A white geometric tile.

Speaking from experience, having white cabinets, a marble countertop, and white subway tile backsplash, it is not easy to get all those major player whites to work well together.

Would use a solid color tile that closely matches the non-white color in your marble.

Good luck!

Thanks, I was concerned about whites not matching and also things just being a little too stark with white backsplash. The marble has mostly gray veining but also some brown/golds.

Start dragging home the sample boards. You already have a STAR in the counter tops. Don't look for another star. Your understudy is the range. Look only for SIMPLE and background white.

I would use the same marble as a full height backsplash, it’s more cost effective than you may think! We did it in our kitchen and it was less expensive than tiling for sure!

Such a beautiful space! Can't wait to see the finished product! You could extend your marble up your backsplash, which I think would be lovely. Or bring a sample of your marble and some cabinet doors with you to tile stores and start looking. Finding a white might be touch, but not impossible. You could pull a color from your stone and see if that works.

I'm just finishing up my parents' kitchen and I absolutely love the tile/backsplash. I wanted something that was in the background but enhanced all the warmth and lightness of the other elements. It may be a great option for you to check out because they have so many color options.

The tile is by Sonoma Tilemakers and the one I chose was in their Stellar "Quickship" collection (they also have even more color options in their standard Stellar collection). It's a beautiful tile where the color has a very subtle fade at the edges and an overall gorgeous shine.

Like Jan said, get the samples in your house! Bring a cabinet sample/small door, countertop sample, and paint samples to the tile store to help you narrow down what to bring home and try as options.

Here is the Sonoma Stellar Quickship (in Bossy Gray):

I would also make sure the tile looks great with your blue stove.

Could you get tile in the same type of Danby?

I don't really want to use the danby on the walls, I'm afraid it would just be too much. And it's too expensive.

I forgot the poster’s name. She had Danby counters and silver crackle subway tile fromEncore. A gorgeous kitchen all around. Somebody here is sure to remember her name. Her kitchen was epic to those of us who love white and marble.

Edited: I meant to say white and marble, not beige.

Zalco that sounds lovely and along the lines of what I think I would like.... if anyone could give me more information, that would be great!

Was it this?

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3144159/after-much-procrastination-my-reveal

Z is on the right track. The greys in your marble will be easier to match/complement than your whites. However, crackle or crazing is a living finish, so there may be oil stains, and grey and white can be, well, boring.

Do you have a tile budget in $/sf? Do you have inspiration images of other kitchens with Danby marble?

I really don't have any inspiration images, I've been so overwhelmed picking everything else in the house out that I have not thought much about the backsplash, and need to figure it out quickly now. I think our budget it $1K. There is the main wall area over the stove and to the left and right, then the long sink counter, and 2 short counter areas on either side of the fridge/freezer.

Yes, it was romy!

Still searching, really need to settle on something this week. I thought I was going to go with the Encore but was misquoted on the price and now found that it is just out of our price range. So back to the drawing board... thinking a light gray, or something with blue in it, but not sure what. Would a mosaic be too much? Should I stick with a basic subway tile?

Romy did a beautiful job, although most of the pictures are gone. Here’s an image of the Encore Silver Crackle Tile with Danby marble and Fireclay Tile in Foggy Morning (crackle) and French Linen below it. Again, crackle tile is a living surface, not for everyone.

What is your tile budget in $/sf? We can’t really help without knowing.

Look at Sonoma Tile. About 1/3 of the cost of Encore.

Megs1030, where do you find Sonoma Tile and what do you like about it?

Eam44, it's really not the crackle that I love as much as the subtle variations in the tile colors. Anything that is similar in that way? I love the combination of gray, blue, and taupe tones.

The Sonoma is what I used, if you scroll up you can see the Sonoma (Quick-ship) 'Bossy Gray', but they have so many beautiful colors. The pic of it sitting stacked on the countertop can give you a good idea of how beautiful these tiles are. The colors are very soft and serene and I love that they offer a gorgeous finished 90 degree edge as an option as their "bullnose" where needed.

https://sonomatilemakers.com/stellar-quickship/ (stellar collection quickship, basic subway sizes but gorgeous)

or

https://sonomatilemakers.com/stellar/ (stellar collection, more design variations)

@jrbwalley, I found Sonoma tile at Avalon Flooring near me. But you can view it online at https://sonomatilemakers.com/. Maybe the website will tell you retailers near you? Apparently, Sonoma was started by the same people who started Encore. Then they sold it and started Encore. That's what I was told by the sales rep at Avalon Flooring.

Anyway, I like Sonoma because they offer so many different shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes. The price was great compared to Encore. I was quoted $109 per square foot for Encore (and I'll be honest, I was forcing myself to like it because I had it installed in my last house)... Sonoma is about $39, 5 week lead time but some do come in quick ship. You can get crackle in many colors but not all. I chose the Dahlia shape in Ice Fog crackle. And yes, be aware that crackle is a living finish, you will need to keep it very clean, according to my tile installer. Of course, the sales rep made no mention of this.

So you want glaze variability but not necessarily a crackle finish. How much do you want to spend on tile in $/sf?

I am still waiting for them to tell me how many sf we have. Our budget for the tile is $1000.

@ccwaters I saw the picture you posted above and love the pendants. I also saw where you gave the info where to find them. Just wondered - any thoughts on the size? My kitchen ceiling is a standard 8' and island is maybe 48" long and 24" wide. Currently have smaller globe pendant lights there but the pendants in your picture were really pretty. Would appreciate any thoughts.

So looks like we have around 50sf, so I need to find something under $20 a square foot.

Jrbwalley, be sure to ask your contractor for his discount at whichever tile store/source he uses, hopefully it will help get you to the price/tile you are searching for :)

@Barb, the pendants are large - about 17"(H) X 10" (W), and I used with 8' ceiling and 68" X 36" island.

I think two may be too large for your island but something like two of these would work:

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/schoolhouse-retro-bell-pendant?via=57e1330169702d78ae0000a5%2C57e95f6869702d76fe000001

or for a little more detail....

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/highland-park-pendant?via=57e1330169702d78ae0000a5%2C57e95f6869702d76fe000001

or even...

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/modern-faceted-glass-layered-pendant-convertible?color=Chrome

If you post a new question including a pic of your island/space, you should get a lot of great input :)

@ccwatters thanks so much! I love these pendants and agree the sizes would be better

The Foundations line at Fireclay Tile is $15/sf. Take a look at French Linen and Tusk.

I would suggest you add just one row or band of black tile or mostly solid black marble, about four to six inches high, above the edge where each cabinet top reaches the wall. This contrasting color will define the space without overpowering, and it will blend with the island in your kitchen.