I know we’re all focused on tile but your counters look amazing.

Here are my thoughts on tile. It works with your counter b/c it reads almost as a solid so it’s not competing. Also, the counters darker veins tie in to the darkness of the tile.

It is so unexpected but so perfectly right it makes me happy. No contrast would be fine and beautiful but this is just understated and elegant. I know I’d love it, but you’re the one that has to love it in real life. Does it make your heart sing now that you see it together?

Having done all that gushing, I do think it would also look great as a feature just behind the range as chispa suggests.

If you don't end up going with the tile, will you send me the purchasing info for it because I will definitely buy it lol.

KimH, I hope the tile is being held for you ... wouldn't want you to come back here in a few days crying how "the perfect one" got away from you while you hesitated! ;-)

Kim I too love that it ties together with your blue cabs! Yes, it looks solid, but it's 'bluetiful'!!

I think that tile will look dreary and heavy, create an overpowering dark line across the kitchen and drag everything down. I urge you not to use that tile Lol

And a back splash isn't a life long choice! Kim could always change it out a few years down the road if she tires of the darker look, specially as she got a higher end tile for a bargain price.

Your kitchen is turning out so pretty! So I’m going to dissent from the other posters here and say that while I love the texture and pattern of the blue tile, I think it’s too dark and up close it looks too busy against the movement in the counter. I think the picket style tile would look better. The white was too bland.

Having spent a bunch of weekends removing backsplash tile, repairing drywall, etc before having my backsplash redone, tile is a longer term choice than something easy to switch out like paint.

It does read dark and dramatic in pictures, but maybe it doesn't in person. I liked the idea of having a focal point of them behind the stove. But, with the cabinet and countertop choices, I wouldn't do white for the main area. Maybe a gray with navy grout and then your navy tiles could have gray grout.

I just got back from vacation so am seeing this for the first time.

I think it's the perfect tile for your backsplash. As you mentioned, it helps tie in the blue from the other cabinets and creates a subtle visual interest. I actually think you need that blue color and subtle texture there. Otherwise the blue cabinet will stick out like a sore thumb as an odd accent. This really ties it all together. This is refreshing without being too much. Go for it.

I suggest you do a sample board with grout, before you decide.

There are so many beautiful elements for kitchens and I keep having to rein in my impulse to use every sparkly thing out there.

You've learned an important thing about design then. Good for you. I've seen this problem a lot in my seven years on Gardenweb Kitchens forum, and now that we are part of Houzz where there is even more of a tendency to jump on a trend, it's gotten worse because there is a much larger cheering squad from Houzz who also love sparkly things.

Good luck on your search for the perfect tile.

@Kim H I hope you'll still post an update of your finished room :)

I love that backsplash! Would love to see photos of the finished product.

Kim - let us know what you end up using & post a few photos.. love my bling, but also agree about trends, will you/I love it in a year?? that is what I am finding with our build myself :)

What about a pretty ice glass? Blues/grays/whites....

https://tilebar.com/komorebi-mineral-ice-glass-tile.html

And I didn't realize Versace made tiles! Who knew? I love this simple white with texture. Would be really cute as a splash, and lay out like how you have it behind your blue cabinets (vertical)...

https://tilebar.com/versace-patchwork-bianco-10x30-ceramic-tile.html

What I didn't like about the P&L tile was its pattern with the pattern of your counter. I'm not against mixing patterns but those two together weren't working for me.

@Kim - coming along nicely ....

I love the blue tile and I think it pulls everything into place. The countertops look great too!! I am getting ready to pick a tile to put in my kitchen because for some reason, they didn't put anything but the granite backsplash and I want to add something to it. I really love the tile you have and I think you are happy with it too. Sometimes we have to just "go for it" and find out if we are happy with it. If I felt so strongly about a design as you seem to, I would go ahead and get it. I also purchased some items that were special ordered for someone else and they changed their mind. I got it, saved a lot of money and love the finished look.

well, than it wasn't the one for you.... glad u realized now before it was bought and installed.. found this one.... thought it tied your colors in nicely if u decide to go for a pattern... at tilebar.com

Lighter with some blue.

@leelee, those encaustic are so cute too.... So many great blues to choose from...

@niccidhg, I think I know whose post you were referring to higher up in the thread with the quartersawn oak cabinets and busy black granite! LOL!! And OP, niccidhg is right. The "weighing in" has gone on for months, and I'm STILL undecided. Matter of fact, I may not pull the trigger on the backsplash for awhile. I'm stuck and I'm determined not to buy something just to get it over with. I've worked too hard to get the look I'm going for and I'm not going to settle just because I'm exhausted. That said....I LOVED your tile alone when I saw it up close. I wasn't as much in favor of it when you stepped back, and I think it was because I lost the pattern. The tile is a show stopper, no doubt, but I like what @leelee posted up above. The lighter blue plays off your countertops and cabinets perfectly by the looks of it on my screen. You're in the same boat as me when it comes to choosing....as I'm learning from all the help I'm getting on my post, not everything has to be a "show-stopper". Something has to give, or when you walk into my room, your eyes don't know where to stop. It's like sensory overload. Good luck!

EDIT: @Kim H, we must have posted at the same time! Pickets will look awesome. Glad you narrowed it down!

Walker Zanger

Beautiful kitchen! What kind of sink is that? I love the blue cabinetry by the way!!

http://ceramictechnics.com/product/scandiano-picket/

storm

All the tiles you are thinking about are great but I just love the first choice, the one you talked about at the beginning of the thread. That pattern-rich tile is beautiful and would look great with light gray or white countertop. Just make sure the countertop doesn't have a lot of movement.

kim, what did u end up doing?

It’s beautiful and I love that rug!

what kind of woven shades did you use? I’m looking right now and trying to decide if I should get them lined or not.

Thanks!

Interesting to see the Whitewash in your samples. I was reading kjoy’s old thread about her woven shades and the whitewash is what she went with.

I like that bottom sample Palm. I’m thinking maybe I need to go a little darker than I was planning, to blend with my wood floors more. But keep in the medium shade variation of my floors.

Oh that is a great point about the light pattern. thanks for the tip!

I didn’t know you could check out sample books from home Dept or Lowe’s until reading kjoy’s thread. Im going to try and go by there this week to see what I can get.

I may may buy some off the shelf too just to take home and see what it looks like.

Thanks for for the compliment! It’s slow moving but eventually I’ll get it together haha

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The color looks ok bubut you have a lot of the same colors which darkens it up. Try a color on the opposite end of the color

can we see the finished project? It looks stunning with the choices you picked