oh poo fuzzy guy. there is no mistaking this for a modern kitchen

as I said, it all depends on what else you have surrounding it.

here is another white idea

you could also do a 3D type of tile for a modern look.

and last one, I promise,,,,Mother of Pearl tile. these come in all shapes and sizes, have a glossy finish with reflection and will look wonderful w/your espresso countertop.

you could do these just behind the stove, or up to that wood thing your father put in for you.

We did a polished marble and love it.

wow, beth, gorgeous stuff!!!! your 2nd pic is the same stack as fuzzy guy's :). one thing that is getting me stuck is glass tile or no glass tile. the glass gets us some reflection of the view…and mainly, to not make me feel claustrophobic. but maybe we should give those others a look….there's really not much to look at when you're cooking (no window ugh), so it's gotta be great if not glass. OH and there's the budget issue-- that mother of pearl looks way not in the budget :(.

Another thought that my husband and I just had – what about a square Of copper tile below the hood? Copper could look gorgeous- so that way we wouldn't have to commit to a color like blue

Beth....more like traditional thrown in with some modern like cabinets. Also this is not a competition, you are not the only one with an opinion.

I think stainless steel would look better then copper as you have stainless hood and appliances....you can get get a mirror finish on stainless but more expensive. Or you did mention a mirror backsplash before then you could see behind you when working in kitchen. Back painted glass can be any colour you pick but is expensive.

With mirror, I've seen one continuous piece... That seems like it would be $$ as it would have to be large and custom cut

fuzzy, never said it was. and of course you have one. The OP liked that layout which is why I suggested it. But either one will work.

pundita, you're all over the place with what you like. I understand you wanting something to look at and something that reflects. (you do have under cabinet lighting, right?) The MOP tile is anywhere from 15-50 bucks, depending what you get. they have the white here on on Houzz for 15 or so

[https://www.houzz.com/products/mother-of-pearl-tile-white-11x11-prvw-vr~20034695[(https://www.houzz.com/products/mother-of-pearl-tile-white-11x11-prvw-vr~20034695)

As for the copper sheet, I think a painted glass-back will be more cohesive. Doing copper, stainless, glass, wood, is a bit much. doing stainless looks a little too modern and commercial, in my opinion. A small glass, back-painted panel shouldn't cost that much.

Why don't you start pricing out the options and see what works best.

Thank you! All very helpful ..

in looking at white subway tile, the white glass tile samples we get have a cold white tone that doesn't seem to go with the counter/cabinets. i found a different white (santa monica white at tile bar) that is a creamier white (though it's not glass) and seems to go better…thoughts?

Hi – I wanted a glass tile so that I could see the view in the reflection. Maybe there's a creamy white glass tile out there

The Santa Monica is very pretty but just saw a kitchen done in it and some of the edges are higher than other because of the uneven surface..was not a big fan of the outcome...here is another suggestion for you...

Here is another...

while Floor and Decor has a lot to choose from, their quality is lacking. there have been a lot of issues w/their glass tiles from chipping to the white backing peeling away.

pundita, I do agree w/fuzzyguy, take you time. there are many white and cream glass tiles. look online at different sources or go visit a tile store. The ones that cost a bit more is because they are made better. you don't have a huge area to tile, so go some quality glass tiles.

Try Ann Sacks and Walker Zanger as well

Thanks again! I live near San Francisco so I have been to the local Dal Tile and Porcelanosa. It's good to know what other quality tile companies are out there...

Do you think the quality of tile at tile bar is good?

tilebar is good quality. Porcelanosa is also very good.

I saw this story on Houzz and thought of you.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/why-you-should-include-a-mirror-in-your-kitchen-and-how-to-do-it-stsetivw-vs~83065812

Thoughts on 1/3 offset subway?

how big is the tile?? no 1/3 with smaller tiles. 1/3 layout is for 16" and up.

tile would be 2x8…. no 1/3 huh?

no. regular 50/50 offset.

so, i'm feeling stuck again. we bought a bunch of white glass tile (tile bar) and taped them to the wall to see… Our only hope of making this kitchen look coordinated, and bright, is to have a bright backsplash that matches the island countertop (the current one is a temporary slab…).

SO, we figured a coordinating white for both. But the glass backsplash isn't working:

(1) it has a grayish tone that clashes with light tan veining in the kitchen counter (you don't see this from far away)

(2) and the grayish tone doesn't lend itself to the white we want for the counter.

A creamy, bright white would look best…I think (like the current island now, or the color of the paper towels!).

I was hoping for a reflective tile since looking at the wall feels claustrophobic… I'm now thinking a ceramic white polished and/or textured tile with maybe a square mirror below the hood….

thoughts?

is this the Loft super white? polished or frosted? most white glass tiles are going to have an undertone. it's just the way glass is. sometimes it will be green or blue.

