Sorry, typo. Ignore the last sentence where I ask if either counter goes. There's just the one.

If you are worried about something being too busy I would have a concern about the quartz pattern. Have you seen a large-scale sample of that quartz? Brick and countertop seem to look all right together but that's just a lot of pattern all together for your space once you have everything installed.

There have been several recent posts from people who ask about replacing granite counters with similar coloring/pattern from the 1990s. Sorry, but it feels heavy and oppressive to me. I am afraid you are going to end up with a dated look, and urge you to lighten up the look to go with your cab choice.

Have you looked at glazed brick tile...it is a more updated version for brick.

Awesome colors and sample kitchens https://www.fireclaytile.com/brick

Inspo, we've only seen a 12x12" sample. I, too, am worried it's too much pattern but our designer feels it's not. 

Rantontoo, in terms of a look being dated, I hear you, however we are of the ilk who want what we like, regardless of whether it's trending. We are going to die in this house, so we're not worried about resale issues. Let's face it - glazed tile will be considered dated eventually too, right? (We did look at glazed brick but it didn't have the raw texture we wanted.) Having said that, the look feeling oppressive is definitely a concern. We will have LOTS of natural light from windows but we're not sure how much weight to give that. 

We had also considered Berkeley, but were worried it would leave things too bland. (Pic attached.) Berkeley and Canterbury were the only ones that we were really drawn to. 

I understand wanting what you like but some things just don’t work together as good as it could With a different combo..there’s a lot of things I like but that doesn’t mean they go together

Definitely! But I don't want to avoid something we like purely because it may be considered "dated." If we avoid it, it's because it's ugly or creates an ugly space.

Have you tried a soapstone type in quartz? Love your floor choice

I like the idea of using brick (bravo for a new kitchen that isn’t white/gray with subway tile!), but I am leaning toward the “too busy” camp. I cant pinpoint why....too much red in the brick, maybe?

I still like the darker countertop in your first pic, especially with the cabinets and floor.

CLC, had to laugh...it seems like that's definitely the rage now.

I don't think the brick and either of the counters (Berkeley and Canterbury) complement each other.

I am all for color and pattern mixing, but you have to get the colors and patterns right and your samples don't.

ldecor, thanks for the idea. We'll take a look!

I wonder if a little lighter of a brick color would bring it all together? Maybe something like this? I typically am not drawn to darker countertops but I agree that the darker one complements your floors and cabinet color better. The lighter one seems like it’s maybe a shade off?

@Drew & Christine STOP THE PRESSES! Okay, I just have to warn you that if you've only seen a 12"x12" sample of your selected quartz and are already worried that the pattern is too much, it is going to overwhelm you once you have one or two slabs' worth.

I'm no expert. I'm re-doing my kitchen and am new to countertops but have done enough reading to know that even a faint pattern on a sample can be too much once installed full-scale. That Berkeley has a lot of movement in it and will be very busy once installed. Please trust us here, that it won't at all be bland. If you like it, go for it, and be prepared that even the Berkeley will seem like it has a lot of pattern once installed.

Also, you aren't going to want to hear this, but I'm trying to be a friend here, and friends don't let friends get quartz unless you're aware of all the issues that could go wrong with it. There's a post just today about horrible resin spotting in a new Cambria quartz installation, and of course there are plenty of stories of heat damage. Quartz can't be repaired very well. Granite can. Granite is heat resistant. There are issues with granite, so read up, but they are much fewer than with quartz. Quartz is the material of the moment and favored by most designers. If you read here at Houzz, you'll see the experts prefer granite. Granite is falling out of favor as a trendy design choice because it has been around for a while and the prices have come down. However, one of the overriding factors in choosing quartz above granite is to get a white or light color. I don't see that here. Your 2 top choices could easily be duplicated in a granite. Spending $4,000 to $6,000 or possibly more on this one purchase, I beg you to do a bit more research because you can definitely find granite very similar to your choices, and since you'll be in the home a long time, you don't want to risk irreversible heat damage on the quartz. Search for "Cambria burn" if you don't believe me.

Lastly, if you have a kitchen designer influencing your purchases, please beware. So many of them have the philosophy of something like "go big or go home," and they don't live day-to-day with the selections they install in other people's houses. Designers often like big statements in a room. I am very surprised this designer told you your selections pictured in the original post wouldn't be too busy. I can see the counter with understated backsplash or the backsplash with understated counter, but both together are a lot to take in. That's my opinion for what it's worth to you. Best wishes, as I know these decisions can seem overwhelming, and it sounds like you are very close to the end of figuring out what you want. You might even take your brick choice to the other room and do something quieter in the kitchen. Not everything has to match precisely from one room to the next.

