Both those mosaics are dated and do not work with your quartzite. I do like the idea of running the quartzite up the wall.

Are you changing layout? I would want the cooktop off the island and on the back wall. Going back to your question, the mosaics are too busy and compete with your countertop. I'd choose something like a simple subway or the slab carried up as in last pic

We are not changing the layout with respect to the cooktop/sink. Tearing up the flooring and trenching the concrete to move the cooktop and sink just wasn't in the budget. Thanks for your thoughts on the backsplash.

I don't care for mosaic tile either. I love the look of the macaubus for the backsplash.

All macaubas all the way. Mosaics no.

Your quartzite gives you lots of options. I recommend you google images of white cabinets and your stone and find images you like. This is enzaenza's kitchen with quartzite and Fireclay Tile glass tile in Hydrangea in a mix of glossy and matte finishes.

I don't think you have the height between the counters and upper cabinets to show slab quartzite to its best advantage. This is especially true if your slab has variability in its movement. I'd give tile a good close look.

Thanks Ladies. Greenwoodframed -- I love your kitchen. I contemplated doing all dark cabinets but was afraid because our kitchen doesn't get a ton of natural light. What are the dimensions of your island?

Do the macabus up the wall. Absolutely. Your kitchen is not large, so if you do any type of back splash it will look cut up (unless you go with a plain subway tile). I think taking the macabus up the back looks sleek and will give you a more cohesive look. If you decide on subway tile, take it up over the window where you have those plates, and along the small area along the sides of the window . That will look awesome

dmunspark thanks! Our island is 4'8 x 6'10" with seating for four on the end. Even though we renovated this large (by NYC standards!) beautiful house, I spent 70% of my waking hours in the kitchen!

Do you need those cabinet shelves right next to the sink? I'd consider eliminating them and getting some more breathing room for prep next to sink. If you end up doing that, you can tile up and around the window for a nice focal point.

I understand the costs of moving things on a concrete slab. If you haven't looked into it yet, consider induction cooktop.

The tile Eam posted was just installed two days ago in my remodel. I absolutely love it!

Definitely the maccaubus up the wall as the backsplash. A recommendation of the mosaic tiles would cause me to lose all confidence in the KD - totally out of date.

SMM5525 -- We are eliminating the shelves by the window (I was never very good at decorating them nicely anyways), but the cabinets themselves will come over a little more than they do now. We are also raising the upper cabinets. Apparently now we only have 13 inches between countertop and upper cabinets. I never knew it was odd until the cabinet maker pointed it out!

That makes sense, they did look a little low but I thought it was the angle of the pic.

That macaubus is GORGEOUS!

Definitely macubus all the way or subway tile, no mosaic. I agree with those that say if you do tile, go all the way up and around the windows. It will look great. Love the Fireclay Tile that eam and smm used. Gorgeous!

I love the tile eam44 had. I think that would look really good. Either that or the macubus all the way up.

I recognize that Pirch display. We liked it also and thought about using White Macaubas on the counter and backsplash like in the store but in the end decided on a different style. White Macaubas is very popular right now and the local slab yards had a lot of it on hand -- but it didn't all look as nice as the slabs at Pirch. A lot of what we saw at the slab yards had copper/rust tones in it which would have worked with our cabinets but its a little different than the Pirch display. I think you will also end up needing 3 slabs if you do the backsplash in stone (unless you get really lucky when it measures out).

If you do tile I'd go all the way up to the soffit over the window.

Stan Z -- That is funny that you recognized the Pirch display. I looked at a lot of different macaubas slabs and ultimately settled on one that had a little bit of beige in it because I needed it to work with my floor. You are also correct about needing three slabs. If we use two, we just have enough room to cut the perimeter out of the book matched slabs and then the island off the top. So basically there will be no wiggle room in how we cut the island. If we end up getting three slabs, we will be able to cut the island however we want. I have already purchased two slabs. There is one more slab from my lot but it has some spots on it (that would not impact my usage) so I could get it at a discount. I just need to make a decision soon before the last slab is gone!! What did you end up doing in your kitchen?

agree - i would be worried about any decorator recommending that mosaic. Unless you specifically told them you were interested in a mosaic. I'd either run the quartzite up the wall, or do a solid white glass backsplash or large format white plain tile of some sort. I wouldn't even do a smaller subway tile with that beautiful tile in a small kitchen. Let the countertop be the star.

