Not a designer but I like your granite counters and your beautiful cabinetry and hardware. The backsplash feels a little busy. I'm sure Beth or another designer will offer some potential backsplash ideas for a pretty glass or simple tile for when you want a change. It's easy to second guess yourself. Looks nice!

I think the issue is the busy-ness of it on your backsplash. I would remove that and do something very simple in a color that matches your cabinetry. I know you don’t like subway tile but maybe do a stacked subway tile so it doesn’t look so traditional?

Have you decorated the counters yet with whatever will live on them? Get all your stuff in place and live with it for awhile. There is a great chance you will love it.

I agree, but I'm kind of stuck with what to display. The granite throws me off.

I love what you did in your kitchen, I'm trying to do my kitchen and I totally dislike subway tile..I much prefer how you used the same .i agree just get a planer(I would go with the dark color in backsplash)beautiful kitchen I may have to do same,best wishes

Those cabinets are made yellow by the granite selection.

I feel like some of the others here on the thread...everything is really beautiful, however the backsplash does feel a little busy. I would have suggested subway tile, but you mentioned you aren't a fan of it. It will be fun to see what some of the designers suggest! Good luck and enjoy that new kitchen!

I am not sure why you think this looks "dated" - and any kitchen will be "dated" in 10 years (marketing - make you think your stuff is dated so you will go out and buy more stuff) so unless you plan or renovating every 10 years, do what you love. I am not fond of the busy backsplash, but it doesn't look bad - it is just not my style - good thing because it is your kitchen. If you did not think it was "dated" would you like it? That is what matters - do you like it - who cares about dated if you love the surfaces you picked?

I think it looks fine , once you have some things / items on the work top (kettle / flowers etc) that will help visually make it look less busy. I would live with it and see what you think in a few weeks. I hope you will then love it.

IMO the most dated thing is the edge profile. I do agree it is busy and the backsplash the same makes it more so. Use large fromat tile for the backsplash with matching grout not white and it should be fine. All new things seem to be wrong when we start second guessing our choices . It will be fine.To be honest I would just relax for a while and see how you like it, add some stuff on the counters that you need and I think i would have done stainless pulls .

Kitchen looks fine as is, so far.

I agree with the others the granite back splash looks busy with the matching counter top; however it may balance out once things are put on the counters.

That's the easiest fix. I would try that for a few weeks.

Maybe it is just the photo, but the ceiling height looks lower than it actually is with the matching ceiling crown coming down onto the top of the cabinets, which makes the illusion of lower ceilings.

Something to consider to give the illusion of height is a matte white on the ceiling.

It will also bounce more white at the cabinets & brighten them up.

The crown to match cabinets , if needed. ( do a test strip, hard to match cabinet factory finishes or get crown from cabinet supplier)

Glaze cabinets pick up the color around them due to the satin reflection glaze.

Beautiful floors. They are bouncing some yellow, warm browns into the base cabinets. Not bad, just explaining.

The Beige ceiling is bouncing beige on to the wall cabinets.

Lighting may help. Try changing light bulbs before painting (easier)

Different light bulbs put off different hue colors in light.

https://blog.1000bulbs.com/home/how-to-choose-lighting-for-paint-colors

If the backsplash doesn't blend in enough to your liking, by the above suggestions:

Then consider the following:

I did a couple of rough drafts for visual comparing.

big tiles with matching grout. Matching grout will decrease the tile lines.

If want to go more modern, consider stainless steel backsplash.

http://seembee.com/delightful-stainless-steel-backsplash-tiles-self-adhesive/brushed-stainless-steel-backsplash-tiles-self-adhesive-ikea-kitchen-splashbacks-inch-ethosnw-glass-pictures-tile-design-limestone-clear-blue-pearl-granite-white/

I don't know if it's possible to do panels over the installed granite to save costs. They'll have to somehow deal with the electrical sockets. A Pro is suggested on tackling the redo, if redo is chosen. The backsplash granite will probably need to be removed. That was probably costly installing in beginning & will be costly adjusting.

So, the kitchen overall looks pretty good. IMO, It does not look dated.Give it a few weeks to see if it works itself out. If it still bothers later, then invest in some changes.

Hope that helps.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed advice! I really appreciate your time!

Kitchen is fine. But yes you got too much a good thing on the continuous back splash. It is a heavy pattern and I can see why you have grown to hate it.. I agree with the others. Hold back on replacing, Just remove the back splash itself and do a simple solid color for the tile and see how it goes from there. Unless you have a 5-9k around....It's a nice kitchen!

Side note...I don't know if it is my monitor but I see a little bit of peach on the cabinetry. Like the idea of using a different color on the bottom cabinets as well.

I would live with it a while. It's already grown on me.

I am saddened by the way the world is blowing through natural resources, so I'd try to make it work before taking it out. Have you styled the countertops? Right now, everything is hard and shiny, so some softness would help. Here are some ideas for using neutral colors and items with little pattern to help to break up the granite...

A bit of natural wood, white/cream ceramics, green plants will do wonders for brightening up the space. Then, try a large textured rug - these might not be the right color tone, but will give you some ideas...

If these fails, then I'd replace the backsplash. There are many more options than a simple subway tile.

Another vote for living with it, putting items on your countertops, whatever items you normally use in your kitchen, and just seeing how you acclimate. I love Beverly’s example with the changes in the cabinet paint— makes a huge difference, but I imagine that’s a cost and hassle you’d rather not bear right now.

ecasta, I think it’s attractive. I’d add a few items to give it the warm ‘someone lives here’ look as Sammie J suggested. This will break up the backsplash, add color, and move your eye around the kitchen; and perhaps paint the ceiling (a warm) white to define the line between your cabs and cab crown molding and the ceiling. I smiled when I read Beth H’s comment “is that all people can think of is subways??” as I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to add please don’t paint your cabinets grey… I don’t dislike grey cabinets, but that clearly was not the look you were going for when you installed cream cabinets. You chose the cabinet color (I hope!) because you liked it. You chose that granite because you liked it. Why is everyone so freaked out about making a kitchen into something individual, something the person using it loves? And if that’s what a 2005 spec home looked like, where do you live? No where I’ve seen.

My only kitchen 'design' fear is not that my new kitchen will look outdated… it’s that it will not feel like me. I would rather have a kitchen that puts a smile on my face, than smiles on the faces of the masses.

My only kitchen 'design' fear is not that my new kitchen will look outdated… it’s that it will not feel like me. I would rather have a kitchen that puts a smile on my face, than smiles on the faces of the masses.

love this comment