I can see where it looks a bit on the gray side, but it's not bad. what kind of bulbs do you have in the cabinet lighting?

The other way you could bring in white would be tilebar Simple White. it's a crystalized white thassos and porcelain. I actually have a sample of these and they are gorgeous. beautiful bright white.

http://tilebar.com/simple-white-3x6-crystallized-thassos-tile.html

these are thassos white, beveled 3x6. also a bright white.

if you have to have glass, order a sample of these and see if the undertone is any better. But unless you pay big bucks, glass does have a bit of an undertone to it.

discount glass tile.

i ordered a sample of the frosted white from tile bar… i was hoping for a more modern shape than the 3x6- but i'll order the simple white too...

i'm also wondering if a white and stainless steel mosaic would be nice… or too busy for a small room / kitchen…

the simple white is really nice. lay it in a stacked layout to keep w/the modern look.

you could try something like this, but keep it simple and flat

baroque random glass

Maybe just keep it simple with a white subway...but then to keep it interesting a herringbone pattern above stove and sink

Wow thanks! How did you do that?

Photoshop:) Looking at it this morning...I put the mirror way too low. Oops.

Here is original picture...

thank you!

while I like the herringbone, I really don't care for the way it's edged/framed. not for your kitchen. if you want modern, a layout like that isn't going to jive. The layout works much better in the original kitchen it came from.

considering this layout that beth, you suggested earlier…. still thinking of putting a big square mirror under the hood….

what kind of square mirror? framed or just a bevel? and you mean directly behind the stove or behind the sink? if doing that, why don't you just do the mirror subway tiles? these come in different shapes and sizes, and types of glass. would be better than tile behind the stove and then hanging a mirror over it.

I actually have some boxes of the beveled subways and they are really nice looking.

they sell them on Wayfair. get a few boxes and see if you would like them

https://www.wayfair.com/Abolos-Echo-3-x-6-Glass-Peel-and-Stick-Subway-Tile-in-Graphite-ABOS1618.html

Have you seen this one over at tilebar...interesting. You probably want something lighter but I thought I would pass it along:)

kjoy1: beautiful! am having a struggle with the neutrals…. i'd want to match the island to this, which would mean a taupe island… not sure how the grey/blue in the rest of the room would work… i already have cherry cabinets, oak floor, and dark brown counters… and grey couches- with a lot of white in the room….ugh!

beth: my husband not at all into mirror tile…. perhaps i just give up on the idea of having some reflection. i was thinking under the hood (behind the stove) - a square cut out of mirror.

nah,,,forget the mirror then. doesn't belong behind a stove. once you get the tile in there and the under cabinet lighting, it will be enough. no need to see behind you while you do the dishes!

Are you interested in a hexagon or a diamond shaped tile? These happen to be from Mercury Mosaics, but other makers carry these shapes. I also chose a photo showing tiles of different colors that can pull things together, in case you're interested. I chose three shades of white tile behind my sink, which also faces a wall, and I love looking at the tile.

V cool!

pundita...since you are wanting to coordinate your backsplash and island colors...maybe you should wait on backsplash until your island countertop is determined. Do you have any ideas about what you want to put there?

I think subway tile or something like this would make it perfect!

WHY -- Back splash Back splash. Unless you do the entire wall it docent look good. A GOOD paint that is washable is all you need and the color can be change when ever you feel like it. Especialludo not use glass tile> It is so in it is out

kjoy1: maybe these photos will help show why i'm leaning towards a crisp white backsplash and island counter. (we won't be able to replace the current island counter for 2 years…and i figure it won't be a problem to find a coordinating white countertop since there are generally so many choices…).

barncatz: the room is a total of 350 square feet… b/c of the proximity of the painting to the backsplash wall, worried about the busy-ness of a multicolor mosaic (though I love it!)

BTW, we are getting rid of the dining set and coffee table… but again, a bit stuck about what to replace it with. thinking contemporary espresso dining table with low back white chairs. and a live edge coffee table. trying to work with the woods/browns/greys/white. etc.

what a nice, bright room. I don't think you have to worry about bouncing light around from the kitchen. pick whatever you like, but pick something!

beth: going to look into handmade white subway tile…. i'm sure it's an arm and a leg, but i'm curious...

look at Fireclay tile. they make beautiful tiles. get the number and ask for Lindsay, tell her I sent u. she will send you out some samples if you email a pic of your area.

https://www.fireclaytile.com

the glazed bricks are nice too. many colors

I just saw some white glass tiles from AKDO and thought of your kitchen:

what's that first one?

Hi, it's AKDO's Textle Glass collection, Twill pattern, in Arctic White.

Link to info

Here's their Loom pattern, also in Arctic White. It's at the same link.