Hey, Jay, you can post photos of all your choices.

I was rolling along, getting the feel, until I read: "I plan to have tile of some kind from the counter to the ceiling on the upper walls for eight feet on either side of the windows.--the other walls will be cabinets floor to ceiling and a stainless steel fridge."

More/different tile?

Then another disclaimer: "Keeping in mind that I can't stand glare”. answers your own question. The high sheen belongs on what you want to highlight the kitchen.

Personally, I would rather have the gloss on the backsplash, reflecting under cab lighting.

And I would go with semi-gloss on the trim, not satin.

Hi, Judy, Thank you for your thoughts. I will go with the semi-gloss on the trim. Right now I don't have photos of my possible picks.

Yes, I would prefer gloss on the backsplash too but the polished Taj Mahal showed off the natural beauty of the quartzite slabs in the showroom. Also the polished version went with the cabinet door better. So that is what I bought. I did not consider 'glare' until I read several threads here on Houzz in the lighting section.

I think I will go with the honed white marble--maybe herringbone--just to keep the backsplash toned down. Best, J.

We went with leathered taj mahal to avoid the glare from our recessed lighting and island pendants. We are very happy with the results. You do not lose ANY beauty of the quartzite, by not having polished

I am debating between leathered and polished Taj Mahal. Just saw the leathered in a show room and really intrigued. I think the leathered may be a more casual look? I thought it gave the slab a little more interest.

Maryanne, did you take your cabinet door to the slab yard? I was amzed at the difference between the polished and the leathered when the door was right there. I like both leathered and polished but with our ash doors the polished was the best. I think with a painted door leathered might be the one To pick.

Judy G. and ladies, I just found your comments and sorry I didn’t answer. Here are two pics showing the polished taj with the chevron tile and the taj back splash behind the stove. The tile has a textured finish which isn’t visible in the pic. The picture of the taj on the island shows the natural vein pattern in our taj—a burnt orange vein running through it that we wanted to feature because the color is used elsewhere in the house. The taj veining did not show up very clearly in the other pieces we viewed, especially with the leathered. The shine/glare doesn’t bother me. Overall we are happy with the Taj Mahal—we are fearless in using it, even on the counters in our laundry/workroom, and it has held up well. I don’t know what kind of sealer is on it but the installer said I shouldn’t have to re-seal It.

One more pic. The pantry is behind the orange door.

Beautiful!