I should mention that the tile pictured is grouted with a dark grey from Home Depot , so of course it can be any color which changes the look dramatically.

I agree with what leelee said, those tiles would look absolutely stunning on your space - a small but striking and incredibly elegant visual effect.

love the cement tile option. look at CleTile,,,they have some beautiful choices too. (look at the sale page. half price on some)

https://www.cletile.com/collections/cement-tile-encaustic-cement

https://www.cletile.com/collections/cement-tile-encaustic-cement/products/alhambra-8x8-stock?variant=&variant=5095499956261

Can you share you countertop color/brand? It’s lovely.

L Kais- thank you! It’s calacutta Laza from MSI

Love your countertop and love the patterned tile!

Lovely countertop! I actually think that you need a touch of gold there. Have you thought about Calacatta Gold Marble Tile? I think it would look gorgeous here!

I favor Tina's idea of tile that introduces the hood's color, instead of black/white. Maybe the type tile you showed but with a softened distressed wood tone... you have wood/iron type stools which will look nice it seems.

In cabinet areas, is there more that looks like the hood? wall has solitary wood.

This is beautiful....

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/chestnut-street-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~12271070[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/chestnut-street-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~12271070)

"Poor me" maybe I'm biased about the shape of the hood.

I'd rather see something that repeats the vibe of the several metal pieces: texture here [instead of your pattern]:

Thanks for all of the great ideas! I went on cement tile shop Visualizer and tried this and I’m kind of in love!

Nice more contemporary design, for simple shape of hood, and its grain. Love away. :)

Hope your love is just a bad boy fling and you find a more suitable partner for the long haul to marry. If you marry that tile, you will be headed for divorce soon...lol! All flash with the wrong set of values. Don't do it!

@blondelle if I don’t like it in 5-10 years I can change it! It’s a small area.

Why is Jan Moyer always so negative and annoying on these posts. She never suggests things just nitpicks!!

It's not all that easy to change. You risk damaging the counters when you remove it and ripping the tile out often takes chunks of sheetrock with it. You need to sheetrock it again and then re tile and re grout. It's more of a to-do than you think. I have to be honest and say that tile reminds me of spiders in a web. I would choose something a little more classic in a predominant soft grey and off white. Also be aware that cement tile can stain and needs frequent re sealing to maintain it. You can get the same look in porcelain without the maintenance issues.

@blondelle thanks. Yes I’m aware that there is upkeep on the cement tiles. The great thing is I really like it and I own my home and plan on being here for the long haul. It may not be for everyone but that’s the great thing. We all have totally different taste and that’s what makes the world and style unique.

Alexandra,,,some people just don't care for 'out of the box' decor. I do. I think your choice for those tiles would be perfect. Did you see the link from CleTile I posted, above? they have some in the clearance section that are similar to those blue you posted. If budget isn't an issue, then look at the regular page.

https://www.cletile.com/collections/second-shelf

I have a wall of black and white cement tile in my shower. I sealed them 5 times before grouting. now water just beads up on the surface. Do the same w/yours and staining won't be an issue. just wipe them down after use.

they have these on the regular page. check to see what shipping costs are for this company and the other,,,,shipping costs are where these tiles really get pricey.

https://www.cletile.com/collections/cement-tile-encaustic-cement

btw,,they also carry these glazed earthenware tiles. some gorgeous colors. I love these in a herringbone for a backsplash

@beth h thanks!! I see cle does pre seal too. I’m going to guess that’s better? Love those subways. Where are they on the cle site!?? I can’t find them! Ahh yes shipping. I’ll have to figure that out as well. And yup, the out of the box thinking is not for everyone. For me there is no reward without a little risk.

I ordered some samples from cle because I love these tiles. the one above is the 2x6 subway in Dragon Bay. (look at Koi Pond!) and they come in hex and square sizes too

https://www.cletile.com/collections/terracotta-tile-glazed-eastern-earthenware

The Zellige line is crafted after Moroccan style

https://www.cletile.com/collections/terracotta-tile-glazed-zellige

and yes, the cement tiles do have a first stage seal on them. you will still need to do the tops a few times w/ 511 in order to obtain a grout release surface (cement tiles will discolor from the grouting process if not sealed)

Alexandra, have you seen cement tile shop on IG? they have a recent post of a similar set up backsplash like you want to do, with navy, gray and white Floret.

https://www.instagram.com/cementtileshop/

actually taking out a backsplash is not going to RUIN your counters. I've just demoed three different backsplashes recently and not one counter was ruined. It's possible. and really not a that big of a deal.

