The only thing needing a fix is the one area where they ended with a directional change in the tile. Pop those off and continue the tile to the frame like on the other side. I am tall enough to never see the mounding under the hood, but if it bothers you, take it off and put some tile bullnose there instead. I think it’s too narrow to cut tiles to fit.

If you plan to do it over, then take off the 4" granite piece as it is best not to put a backsplash on top of a 4" splash. It is best to have one or the other. They probably went to the wall because of the light switch. It is not that bad and I am not sure of the best solution. Sides are not usually tiled, but they may been trying to cover wall damage or just did not know better. A cream would also be better with the color tone of the cabinets and counter. It is not the end of the world, but if you redo it, keep those factors in mind.

This is my wood kitchens idea book - you might see something that inspires. The second kitchen is mine and the color tone of the cabinets is similar to yours.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

horrible tiling job. yes, they were noobs. It's messy caulking, messy tile work, non-symmetrical, and instead of using bullnose eded tiles, they turned the tile vertically.

as for the white tile, it's too bright for the granite and the wood. they should have used a cream tile or something else.

and you never tile atop the 4" granite piece up the back.

you're new homeowners? at some point you're going to have to learn to DIY things unless you have a money tree in the yard.

So what do you want to do? Redo it? I would. I'd look into getting those cabs painted unless you want new ones.

And remove the valance piece over the sink. you'll get more light.

you also need some hardware on the cabs. will keep them cleaner

Not the best tile job but far from the worst that I've seen.

I do agree with Live Wire Oak about putting it on hold. Personally, I would be more keen on replacing the cheap range hood before I tackled the tile.

I agree that the bigger problem is the bright white tile they chose in the first place. Cheapest fix for now? Rip out the tile, use Youtube and Google to DIY patching and painting the wall where the tile used to be. (Or replace the sheet rock completely, have a pro tape and finish it). Repaint the whole backsplash area and kitchen in the lightest neutral of your countertop. Then live with it for a bit before deciding whether to paint cabinets, put in new tile, etc.

Looks like a DIY job. Agree with the poster above: there will likely be multiple changes you'll want to accomplish; don't throw good money after bad. Instead, wait until you have enough money to make real changes to the kitchen for both aesthetic and functional reasons.

Don’t try to remove the tile. Why - it will cause you more issues. In most cases the removal will damage the wall. During my recent remodel We found it better to just cut out the drywall with the tile and replace the drywall. I say live with the kitchen and make note of what your dream kitchen would be. Save for a few years and then do a remodel. Took me over two years of reviewing pictures, asking neighbors what they would do again and different after they finished their remodel (give them a few months to live in the remodel before asking) interesting some of the stuff I learned - most was settling due to cost and regretting it e.g. passed on pullouts in pantry and lower cabinets, passed on soft close etc. Good luck in your new place. Also when I purchased my home years ago I would go to DIY classes run by HD. I participated to help me really understand. Also I learned my limits

Thanks everyone! We are definitely learning how to diy as much as we can. I think we’re just going to paint the cabinets and the wall for now to make the white tile a bit more cohesive. In the end I will probably end up giving this kitchen a complete overhaul as nothing is really what I would have chosen. There are so many things this house needs. They cut so many corners... and I mean literal corners. They cut trim too short in several places and just Installed it anyway so the trim doesn’t meet at the corners. With no money tree in the back yard, we’re just tackling one job at a time.

Paint the cabinets? I'm not a pro, but from what I read on these forums, painting cabinets is very difficult for DIY-ers and can even be a problem for pros. As long as everything is working pretty well now, and there are no emergencies, I would recommend that you start making a master list of things that you would like to do. Prioritize the list in a way that makes sense for you, such as 1) fix broken things; 2) fix things to make more functional; 3) fix things for cosmetic reasons. Or use another prioritizing system, whatever makes sense for you.

Paint the walls if you want a lighter color. Save up money for all the things you might want to do in the future. Enjoy your new house. To me, it doesn't look that bad. I'm not trying to scold you into loving your kitchen, you are probably going to find a bunch of things that need to be addressed, so I'm just encouraging you to settle in and think about the whole picture, and take some time before you decide which projects you want to tackle first.