While pretty...I feel like it is trying to steal the spotlight...

Looks good, Beth!

It might be trying to steal the show, kjoy1, but I like it enough to give it double billing! My tiler is not looking forward to installing it though--I think he is afraid of cutting through the aluminum.

They are not bad, but they seem distracting...the dark and light of the tiles and the randomness makes it a bit distracting

Way too busy and outdated. Everyone is trying to get rid of this style. I say no, but hey, who am I to get in the middle of "love". With grout of any kind, each piece will be outlined and that is going to be a fight with the granite IMO. Price shouldn't out vote good design. Be careful.

One of the hardest things in working with an older kitchen (and mine is probably older than yours) is trying to fit new materials in without looking like you paired a trendy new shirt with bell bottoms:) Your cabinets are much classier than bell bottoms - just wanted to make the point that to get a really classic look, you need to not try to make your kitchen something it isn't - make it as classic as it can be - in the end, you will like it better because it will pull together like a classic suit. Every thing you have is really pretty. You will pull it all together with a classic backsplash. If you aren't sure, repair the drywall and just live with paint for a while. There is no need to rush this decision.

My house is older and I like the "old fashion" vintage look, so for me it was easy. it is harder if you really are more totally in love with the newer kitchens.

Hmmm...all food for thought. I didn't think about how it will look once grouted. It sounds to me like you are all telling me to stick to the plain cream subway tiles...

most people on here tend to go for the more understated look. most dislike busy granite (although I would not call yours busy) and 'look at me' backsplash tiles. sometimes those bar mosaics you have and the thinner, similar ones, can be overwhelming.

I don't think yours are that bad. why don't you remove a few from the plastic and tape them up to your wall? do like 6-8 of them. then take a pic w/good lighting from close up and standing back a bit. maybe do the same w/the subways. perhaps you could tape them to a heavy piece of cardboard and tack the whole thing on your wall.

At the end of the day, it's your kitchen. you will be the only one looking at it everyday, not us. pick what makes you happy (and don't worry about future buyers! lol). just be sure this is something you will like a few years down the road. (although, even then you could still switch it out. it's a few hundred bucks if you do it yourself)

Although I do like the look of the ones I just got at Costco, and hubby has, for the first time, given me a positive opinion about a tile, it sounds like the installation might be a nightmare. The manufacturer recommends an unsanded grout so as not to ruin the glass and metal, but I am reading that one always wants to go with sanded for strength. Also, I am going to need to tediously seal all of the stone individually.

no no no. don't worry about unsanded grout for a backsplash. it's perfectly fine. it's not like you're going to be walking on these. if you put up a marble backsplash w/thin margins, you'd use unsanded as well. not a big deal. even for glossy ceramic tile you would use unsanded so as not to scratch the finish.

as for sealing, also not a big deal. you would seal the stone parts with a little rag or brush and buff it dry after a few minutes. also not a big deal.

cutting the tiles. with a good diamond blade, it will cut through everything like butter.

Sometimes when we keep looking, we actually confuse ourselves more. IMO that backsplash will be dated the day you install it. Nice off white subways as you have tried, are timeless and will enhance and be a great companion to the granite and the cabinetry. Grout does make a huge difference and for this type backsplash you will see it is even busier. I will try to find some photos that help you visualize both choices and you can decide. I know several people who have similar ones and once up they really didn't and don't like the final look. Bbl

Thanks, Beth. It's almost 2:00 am where I am. You see...once again, I'm losing sleep!

I'll probably do the sealing myself to save some $$$ because the sealing will need to be done, I would think, before grouting, on just the stone. It will be a bit tedious, so I want to save having to pay someone else to do it. Will the sealer ruin the glass or aluminum if I get it on there?

like these Flo??

no. the sealer won't ruin them. i still say get out a few sheets and stick them up first

Flo--I would really appreciate pics so I can see what you mean.

I wasn't looking for these tiles. I only went to Costco for meat. lol.