I think that in the end it will be too much and too dark. I agree with not worrying whether something is on trend or not though. I also agree with the poster who said you should look at a whole slab of quartz. It is unbelievably different seeing the whole thing. I personally wouldn’t choose brick as a kitchen backsplash due to its porousness and the difficulty of trying to clean it. There are so many other good choices and it doesn’t have to be subway tile! I love my backpainted glass, but that doesn’t seem to be the look you’re going for. My sister just did a beautiful tile one where the tiles were (intentionally) not all exactly the same and it looks semi rustic and very pretty.

The issue with “dated“ is that as design “taste“ evolves, a lot of what is dated really is unappealing now. There are not a lot of commenters here who encourage chasing constantly changing trendy.

The best piece of advise I got from the original GardenWeb was “One star to a kitchen” during my own remodeling journey. The elements of a kitchen should play nice with each other instead of fight each other for attention. In my case, I chose my counters as the star; other elemnts were selected to harmonize with that choice.

With the selections posted, there are two stars fighting for attention: the brick and the counter. Both are fighting to be the boss. I think you will have a better end result if you decide which element is going to have star/boss status.

I really like the pic Sarah E posted but I am wondering what people's experience has been with keeping brick clean around the stove. I do saute and fry a lot. I understand the right hood will help. Currently in design stage of reno and contemplating finishes.

I like everything but the brick. Seems too much. Have you looked at other natural stone? Travertine or the like? Less competing for attention. Also, I would get everything in but the backsplash and then bring home samples to see in the finished space.

Thanks so much to everyone for your wonderful input and advice. My instinct has been that the two competed for visual attention and that's been confirmed. Our initial love was for the Berkeley but we knew we wanted brick as well and friends felt the brick was better with the Canterbury. (Sadly, you can't always trust friends because they can just be saying what they think you want to hear.)

To address some points, I did LOTS of reading up on the various materials for countertops and decided on quartz. (We will be picking our slab.)

We specifically chose the glazing on the cabinets so that they *would* look dirty already. I don't want to obsess over dirt in the corners. (Our cabinets will be a simpler shaker style, not with the detail shown in the sample.)

Our stove will be on an island with a downdraft, so no brick cleaning issue there. But brick would be above the sink, so some potential issues with cleaning still. I'd already considered that, but am thinking harder on it now.

I think picking the Berkeley we initially loved, then incorporating a complementing brick in another area of the room while choosing a subtle backsplash, or even just paint, may be the way to go.

You are picking a lot of clashing elements, and have a bad design to begin with. Add in elements that won’t wear well, or age well. Disaster ahead.

You really should be working with a Kitchen Designer before you spend a dime on any of this. It will cost less than the regret of poor choices.

I vote no on the brick:(

Is there not a spot for your cooktop along the perimeter wall? Downdrafts are just so much less efficient than overhead hoods

Have you looked at pictures of Canterbury to see if you can find examples of backsplashes that you like/dislike? Cambria’s website also has some visualization tools. From my searches, this combo appeared appealing

Link: https://bathandgranite.com/countertops/kitchen-slabs/canterbury-cambria-quartz/

Oh boy. No brick in kitchen. It sluffs off tiny surface pieces and those on quartz will drive you mad. You can have one element being busy. Either backsplash or countertop but not both. Granite is my favorite material for your style. Honed Virginia Mist would be perfect if you want timeless look. Install plenty of lighting in any case. Under cabinet lighting is a must.

GreenDesigns, if the brick is eliminated, what else do you feel is clashing ?

Jet Mist granite is another choice that would look great with brick if you choose brick.

One more word. “Authentic”. Brick looks great when it is “Authentic”. A wall that is original to the structure or a chimney that got exposed during tear out. Otherwise looks fake.

GreenDesigns, if the brick is eliminated, what else do you feel is clashing ?

re brick - unsealed brick loves to grab on to water, oil, anything liquid - it does NOT like letting go of those liquids at all. Sealed brick will certainly look different than 'unsealed' brick and you might not like that look, but you certainly won't like unsealed brick that has grabbed a multitude of liquids.

I see you are moving towards eliminating the brick, That would be my vote. If you think about the word backSPLASH, there is a reason for its name. I shudder to think how you would keep that brick clean! You want ( well, I'd want) something that is easy to wipe down and not have to spend ages scrubbing grease and oil and food splashes and dust out of nooks and crannies.

Look into fireclay tile. It might give you that rustic look with more splash resistance.

I think the brick would be a big mistake. Personally it would drive me crazy to have the glaze or whatever it is that looks like dirt on the cabinet door grooves. Not trying to offend but kitchens are expensive enough without finding halfway through you’ve made a mistake. Tile should never compete with quartz or granite.

Thanks again everyone for your input! Good news: the brick is out; bad news: love us some glazed cabinets. ;-)

So, just to come full circle on this thread - which no one may give two hoots about but me, lol, but just in case this can be a useful reference for someone in the future - we went with the cream cabinets with cafe glaze, Cambria Berkeley, the cappucino tile backsplash, and Savannah Grey thin brick on the island base for the texture we wanted (and where feet can touch and rest and no worries about marks).