Oh my goodness the grass cloth will get all raggedy under your countertop.

If that was my kitchen, I would cover it with the wood panels that your kitchen cupboards are made of.

I think I'd get a gloss creamy white paint and stools of a modern sort ...industrial looking light colored metal or a white/creamy faux leather modern, especially if you are anticipating a lot of sitting which it appears. Leather or faux leather.....is quite comfortable and the perimeter is quite dark which is a factor . Select a light simple vibe with the choice of gloss paint and stool choice .

akabal, that is what I wanted but my cabinet guy has fallen off the face of the earth. Not that I can't find someone else to do it and match it well, but I am not looking to spend that money now. My cabinet guy was very inexpensive so I can only imagine anyone else would be 2-3x what he quoted me to do it.

CindyR, are you meaning from peoples shoes? It will rarely be sat at, but I see your point. I am wanting texture. That is why I was thinking grasscloth. Its not busy like patterned wallpapers but it doesn't look like wallpaper either. Open to suggestions. Its one of the main things I want to "fix" in my house.

Here’s a view of the dining area off to the left side so you can get an idea of our style. (Working on getting window treatments. They’re not a priority just yet.)

Real Grasscloth would probably not be great there, but you might find a nice grasscloth-look vinyl that would be more durable and easy to clean.

One thing I noticed is the "V" shadow that is created by your hood and shelves. That would drive me crazy! That right back corner is also very dark. I think your kitchen needs a few more well placed recessed lights.

How about a glass tile. These are some options.

chispa, I actually never noticed that shadow until now, but I think that is because we keep the range hood lights on 24/7. We live in the middle of nowhere and without some kind of light on in the kitchen at night, you can't see anything at all! During the day, the windows let in so much awesome light but I agree, that corner is very dark. Its our coffee corner now, I have thought about adding a small vintage lamp there, and then we could save our range lights from running constantly. I have contemplated some of the under-cabinet light strips from ikea as well. However, I have already changed the pendants to something larger that give more light, they don't help that corner obviously but they help the overall space..

Lizziesma, Thank you, The split isn't as deep as it looks in the photo, I set the plate a little in from the center of the split. My husband is a bigger guy so it doesn't bother him at all. If we needed to add more seating, I could put a chair at each "branch" and have plenty of room for both to sit comfortably; it might actually be what we do when we have a little one in the future. Its not what many people would typically use for a live edge, but my husband built it from a slab of a pecan tree that went down in a recent major hurricane here in FL. He loved the character and so did I, so we make it work :).

If I do a tile, should I do the backsplash to match? I was thinking of doing a very subtle stone tile all the way up the wall and behind the shelves. My countertops are pretty busy and a focal piece, so I don't want to take away from them.

You won't really see it under there but tile would be the way to go or a wood pattern

The least costly and easiest to do is paint. Unless your cabinets are custom, you should be able to get a panel for the back, or if you are handy, you can get a very thin piece of board and stain it.

Ok..if wood is not an option, I would probably paint it dark, closes colour to cabinets. The dark colour and stools will be there so that will be less distracting then the white. As for tile, definitely dark as well. However that’s a more pernament decision, I would paint, and save $ to have it even paneled with wood.

Dark, scuff-proof paint if wood is not an option.

Go look at Phillip Jeffries Contract. They're vinyl, amazing textures in grass and more.. Don't do a color, just tone it in to the existing wood. If you want color, put it on the stools at the island in fabric or leather.

You NEED more light in there : ) it feels a bit somber

Vinyl Husk, in Dark Brazilwood , below

https://www.phillipjeffries.com/shop/CARD-N-HUSK/7269/

following

My previous bar was covered in grasscloth (and it didn’t get raggedy, lol). This photo is from the real estate listing when we sold. I had my builder frame out each space where a stool would be placed.

Oh…favorite wallpaper is Thibaut, where you can also find gorgeous “imitation” grasscloths

Try the Faux Resource Collection..

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If you want some texture or interest, but your cabinet maker is no longer available, buy some interesting real wood paneling ( not cheap stuff) and DIY. Stain it like your other cabinets. With stools in place, the difference will not be noticeable. That’s how we finished our bar, and we love it! The back cabinets were installed 30+ years before hubs built the bar, using restrained leftover wood r

from our sunroom ceiling!

Tile

Wood beadboard that can be purchased at 36" high from HD and Lowes and simply paint to stain it.