Option 1

Option 2

original 90s

Inspiration on the blue tile with dated

First, you already have a backsplash: the four inch piece. If you want to add tile, you should remove that piece first. There may be a gap, which you may be able to cover with a thicker tile.

To be honest, I'd find it hard to work with your granite. An off white tile would work, or maybe one of the darker colors in the granite. Going bold can work, and I like the blue, but not with your granite.

First, you already have a backsplash: the four inch piece. totally agree you should remove the granite and then pick something that is in your granite. does that blue tile come in any other colors?

None of the above..............not even the inspo pic. The granite goes, or you live with a simple white, or deep gray, and you MATCH the grout to the tile. All above? Pretty awful, very sorry.

Thank you Jan! The countertop is unfortunately not very forgiving for creativeness.. When you say deep gray, would something like the pic below work? The granite shown is slightly lighter though.

I would not do a tiled backsplash- just leave the 4” granite one you have, paint wall either same color as cabs or a very light neutral pulled from granite, then jazz things up with items that add texture/interest to the room. The blue is a definite no.

Agree with Susan Murin. Granite is a stand-alone with all of its pattern and colors. The best thing about paint is you can try different colors in a small space without a lot of expense or mess. I would also add under cabinet lighting.

What color is floor?

Take picture showing more of kitchen. Could you do something with black? i‘m afraid a cream or the wrong white will fight with those cabinets. You need Beth the backsplash expert to throw out some ideas….

No to any contrasted grout. The tops are BUSY. Don't add more busy. You have to go to a dedicated tile store, drag home samples, stand them up. forget the online idea. Forget it , please. Forget about wow!!! in the backsplash, unless you wait and change the TOPS. Don't listen to DH either, unless you love ripping tile from a wall. : ) : )

And as above? What is the flooring as that matters greatly as well. Nothing lives in isolation. Not one thing.

An easy solution would be to leave walls bare (paint same color as cabinets), keep 4 inch granite and then add stainless steel subway tiles just behind stove. We have done this and like its simplicity and modern feel and it’s all that is needed from a functional perspective.

You said you’re ”refacing kitchen” - do you mean the cabinets? if so, what color will they be when refaced?

From what I can see in this shot, on my screen, your flooring and granite counter don't harmonize that well. However, the cream (or off-white?) backsplash tiles harmonize better with your cabinets and granite. I don't know the extent of your kitchen "refacing" nor your budget but I'd assess the whole before embarking on changes. Wall colour, lighting, hardware and decor are usually the easier impactful elements to change in a kitchen. One low-cost (temporary?) backsplash option might be to paint the black backsplash tiles to match the cream ones. If you do decide to replace the whole backsplash with more tile, do match the grout to the tile as JAN said. No contrast. Look at your current light tiles. Way less obtrusive than any option you're considering. @Susan Murin's idea has merit: remove the current tiles and paint the wall (if that can be done with minimal wall damage...). Keep it simple. Nix the blue idea. Big and bold won't yield cohesion or harmony.

Fwiw, I'm not a fan of calling elements "dated". It's a Pandora's box for most homeowners, especially in a kitchen as each element change ricochets across the space. Better to heed one's taste while striving for cohesion and harmony. And it's almost ironic to call any granite "dated". These slabs of stone are millions of years old!! Damn right, they're dated. :P At great cost, we mine the earth for them and after a decade or so of using them, the decorating powers that be tire of them, call them "dated" and homeowners are supposed to feel shame for having them in their kitchen still. My pockets aren't deep enough for that noise.