I love the cement tile idea. However to tie the hood in with the rest of the kitchen I would probably choose a cement tile that is mostly black/white with small touches of the hood color. Many of the cement tiles can be custom colored so there is that option.

Also look at Villa Lagoon Tile. I used them for my friends entry foyer tile and I found them to be excellent to work with and can't recommend them enough.

@bethH yes I saw that!! Looks like a custom color. Those tiles don’t come in the navy normally. Tonight my husband is going back and forth on the subway. I’m ordering a couple of the subways you suggested from cle too! Might be a good compromise :)

Also for those very worried about my hood tying in... we are putting in all new floors (likely at the top of next year) which will be close to the color of the hood. :) so no worries. It will all come together, I promise :)

that was cute, Alexandra!

Alexandra - I love your kitchen, your style, and especially the tiles you've chosen. :). Please share pictures of the finished product here.

@ Tina - I also fell in love with a similar tile you mention above (later cut I believe). I actually love it so much that I wanted to redo my whole kitchen based on that tile...until I found the scary price! Believe it was over $130.00/sq.foot!

Alexandra - Would you mind sharing your sink info.? Thanks!

@mycommenthere thanks! Ill be sure to share once it’s done. Just ordering samples now! :) as for the sink it’s a single basin black fragranite from Franke. I purchased it at pacific sales. It has a little ledge in it for a internal drying rack. I’m kinda obsessed with this sink, so far it’s the best!

Thank you for sharing the info. Alexandra. My husband and I are looking for a granite composite sink (no stainless for us), and we are having a hard time finding the right one (something that looks nice and is durable). I'll look on that site for your sink. We are looking for an undercount sink, so not sure if it would come with a ledge (we currently have a drying rack on our top mount single basin Kohler sink and are obsessed).

mycomment,,,i agree. hate SS. have you looked at Silgranit or copper sinks?

(did you get the link for the painting?)

mycommenthere, try Amazon I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Even build.com and yes Houzz.com under shopping.

Thank you Tina!

Beth -Yes, we have been researching the specific sinks you mentioned. We really want a copper sink but was reading that it may not be a good route to take.

why? I've had a copper sink for 13 years. love it. did you know they are naturally anti-bacterial? yes, they do patina, but you can take it back to shiny if you want. I don't bother. I use all kinds of cleaners and scrubbies. nothing hurts it.

@mycommenthere we have an undercount. I love it SOOO much!

I know we're all looking forward to the final results. Please show us a photo when you install the backsplash. I like this one too.

@darzy I will!! My husband is pushing hard for the grey glazed brick subway. I’m thinking maybe we compromise and do the patterned cement tile under the hood and then the Grey glazed brick on the sides and everywhere else.

This was on ur counter top and I think it goes beautiful with the kitchen

@esthan this is my favorite so far but my husband is feeling like it’s too much. I’m thinking of a compromise and doing this under the hood and the glazed brick on the side...

It isn't too much in the small area it will cover. It will look far less busy to do the whole area in glazed brick or the whole area in the black and white tile (my favorite, for sure). Mixing tiles will be too much in that space. That will mean two different shapes and two different patterns=bad decision.

Another idea.

This tile is called star and cross from FireClay. You could do all white tiles with black grout. Or go all black with white grout. It's also possible to have all black crosses and all white stars. Either would be less busy than individual tiles that are patterned.

Any decisions? We have a similar kitchen and this is similar to the backsplash we’re using - very glassy and shiny, provides a good contrast with all the white in the kitchen.

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions! While it was a really hard decision we decided to stick with our original plan of glazed grey brick. It’s actually pretty stunning in person! Posted is after and before!

I lovveeeeeeee it. I'm so glad you didn't go with the patterned tile. This one is so pretty but shares the limelight with that rustic hood

Yes, looks perfect!

Here is some texture pics!

It’s really gorgeous! You made the right choice!

I does look very pretty but I'm a teeny bit sad you didn't take the "out of the box" risk.