Once you put in your furnishings you will be fine.

Live with it for at least several months or a year before you consider expensive changes.

You have a lovely new kitchen, enjoy it!

Hi Stephanie,

Is it just the picture, or what color is your ceiling?

The problem is not the wall color, it’s the backsplash.

agree...take out the travertine. there isn't that much of it and you can do it yourself. It was a poor choice to go w/Delicatus granite. the type you got is way too pink. rip it out and redo it

this is that granite w/travertine, but this one is more of an ivory, no pink tones (at least not in the photo).

some other options...maybe a gray glass or a white subway that doesn't clash w/the off white cabinets.

this is a cream Delicatus granite (aka Alaska White) w/onyx subway tiles

random glass bars

gray glass subway

The ceiling does look yellow. I agree with above posters on getting rid of the travertine and putting in something white/grey to match the countertops.

Indeed the backsplash is the problem. Wall color looks great with everything else. Three stone patterns (floor, counter, backsplash) is too many. Go with a solid tile or glass tile backsplash. Solid, no pattern.

Hello. In my opinion, everything looks perfectly.

While I wouldn't have selected the travertine for the backsplash I certainly would not repaint the cabinets. I agree that a simple white or gray subway tile would have been the most desirable. The granite is far too expensive to change and there isn't a real need to do so. The backsplash isn't the end of the world but if I changed anything, that is the least expensive item to replace and it will make all the difference in the world.

(I think she was talking about repainting the walls, not the cabinets...)

Pull in the travertine color and wall color in different aspects of the room. Pretend you did it on purpose.

Consensus says it’s the backsplash that’s the problem. If money is a concern as you said you didn’t want to repaint why not consider painting the backsplash? I normally would not recommend this but what have you got to loose. Pick a paint to match the cabinets in a satin finish. Worth a try.

I think I would like to try painting the backsplash rather than ripping it out, since my husband is annoyed that we upgraded our options in the kitchen with the hope that I would love it and I don’t!! I don’t hate it either, it’s just off. So, any suggestions on how to paint travertine?

it's a natural stone. painting it will look horrid.

http://www.olderandwisor.com/2013/10/painting-tile-backsplash-and-more-easy.html

try using an impregnating sealer/enhancer to see if it darkens it any.

its a small backsplash. u could remove and redo it yourself for less than 200 bucks. find the new tile on clearance or just do a plain ceramic subway or glass. plenty of how-to's.

or like LuLu said below, try a different paint color. at least try it around the tiles to see if it makes a difference. take a piece of the travertine to the paint store and get something in that tone for the wall. Maybe Pashmina.

I disagree with most everyone here. I think the grey is too cool and dull to go with your cabinets. I like grey and white together, but not grey and off white, or cream. Before ripping out an expensive backsplash, I’d repaint. If you want to stick with grey, find a lighter, muddier taupeish grey. Painting is very easy, you can do it in less than a weekend. Give it a try!

Not a fan of the backsplash BUT before I rip out tile or granite or paint tile i would get a few paint charts and some paint those $3 jars and paint some rather large 2x2 on scrap wood or stiff paper..... see if you can find a less cool color for the wall. Start at paint it is the cheapest and easiest thing and makes a big impact

Before you go ripping out an expensive backsplash (or counters!) I'd try repainting the walls. Greige comes in all kinds of flavors, so try to find one with a warmish undertone? One tip before you go putting paint samples on the walls themselves: maybe try painting the sample on something large- a big piece of posterboard. Then you can move it throughout the room at different times of the day. The picture you posted is under artificial light--- daylight is sure to cast an entirely different hue on things!

The ceiling is a real problem, it needs to be painted, try BM In your eyes blue.

And this is not the worst backsplash I’ve seen, live with it for a while. I did my backsplash, use musslebound and pre set tile, its not a huge project if you want to replace it after the holidays.

I agree that the ceiling looks too yellow in the pic, but even with cutting out the ceiling, the backsplash is still off.

Honestly you have way too much going on in your kitchen....not sure who picked all of the different tiles, counter material, floor material, etc. but it is all way too much. In addition, by getting stock cabinetry, you have wasted so much space and should have done custom that went all of the way to the ceiling....more cabinet space and would have made your kitchen appear larger. I like the wall colors....it is really the back splash as the #1 issue.

The deep and pinkish tones in the backsplash may be mitigated with under cabinet lighting. Repaint your walls, add lighting, and then look at it again.

Stephanie,
I am not a pro, but imho you need a warmer gray or greige on your walls to go with your cabinet color. This would also help mitigate the backsplash problem (the real problem here). The backsplash should be replaced, but the change in wall color would make it easier to live with for awhile until you decide on a new backsplash. You guys can paint that room in a weekend for the price of a few supplies and a couple gallons of paint. If you've never done it before don't be intimidated. Its not hard. Talk to your paint pros at the paint store and watch a few youtube videos. You can do it! good luck.

Stephanie, the painting doesn’t look like such a pretty option (it kinda looks like painted concrete block). I don’t know if anyone has ever tried staining this material.....I’m sure you have some leftover pieces....you could try a grayish stain and see how it looks on a sample piece. Or maybe some other colored stain that might neutralize the pink. It’s worth a shot to just test it out.