You should have stayed in the meat section. lol Just kidding. I have found a few pictures. Beth just posted a few. What I find is it is hard to find this style, because the look faded around 2012-2013, but here is one and then I found some with your granite and somewhat similar cabinets with the cream subways.

Here is your granite although it has move light colors and a deeper taupe subway tile and probably a light gray grout. Cabinets are a bit more orange than yours. But just an example.You most often seen the more multi-material backsplash with lighter cabinets as well, and here is another one. Not a great picture of the backsplash but you get the idea.

This granite is slightly different than yours but floors and cabinets similar and the backsplash is subways.

As you can see, my pieces aren't as skinny as the tiles in the pics you posted, Beth. I therefore think they won't be as busy. Also, the spaces between the tile is so thin, I doubt I will see much grout at all. Having said that, what colour grout would I go with if I use this tile?

Would it be wise for me to seal them before installation? Perhaps laying them out on my kitchen table and sealing the stone pieces like that? It might be a bit back-breaking once they are installed. How long does it take to dry?

Meanwhile, I've now got boxes of both these tiles in my living room--thank goodness I can return!

This is closest I could find for what you might have going. Similar granite, oak/like cabinets and the light subways brick style layout.

just use something like 511 or aqua mix, impregnator. only seal the tops, do not let it drip down the sides. take a little sponge brush and wipe it on. you will see the stone darken. leave it on for 2 mins or so and wipe off any residue w/a rag. do not let it puddle or leave any residue on the stone to dry. it won't hurt if you get it on the glass or metal. if you don't seal the stone part, it's nearly impossible to get the grout off of the little crevices while grouting.

do a med gray grout that will blend in w/the stone/metal.

Here is one that has your granite and then a stone backsplash but it kind of repeats the fireplace stone, so not real comparable. I think you just have to decide on the look YOU want and go with it. Seems like you like those tiles you found, and maybe that is the one. Since there is white ones in that selection, you probably will want a white-ish grout. There seems to be a bit of a green cast to some of them? Try putting a white piece of poster board behind them so you can kind of get a feel for the white grout. If you can, I would do a "sample" board with the grout to make sure you are happy. Then if the look appeals to you do it!!

Beth, should she use the white adhesive? I forget the name.

Beth--what do you mean "Don't let it drip down the sides"?

Flo...I DO still like the cream subway tile in that pic. What colour would you say the grout is they used?

P.S. Yes...should have stayed in the meat section! Unfortunately, Costco is walking distance from my home. I go there for bread and come out spending $400. There's a reason the milk is at the back of the store...!

Hilarious! You have a good sense of humor which I applaud. I can't determine grout color from photos because monitors are deceiving. The way I pick grout, is to take the samples on the side that doesn't have printing on it, and hold it up to the "side" of the tile. Match that and you have a winner. I will also say, those samples are quite often off, so doing some samples with the tile, whichever way you go, is really helpful. Let it dry thoroughly and you will see the color. Also make sure you have the proper color behind the tile. With the glass materials the backing color shows through and changes the colors somewhat. Keep us posted on your trips to the store! I'm calling it a day!

use a good thinset, not mastic. Laticrete platinum is a good white thinset for glass mosaics. do not let it 'squish' up between the bars! (other brands have good thinnest as well, just make sure they are meant for glass, and make sure it's white) NO ready mix stuff in a tub!

rebecca, just do the tops of the stone w/sealer. if the sealer gets down the sides, where the grout will go, the sealer can prevent adhesion from the grout. it forms a barrier, if you will, and the grout won't properly adhere. so just the tops. the sealer will allow you to clean off the grout from the irregular stone top. if you don't seal the tops, the grout will be near impossible to remove from the stone portion. OK?

you could also seal it while it's on the wall, but it's not as comfortable as sitting at a table or something. also wait a good 24 hours before grouting after pre-sealing

Got it, Beth! So you agree that its best to seal before putting on the wall? One coat or two? Does the sealer not absorb right into the stone? Why do I need to wipe it off?

one coat is fine. you will see it darken the stone. it should absorb. if there is any residue left over after 2-5 mins, wipe it dry. you don't want it drying on there because it will leave residue marks. just let it soak in for a few mins, and buff dry. easy peasy.

oh, and there are two different impregnating sealers. enhancing and non enhancer. if you want the stone to stay that natural gray color, don't get the enhancer. if you want the stone to get a richer, deeper gray, do the enhancer sealer.