I love the fire clay tile you used for your backsplash smm5525. I have been using it for my kitchen backsplash. Do you see any lavender undertones? Or does it just look like a blend of grey and white? Thanks in advance for your input

Joshua, it reads beige, blue and grey depending on light. No lavender. Before install it was white with no color. Go figure!

You've got a great layout to do the backsplash in the quartzite. Doesn't work for everyone. Lucky you

I would for sure do the quartzite as well!

Thank you smm5525! Your kitchen is beautiful! What color grout did you use, white or grey? Enjoy your new kitchen

Grout is called Snow White. It's not bright white but has a tint of grey in it

Dmunspark, any more thoughts on whether you wanted tile or continue the stone? Let us know if you need more tile suggestions. If you forgo the stone, it's best to wait to select tile until everything else is in. Then it becomes a lot easier!

I am going to hit the tile stores on Monday and see what is out there. I just need to decide if I am going to use the stone right away before the last slab from my batch is gone! If you have any other suggestions on tile I might want to take a look at, I would love to hear them!

Maybe these images will help you decide. The stone, while stunning, might have a minimized impact as Eam said due to your layout, it'll only go up under upper cabinets. Tile, on other hand, can be done up and around the window making a nice focal point in the kitchen. I think a geometric shape would look stunning with the lines of the stone

Note in the image below the stone loses impact when it's under upper cabinets.

Note how the tile around windows creates a focal point and adds interest to the windows. Also note how the cabinets don't go all the way to the window in the first image giving it some breathing room!

I think Eam originally posted this pattern from Fireclay previously and I just adore it!

https://www.fireclaytile.com/tile/colors/detail/frost/?size=tile-field-2-x-4

Consider visiting BDG Tile. Best tile showroom and staff in our city hands down if you want something creative/unique.

Wow Stan just looked them up! Gorgeous tile!

We love our quartzite backslash and no grout to clean!

I've never had a tile backsplash -- we had the standard 6" granite backsplash in our old house and our current house had large, dark, granite tiles for the backsplash. Is it hard to keep tile backsplash with grout clean? (We don't have a backsplash behind the cooktop since it is on the island or the sink because there is a window. Thus, we just have backsplash behind countertop.

Hello smm5525 and eam44. I just tried to order the fireclay tile in hydrangea only to discover that fireclay is no longer making glass tile -- as of Monday. Are either of you familiar with something similar in appearance to the hydrangea that I should try with my white macaubas countertops? The cabinets are going in this week and the countertops in two weeks so I will have pictures of my space soon. Thanks!

You know, there are plenty of glazes that will look nice with your counter. What I loved about their glass is that it had - it wasn't translucence - it played with the depth of light beautifully. I'm sorry it's no longer available. If I come across a similar tile I'll let you know. If anyone else does, please let us all know.

You might take a look at Calcite, Oyster Shell, Gypsum, and French Linen if you consider going with glazed ceramic tile.

Thanks eam44. I will check out some of the others.

What??? I'm disappointed to learn that. I have a couple boxes left from my remodel that I was hoping to use somewhere else with hopes of maybe ordering more. What a bummer.

I haven't come across any other similar glass tile but I do love their ceramics too!

anap2400 - We went with a sonoma tile. I think it is stellar penthouse crackle in a 3x9. Here are the pictures. My inclination would have been more contrast with the countertop/tile, but the decorator convinced me that I wanted contrast with the upper cabinets and the tile and I think she was right. You really see the backsplash tile when looking from across the room -- you don't see it when you are looking at the countertop (like in the 2nd) picture.

Very pretty, love how the backsplash blends so beautifully