Put cabs on sink wall. One on left of sink ....either of those two corner walls . .... butt into corner....One cab to right of sink... set it back from window trim for more spacious look. Stacked cabs w glass doors . Leave the floating shelves on the off set wall where gray couch is currently. That’s enough open shelves for grabbing small plates , glasses etc. for easy guest use . you say you pretty much just entertain as far as kitchen Use. the stacked cabinet look will work better w hood and so forth at the range wall. The tile issue is personal choice and many do it w floating shelves but glass fronted cabs would suit display ... entertaining .. .. and better then , if that whole situation possibly changes in the future. ..., example : you move and someone wants real wall cabs in place.... or the entertaining winds down ... family members cook and real cabinet becomes more practical

@herbflavor thanks for the suggestion but the design is finalized. I love open shelving and the wall cabinets we have now are useless. This is our forever house so the next person can hang whatever they want 40 or so years from now after I am gone!

There is a huge original pantry cabinet we are keeping that you can't see in the rendering. As it is, I have to stand on a ladder to get to the top of that one.

Any other ideas on a backsplash? I am not really looking to change the design in any major way-- we are at the phase of picking colors and finishes. I would love to get something that looks like it belongs in the house.

Check out Winchester Tile’s artisan line (from the UK). They’ve got some great stuff that might work well.

Perhaps this can be helpful: Victorian kitchen backsplash suggestions from Fireclay

I hope you'll share pictures when done. I love idea of a deep coloured Big Chill fridge!

@tartanmeup LOVE Fireclay tile! but because we have so much wall to cover their $29 sq ft price is a bit out of range

I’d do the Spanish or whatever patterned colorful tile under the hood..... try a more artsy crafty tile mimic F L Wright or McIntosh. ... Then w a pivot to the other wall w shelves, I’d go w a whitish subway ceramic tile and slight contrast to the grout. It might seem counterintuitive but keeping that hood wall w detail and color and focus and then a bit simpler w other wall makes each area special and yet different .... and more noticed . The color all over the shelf wall is too much of that. Save a little energy for the island details

@herbflavor I thought about doing an accent tike under the range but it seems a bit HGTV for the era of the house. My designer and I talk a lot about the blue and white tiles in Monet's kitchen at Giverny...a 19th century working kitchen with a lot of character. I think thats why she went crazy with the patterned tile because there was a lot of mixing up the blue and white patterns. I love the flavor of that but I don't want an exact copy.

The range is going to be the focal point with its bright color and flashy brass and stainless knobs. I don't know if we need to draw more attention there. But I think that is a place patterned tile could work well.

@Beth H. :yes I have a few samples of those! I still think they are too much for the big wall space we have to cover. Check out my other thread on my powder room redo. You can see that wallpaper from the kitchen and I can't imagine a busy Spanish tile all over the wall visible with the deep blue shiny pattern wallpaper in the background. I think we need to stay more neutral but I don't want it to be boring.

Totally understand budget limitations! The link does suggest specific Fireclay tiles but it also discusses colours, shapes and textures which might help you decide on your direction.

then have you thought about doing a solid color tile in a herringbone or some other design?

did you look at the Bali tile from Encore Ceramics? This fits w/your blue and looks victorian. However, getting a good quality tile that fits your design qualifications, you may have to spend a bit more.

the other option is a Zellige or Eastern earthenware tile. (comes in a hex and a subway)

These would cost less than the custom glazed tiles.

@tartanmeup thanks! I will check it out. I hate to look at their site because truly that is tile I want. Its stunning. And there are so many colors! I love the crackly texture and variation of a few of them. I wish I could find something like that but less $$. I called a vintage tile reproduction place and it was $59 per square foot for the color I wanted so maybe I am just unrealistic.

look at Winchester too

https://www.winchestertiles.com

@Beth H -

this was my last kitchen. Looks very similar to the Bali though it was called Periwinkle. im trying so hard not to just totally recreate this. I thought about a herringbone pattern.

very similar. but the herringbone would take it up a notch.

another option is to do that huge open shelf wall in something w/pattern, and do the rest of the walls in a plain white subway. this way the entire room isn't overpowering w/busy tile

or, maybe look for a blue/white mosaic that is subtle. (that one I pictured in my first comment around the stove is $100 a sheet! . no wonder I like it) But, if it's just for that one wall.....

these are cheaper

Orientalism was a big design trend in the Victorian era. Would you consider something like a star-and-cross pattern? The pattern adds interest but in a monochrome or tone-on-tone it is not over-the-top. Fireclay, among others, makes this pattern.

i love the star and cross, but she said fireclay was too expensive.

however, I think it's worth the extra money to get this kitchen the way you like it. in the big scheme of things it's only an extra few thousand (I know,,,but over 40 years, it's nothing)

"Big Chill Classic series range in a deep blue custom color called violet blue with a purple undertone (think almost navy with a hint of purple but muted and not bright). I am not married 100% to that color"

If you aren't married to this color then find one you are so in love with you want it around forever. Like"" fades quickly. You will have this for 10 plus years.