I'm just worried about having a mosaic with glass, stone AND metal. It seems like it might be very difficult for my friend to install. I'm not sure if he's ever worked with anything other than stone before.

you spend few hundred dollars on the tile and few thousand dollars on the countertop but yet the few hundred dollars might get more attention....

by using the creamy tiles, you can acessories with appliances, fruit bowl,...etc. At the end of the day, what would you like your eyes to be drawn to? Also with under cabinet lighting, it'll bounce off glass and aluminum tiles.

How about taking the plastic wrapping off the new tiles and do a board with the right grout and put it up to show us?

With the way you are concerned about prepping and installing this new tile selection, I wouldn't tackle it yourself. If the "friend" you have hasn't used this type multi-material backsplash tile, it is tricky and requires proper equipment and probably specialty cutting devices to go through the various materials. Factor that into your thinking. The simple choice is the subway tile, the trickier choice is the one you are second guessing on. Unless I was doing a showcase kitchen and we needed some POW new product (which this isn't) I would go the simpler route. Having said that, maybe you should explore some of the newest products and see if some attract you more. Of course, we are talking about a much higher per square foot pricing, but you don't have that much backsplash that I can see. Do you have a Walker-Zanger showroom near you? Might be worth a trip if you do. Just visit their website. I love some of the "base relief" looks and some of the interesting glazed ones. Up to you. Back to the multi-material tile. Sometimes you can get a big bargain on the product and then the labor to install bites you in the rear end! If you know what I mean.

I would add my vote to the posts above recommending that you take several of the tile sheets out of the package and put them up on the wall. It's important to nest them together they way they would be joined in real life. I learned by doing this that sometimes a tile sheet that looks amazing as a single sheet looks really awful when combined with other sheets because whoever designed it didn't plan well for how the pieces would look when combined. For example, sometimes too many similar pieces end up near each other and you get an awful line or extra dark or light grouping. I found this was especially true of the big box store tiles. So get a bunch of them out and match them up and then step back and look before making a final decision.

@lwfromny - EXCELLENT POINT. Big issue for sure.

Any of you believe in omens? I was at my gym watching House Hunters on the elliptical. They showed a Kitchen with almost an identical countertop to mine with a very similar busy backsplash like the Costco one I am considering. I hated it!!! It made my decision for me! I'm sticking to my cream tiles.

OMG, it is Karma! Also, recall "House Hunters" is showing homes that have looks that are at least 5 years old in most cases! Good deal! You have been lead to the best choice!

:) we always need a bit more validation:)

Yay! I was hoping you wouldn't go with the busy tiles!

lol. ok well good. and just look at all you learned about sealing natural stone tiles in the meantime!

I think that was a really good call.

yippee!

FINISHED!!! Tiler just needs to return tomorrow to silicone (clear) and then I can clutter my counter all up again so you won't see anything!!!

Thanks for all of your help. I love the classic look! I think it's pretty timeless!

That looks really nice ....crisp and clean !

That looks really nice!

I will try to take a picture from further back like my original posting picture but right now, all the crap from my counters is on my island. LOL

Looks great! I'm bookmarking this post so I can share your results with others with similar dilemmas!

Rebecca...it looks so nice! Timeless. The first thing that I noticed in your picture was the beautiful veining in your island...your granite remains the star. Good job:)

Here is a panoramic shot of the kitchen now with my appliances back in place. I'm happy with my choice of backsplash and countertop. Now I'm looking at my light fixtures and window treatments and wondering if I should switch them. A few people did indicate earlier in this (long!) string that they are a bit too modern. Any suggestions?

How would you feel about a fixture like this over the island? It looks like your electrical could already accommodate it.

Interesting...not sure how much light it would give though. I need lots of light for my food prep there and also to shine over to the stove.