Thanks for the responses. Some discouraging, some helpful. Instead of painting the walls, which we just paid to do and BC my entire first floor is the same gray (finding a more taupe, warm gray may clash with the rest of the house), we will figure something out with the backsplash. I was never a huge fan, but we didn’t have many other choices with the builder.

as a painter grey does not like browns

grey is a beautiful and one of my fave colors though

Stephanie, that's a common complaint w/buyers. I think what a lot of buyers don't realize is how much money they could actually save by doing these 'upgrades' themselves (or hiring their own people) after they move in. forgoing a backsplash and just doing the drywall, would have been a good option if you didn't care for their choices.

as I've said,,,the splash is an easy fix to do yourself. wait until you're settled a bit and tackle it later.

tone the grey down if u want to stay in the grey family

I'm reading the comments thinking, "wtf is a travertine?" Through a quick Google search, I've been enlightened. I've just started remodeling my home, and apparently have a lot to learn!

where ya been Waynette? that stone has been popular in kitchens for the last 20 years. it's on the outs though. people are tired of it.

Beth, I had my home built 25 years ago. I didn't buy anything unless I absolutely loved it, because I knew that it would be there for many years. 25 years later, I've just begun to remodel, so this is all new and interesting to me. Btw_I'm a Sculptor, so I've been in the studio. This is one of my scrap metal sculptures. "Shakespeare," The Bull

I luv your kitchen...yes the backsplash looks a little off....but before you do anything drastic...try warming it up with wood tones using accents. This will help blend the backsplash... try adding a basket or two and I am not a fan of the pendant lights. Purchase items...keep receipts...try different looks till you find a balance. Goodluck!

wow...very cool work Waynette

I agree with the comment about under cabinet lighting. That can really change the pink tone of your backsplash. In my last house, I thought the backsplash the sellers had put in to help sell looked horrible with the granite they picked, but then I got under cabinet lighting put in with a dimmer and the right color LED mini lights on the strip and the backsplash looked so much better.

OMGoodness, don't even think about painting the backsplash. Just paint the walls and be done with it. Grey next to a cream colored cabinet will ALWAYS MAKE THE CABINETS LOOK YELLOW. Want the cabinets to look more white, then paint the walls a greige paint color.

I think the ceiling is way too dark also, so I would paint that also.

I think you should keep the walls the color you love. And, from the photo, the cabinets look okay with the paint...

What I would do (so that I didn't hate it) is rip out the travertine (ouch, I know, I know, but it's not a very big space) and just do the drywall for now. Use up the paint you have left over in the garage and do it the same as the walls.

When we did ours (and yes, it's easy) we had to take out the drywall with the tiles anyway as they were very very stuck on the wall and it was just simpler to cut out the existing wall out. We tiled but you could wait on that...

Consider it part one of replacing the tile, which you will do anyway as it doesn't go with the floor.

And please don't fret :)

while the backsplash is the primary problem, I agree that grey with cream cabinets is not the best choice.

For the time being, especially through the holidays, try adding yellow and wood. You can go to a store and purchase cutting boards, bowls, towels, etc. and bring them home to see how they meld. Also, a green plant in a yellowish pot on the big counter might help.

Also, be careful of your window covering as that will have a major effect.

The backsplash would be so cheap to replace, it almost isn't wise to buy a bunch of things to blend all this when you might spend less on the backsplash.

We had the same cabinets in our previous home. A color consultant from Benjamin Moore came to our house and said gray would not work on the walls. He suggested BM's Ballet White. It looked beautiful with the cabinets. I'll try to find a photo for you.

I saw this photo in my feed today, and I wanted to show you the grey with off white cabs. In my eyes it just doesn’t work at all. You may not feel the same, but looking at a different kitchen may change your mind. Your grey may not look like it does on my monitor, so I can’t say for sure, but it doesn’t seem to have a bit of warmth to it. Paint is the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to change your whole kitchen. Look at BevFlaDesigner,s mock up above. The travertine works with that color.

What about painting the one wall behind the kitchen a lighter color, like an accent wall?

OK, I went back and looked at this again and now the backsplash is bugging me. Replace it.

Live with it with the plan to replace the backsplash at a later date. Do undercounted lighting and add some decorations. It’s not much backsplash. If your hubby could take it out, you could replace it yourself. I was going to do mine but I’m 71 and knew my back would make me sorry.

Definitely change the backsplash. Some solid subway tile like in an earlier post. I don't have any problem with the paint color, I like that the paint brings some cool color to your space. Tiling is a DIY job, you could do it in a weekend for less than hiring someone to repaint. You have a very beautiful space!

I'm picking out paint color for kitchen/family room (open floor plan=one large area...) I am working on finding right tone of light greige color that will be happy with my warm white cabinets (BM Swiss Coffee), travertine floors (yellow undertones) & also my family room's brown leather chair. I was considering SW Repose Gray, it is a very pretty color but I think I will find another shade. Maybe BM Edgecomb Gray or SW Collonade or Agreeable Grays. Loved reading this post, lots of good info. Curious to know what you ended up doing??!

The warm and cool clash badly. The ceiling is not helping the situation. I would repaint the wall’s the same color or very near the cabinetry. Different finish. I’d address the ceiling too. There is not a ton of the backsplash. By the time you accessorize any issue would be minimal.

I know everyone thinks the backsplash is the bad guy in this but I only see the wall color.

It’s the backsplash - change that and problem solved. Something simple less textured. You’ve got a lot going on in that kitchen - the walls are pretty.

You asked about paint. A warmer gray or greige (try agreeable gray by sw) will change the whole look regardless of feelings about the backsplash.