@Design Interior South you misunderstand me. I love ALL the colors I mentioned. I would ba happy with any of them. Its difficult to narrow down!

@cawaps I kind of think the star and cross is trendy. I have never seen an example of it in an old kitchen. Its more the idea of what an old kitchen might be like to the modern mind. I am a purist by no means but that seems like something that would be a prominent feature of an HGTV flip kitchen, Still, I like it. And yes, Fireclay is too pricey for this project. To @Beth H. :'s point, we will be in this place a long time. I will want to change the back splash sooner than some other elements (like the range for example.) So it isn't a place I want to spend extra $$ up front.

Ahhh it didn't read that way. When people say to me" I am not married to it" that is a red flag to me that says I could easily choose something else and be happy. On a central item like this I would want to be so married to it that nothing else could take its place because it will be the driving force for the space. You likely have seen these before but three Inspo photos that might help you.

Design, in your last picture, I posted that exact tile in another shot. the tile is $100 a sq ft!

Is1114,,,what about doing the large wall w/the patterned tile, and then doing the other walls in a white subway? I've seen that done. This way you get your blue victorian style tile, but it doesn't overwhelm the entire kitchen with it.

Or, like Design posted, just go full out w/the tile behind the stove

And for the other walls, do a white tile in a herringbone design (ignore the stove in this pic)

you could even choose to do a complimentary blue instead of white

Or, do a bolder blue tile everywhere, but don't take it up to the ceiling around the open shelving

Or, do what they've done here, and only go part way up w/the tile

Thanks so much everyone for your thoughtful comments. I have made some pretty swooping changes on finishes in the last 24 hours. We are now going with the matte black stove from Big Chill to tie in the matte black wood stove that exists. Burnished gold knobs/pulls. Muted herringbone backsplash in shades of white and grey (TBD which exactly. Now looking at marble because we are saving a little on a non-custom stove color but may not go that way.) White cabinets, marble look quartz around the perimeter and a chunky butcher block handmade by my contractor for the island. Adding cobalt blue accessories in the window seat cushion fabric, stools painted in an enamel, dishes. Some pops of yellow and blue and white patterns in dishware. This house is more elegant and "grown-up" for my husband and me (in our 30s-40s) so though I absolutely adore color our dining room is a bright yellow and the powder room (both visible from the kitchen) is a deep blue with silver wallpaper. I think the eye needs a place to rest. The kitchen itself wants to be a classier, more graceful space, and the pics of Victorian working kitchens have all inspired me. I think we have got it!

I’m not trying to alter your plans such as they are, but I thought you might want to look at @salex’s kitchen. Her backsplash is a work of art, and unlike any other. She used a combination of hand painted and field tile from Fireclay Tile, and she had an artisan installer. Just FYI, Tusk field tile is $15/sf, although the hand painted tile is expensive. If you use it sparingly, you can still do something extraordinary within your budget. You needn’t have a monotonous backsplash, you can mix tiles and use color and if you do it thoughtfully, you can come up with something elegant and unique. Just to give you an idea of what is possible.....

@eam44 thanks for posting! This is a little too Christmassy looking for me but I appreciate the idea. Definitely a lot of work went into that.

TBH for me its all or none. I don't like a single wall that is broken up by "stripes" of different tiles in a kitchen. If there is an element like a range hood or alcove where it makes sense to accent, so be it. But even then it has to be the right kitchen and spot.

WOW you DID do a complete turn around! It sounds like it will be lovely! Congrats on your decision. I do a lot of lacquered furniture in spaces and it always adds a great element that can later be changed should your mood decide its tired of the look. I think you will get more longevity out of this design than the first .

@Design Interior South yes, this is always a process for me. I have done several kitchens from soup to nuts now and I always go through a lot of different iterations before the final one presents itself, often in a flash.

I find I make bad decisions when I impose too much on the house. Its really important for me to let the house speak for what it is. I dug up some old pics of our place in a historical archive and it really took me to the basic feel for the kitchen. I SO wanted that colorful range but matte black is calling me. I SO wanted some fancy tile but a simple backsplash will speak more to the vernacular of the house and the era. I loved my last kitchen and really was trying not to re-create it, though I knew it worked and would work here. But now I have clarity. Thanks everyone for thinking out loud with me. Some great suggestions!