So my question is, if the price is the same, would it look better, richer, etc, to use the Taj Mahal all the way around the window, or just continue with the subway tile?

I prefer the look of only the tile and no TM around the window.

No window casing. If you wanted Taj as a back splash ( vs. tile ) to use an "extra slab". that is different. Why do you have an extra slab??

I don't even like it as a sill, frankly. Tomatoes will ripen in a bowl on the counter.

Stick with the tile around your window. You do not have a wide enough area between your upper cabinets and window to have your TM framing your window. I think the TM trim would look out of balance. Skinny trim, large window.

Tile around the window. Keep the Taj as a horizontal surface. Not crazy about using it for a window sill either.
If you have that much left over, consider using it to make a small table somewhere else (your patio?). It feels like you’re trying to use your leftover because you have it.

A whole unfabricated slab or a slab of leftovers? If leftover, I’ve made tables out of them before and it’s a much better use then the window surround. If it is a whole slab, is there enough to do the whole backsplash? Is that a look you want or is your heart on tile? Do you need new bathroom counters? Resell it? Don’t switch directions this late just to save the cost of the rock. I am curious as to the whole extra slab too - unless it was back up due to planned failure, in which case I’m not sure why that would be part of your bill.

Agreed. Use tile on the substrate (wall) and just have the Taj for your countertop. I am also not keen on the idea of the TM being used for your sill.

As an aside - I actually like the look of the window surround, but I think you’d need a specific aesthetic to pull it off and it would leave you a lot less flexibility in the future.

Just tile around the window

I agree with the above posts. One thing you could do with extra Taj Mahal is have a piece of the slab mounted just behind the range/cooktop up to meet the hood. That way, you won't have tile grout to clean when it gets splashed with tomato sauce, grease, or whatever. Just a smooth surface to wipe down behind the range. Will tie in nicely with your counter too.

I don’t have a whole slab, just a bit extra. My window has no molding and used to be tiled in with cheap white square tiles. We were going to just do the sill as in one of the example photos above and tile around, but the designer said since I have some extra leftover thinner pieces, it would look richer and more custom to use the TM around.

Casing the window might be a better idea.......

We only have about 2 1/2” from the window to the cabinet. We didn’t want to put a wood frame all the way to the cabinets, and feel a thin inch or so wood frame would look cheap.

I took everyone’s advice and did not use my extra bit of slab to go around my window, or even for the sill. My contractor is going to make a small wood sill and I will tile into the window. The tile guys started today. Now I need the grout color by Saturday. Cabinets off white (Whisper). Tile, Elyse Edwards Bisque it, counter Taj Majal, floor...had to keep existing limestone which is beige. I was going to use a light “alabaster” color that almost matches the tile...could be the tiniest bit lighter... or the one color darker that would let the tile be more distinct. Family likes lighter. I included each grout sample. Opinion?

I tiled all around a doorway. Finishes the space. I also used TM quartzite

Finished tile with TM

I love that Joanne! Funny I was just looking at my kitchen and the cabinet builders made a mistake on the door side cutting the molding 1/2” short...so I wondered about just tiling in all the way around the door. But I have a couple inches on each side all the way to the floor so maybe I’d have to do that too. Not sure if I have enough tile. I just bought about 5 sq feet extra. I do love the Taj Mahal! Also the electrician put in the 3000kelvin led lights which say “warm white”. They look tooo white to me. I like it in the day, but at night it’s seems cold and grey. I switched to 2700. Did you change your lighting to led? Too many choices!

Thanks Joanne, I do like it and just happy to be done! I never realized how many decisions were needed to remodel a kitchen!

It’s stunning. Just stunning. Enjoy it! All good decisions.

Fabulous! (Love your red knobs on cooktop and checkered teapot)

It looks GREAT! Enjoy!!

Joanne H what type of backsplash do you have please?

The backsplash is from WalkerZanger. It’s a crackel and the name is sandstone.

Jlemail3, I love your kitchen - it looks great! Do you mind to a) post some more photos of the kitchen as a whole, b) share what wood and finish your island cabinetry is and c) share how your lighting is working for you. I’ve read a lot of different opinions about island fixtures with visible bulbs vs not, and I love the look of your pendants - do you love them? So, how are the top portions of your cabinets lit? I’m considering replacing a few doors in my kitchen with glass and backlighting them. And how far out are your recessed lights from the wall and would you make any changes?

I prefer windows with painted wood trim. Most tile-trimmed windows seem too plain to me.

Thanks j_leary. My cabinets were built from scratch and I think they used maple and painted them with Benjamin Moore Scuff-X paint, which is very durable. They used alder wood for the center island and stained it. I love my island pendants and get the most compliments on them. Lighting was hard! The upper cabinets are low voltage using little round pods centered in each one. (If you put them too far back, you see the bulbs) I have every light on a dimmer.
The electrician wanted 3000 kelvin led in everything as he said kitchens need that. I tried them for a while, but at night things looked too cold, so ended up with 2700 kelvin cans in the ceiling. I changed out the pendent bulbs to incandescent which look softer and more like candle light. The recessed lights were already there before by the original builder and were just centered down the aisles. I didn’t have a choice with that. I can’t think of anything I would have done differently.

It’s beautiful!

Jlemail3, what’s your flooring material? It looks great with your granite!

The flooring is the original 20 year old limestone which I don’t love, but it’s all downstairs and would have been too $$$ to remove it. A stone guy is coming to sand bad parts, clean and seal it, so hopefully it will look better. The Taj Mahal quartzite has a bit of the floor color in it so it’s not bad.