Nope, you made the right call. The veining in the counter top is enough pattern. Doing a herringbone adjacent will be too busy. And for my money, I'd skip the contrasting grout. Go with a white grout that matches the tile. I feel like the contrast grout trend ship has already sailed and you'll be much happier with a classic treatment of the tile.

Hi There!

Take a deep breath! The subway tiles you chose are modern enough in size and classic enough in style. From the pictures you have provided, subway tile is a very classic choice to compliment your classic cabinetry.

If you are still questioning your decision, run and grab tile samples now BEFORE the installer comes. This will settle your mind and give you the confidence in the decision you are making.

Good luck & please post the after pic!

Who said no to gray grout? I would have told you the white will end up looking just like it does. A large white swath.

you should have stuck w/your first thought. gray grout. it would have given you a bit more delineation so you could actually see your tile. yes, it is a lot of white. It doesn't look bad, so don't think i'm hammering you.

Once you get a few countertop items up there, it prob won't be a big deal.

think about doing a decorative blind on the window so you get a bit of color and contrast up there. Maybe a pendant light over the sink

you could also try a runner in front of the sink w/a bit more color

all of these options will punch up the area a bit and offset all of the white.

and, there is a product called Grout Renew. if you want to stain the grout a little darker, it will accomplish that.

maybe try switching out your outlets/covers to a brighter white shade. the one you have looks more cream-colored.

Kitchen turned out very nice! What brand countertop did you use?

Beth, when I saw your name commenting I cringed, lol because I know you have a “ thing” with white subway tiles for backsplashes. Who told me no grey? Scroll up. I really was about to choose pale grey until I posted here. And yes, I’m already scoping out fabrics for a Roman shade,

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/which-grout-for-backsplash-dsvw-vd~5568213

lol. yeah well, the white subway wouldn't have been my first choice, but at least you picked a nice looking tile, and not the 3x6!

I think once you get your blind, and a few other accessories, it will be fine. It's still a pretty kitchen.

(try looking for a bright white outlet and cover though. the one you have seems too creamy) look at the pic, below, and you can barely see the outlets.

I love the rug w/this all white kitchen and the woven wood blind.

Maria Killim did this one (and the one miss enigma posted)

The electrical boxes/plates aren't in yet; they'll of course be bright white.

For what's it worth, I think you made the right choice on grout color. High contrast between grout and tile looks very institutional to me. But that's just me.

I like the white grout as well. Now, you see a nice white backsplash rather than white tiles. Does that make sense? :)

I think the white will be fine but if you are unsure and can still return the tile you bought, I would consider a tile color of your island.

miss enigma,,,i just want to clarify that high contrast isn't the same as a soft gray.

like this.

If this would have been done in a white grout, the entire herringbone pattern would have faded into nothing

this type of contrast takes a certain type of style to pull off this look.

We think the white will look perfectly fine. However, we believe the pale grey grout would've worked as well. Here are some kitchens to help with your dilemma:

Artistic Urban Remodel · More Info

White Kitchen · More Info

Traditional Kitchen Remodel · More Info

Retro Kitchen Remodel in Humboldt Park Chicago · More Info

It is looking great so far. Think of it as a blank canvas- you can do whatever you want with curtains, towels, flowers, etc and you can change the look easily later if you tire of it. I would love to have that kitchen. Gray grout, white grout, who cares. It looks good now.

Another (more expensive, but reversible) option down the road would be to replace a few upper doors with ones with glass, to show off colorful dishes.

Following. About to pick grout for a bathroom where I'm resigned to using white subway tile...(leaning to Mapei warm gray or cobblestone, but a teeeeeeeny little piece of my heart resides with the Mapei mint and rain grouts. I wish I could make it work. Actually...yeah. I could make it work.) Anyway, good luck! Looks pretty damn nice from where I'm not standing.

I don't have a picture to post yet because we still need to repaint the walls, but I just had white crackle subway tile (3x9) installed and went with white grout. I really love the clean look. I think you made a great choice!