I have a similar countertop and have chosen a chocolate backsplash

A full view of the kitchen would get you more input.

Here is another picture of the kitchen

So it is just the one wall, you have a large window, and a substantial portion of the wall is already covered with something black?

Fred, yes...just one wall. The black you see is the top of our freestanding range that will remain. There is a portion between that and the microwave that will be tiled as well along the wall.

From what I can see of the style, anything but black would make it a bit busy. All the above reasons are why I came to this conclusion. Or maybe a gray glass like the stainless. You have a rectangular look to everything that I can see. I like it. I think that black would complete that rectangle and include the back of the range with it. Let me know if I am making sense.

On the other hand, if I had a wider angle to look at, I might be inclined to think that makes the wall look like a cross. Then I would see is a dark (hunter?) green would pick up anything favorable in the counter so the back of the range doesn't stand out too much. I assume there will be other green in the window. You can also buy hunter green accessories fairly easy.

I am not sure why but it just looks like it calls for something bold and it is not such a big area that you could pull it off here.

I think a creamy, linear tile would be nice....keeping it on the brighter side.

I Will not go with tiles but glass instead.
The area is not that big so it so not so expensive .
As for color .
The good thing with glass ,it can be paint any color your imagine.
Personally I will chose something like your floor because its light but if you like dark may be choosing a color from your counter.

I forgot
The good thing about glass use there is no grout.

I agree about keeping it on the lighter side. You could use the backsplash as an opportunity to pull a color into the space, such as this: http://bit.ly/10SmwfO and then introduce accessories in the same shade throughout the kitchen. Or you could use the backsplash as a way to reflect the wood tones of your cabinets while also adding some brightness - this is one of my favorites, and seems to perfectly pull in the color of your cabinetry http://bit.ly/14z5hhd. The sheen in both of these will also reflect a little bit of light, which will help to add some brightness.

If there is another slab of granite from the same piece, a full height granite backsplash in the same material would look wonderful with those cabinets.

I agree with the above comments in regards to glass, I have a glass splash back and I love it, so easy to keep clean. I was going to say get a light colour but the top of your oven sticks up and now I think a dark colour would look best so the top of your oven doesn't stand out. You can also get clear glass but have a nice wallpaper behind if you wanted some kind of pattern.

You can also get glass tiles. I have rectangular glass tiles with painted backs from fired earth. They have beautiful stock - check out their website!

I think a mirror splashback would open up the space quite a bit. Easier to clean than tiles or stainless steel. The cupboards are very imposing and crowd the kitchen so a mirror would appear to increase the space. It wouldn't need to be changed either if you wanted to change cabinet doors etc in the future. Mirrors that are frameless are timeless slthough a wide bevelled edge would add a quality finish. Good luck with your project.

I would do a soft, neutral tile or stone tile and have them cut squares (3 inches maybe) of your granite and set them on the diagonal - like little diamonds that match the countertop - scattered randomly every 18" or so. Set some higher and some lower...

Copuntertop looks quite busy to me so I would like a solid very soft color - maybe pick the lightest shade from the countertop.

I would keep it quite light and reflective, glass would work so would mirror and you might consider under cabinet lighting if you don't already have it it makes a big difference

Here are inspiration pics

And a few more

The white tiles are only pictured for the style of tile, they should be a color taken from counter :)

I also prefer slightly larger tiles so there's less busy grout lines and even though it looks great, a very high gloss might be busy with your countertop. So more of a matte look

I could see a smoky glass tile, still want to see a wider view of the area.

I might suggest a faux stacked stone in the same color hue of the light color in the counter top. Would give some texture to the area.

You have a lot of smooth, shiny surfaces going on in that space already. I would try to find a backsplash with texture. Something tumbled and / or with varying depths.

Isn't the dpoint of a backsplash around a cooktop to be a smooth durable surface so you can clean it?

As long as it is sealed properly, cleaning shouldn't be too problematic.

Just a thought... Why not use some of the real or faux tin backsplash choices? I don't know much about the design of your kitchen, but, maybe something a little shiny would open it up. There are a variety of choices from metallic to some that are paintable in what ever color you desire. If you have any silver or gold looking streaks in your granite, there may be a match. They are inexpensive, but may add some interest to your space.

I have a stone wall that I followed through as my backsplash, we simply sealed it and it looks beautiful and timeless!

Pick up a light color in the granite, and keep it simple. You'll be glad you did, unless of course you can change it in 5 years.

I notice you have a soap dispenser in your counter top. How do you find it? And which one did you install? We are debating about getting one in our new kitchen. Thanks

Thanks for all of the input! I'll post again when I pick out a few options! Tadtad, the soap dispenser was a complementary item to our faucet. I recommend finding your faucet, then getting a matching dispenser.