complete with a time and date stamp. ..............jmho : ) If you want totally smashing? Run the counter top right up the entire back splash, as long as it is beautiful/ smashing and the bonus is NO grout: )

Re wait on bksplsh, I concur, even if you have to pay re-stocking fee on what you've already bought. Our cabs & countertop were already in before we shopped bksplsh. We took cab & quartz samples w/ us. Re soapstone, in my younger years I spent lots of time in chemistry & bacteriology labs. They all had soapstone countertops -- for a reason. Nothing in your K will be harsher than what's in a chem lab.

Ceasarstone quartz in Shiitake looks nice, yet neutral with white cabinets.

We've used soapstone in a few of our projects. One thing to be aware of is that it holds stains sometimes (especially oil ones) if it's not sealed, which can be an adjustment for some, but it lends a nice "weathered" look. Generally, clients who are comfortable with their stone having a bit of character to it are a good fit for this type of material. It can be stunning. If you want a material that is going to be very uniform, this is not the right material for you.

It's non-porous and actually technically a "cleaner" material to have in a kitchen than granite, for instance. It's also fairly low-maintenance- dish soap and water are all you need. However, you shouldn't cut directly on it as it is softer than other countertop materials and you can score it with a good knife.

Here are two pretty different projects, both with soapstone: