It may be my monitor, but the colors don't seem to work together. How do the colors look in person?

Better in person than in the photos. It's basically a creamy white tile with flecks of reddish brown/gold iron and some gray running through it. The color really seems to change in the light, which is part of the reason I'm struggling to decide if it works. In some light in seems to work perfectly, and at other moments it seems to clash. Floors will eventually be honey brown and all appliances stainless.

It definely appears cool and cabs warm in these photos but things always look different in person. at any rate i would wait until everything is in. i would agree with giving it time !as it may grow on you. if not you can replace later.

Thanks for the advice! I am sooo close to ripping it all out and starting over, but that's really not a practical choice at this point. Trying to take a deep breath and give it time! It's hard when so much has gone into this renovation and I've been so happy with every other choice we've made.

I agree to give it a little time. Putting things on the countertop may help lessen the clashing tones.

Thank you!! Crossing my fingers that makes a huge difference.

its a good tile. I'd leave it. finish everything up. I might consider different hardware.

I think the honey brown floors may be the balance you are now lacking. Hang in there!

Thanks, @herbflavor! I really did love the tile as a smaller sample--never stops surprising me how differently things can look once they're on the walls. Do you have any suggestions for hardware to try?

Awww, thanks, @Shasta. Hanging in! Your reminder about the floors may just be the thing that keeps me from ripping the tile out while my partner's asleep tonight, lol! :) I hope they bring everything together.

I admit I don't love it, but particularly given that you don't have an alternate tile in mind and the final flooring color and appliances are not yet in the mix, I'd leave it alone and see how it is with all the other pieces in place. It will look quite different than it does now--you might find you love it then, and if you don't, then you can figure out a plan B at that point, when you have all the other finishes to see together. Good luck--it looks like you're in the home stretch! (ETA: Also, choose your outlet covers carefully--that may also play a role in which undertones you accent and which you mute.)

Thanks, @artemis78! I'm definitely also in a "don't love it" place, lol. Hopefully those final finishes will tie things together. Do you have any suggestions for outlet cover colors? I had not given those much thought--that's a great tip.

Hi Jo. I love your cabinets! Gorgeous color and style. I agree with Shasta about the floor. I think the darker tone will help. I like the tile and can see why you were drawn to it. The color combination may seem a bit out of place to some, but the more I look at the entire space, the more I like it. It’s unique. And do you really want to prolong the renovation agony? My son and DIL have a similar disappointment in their reno. But they weighed replacing vs living with it and enjoying everything else. Once it’s all finished I bet you’ll be fine. 😁

I love the tile itself, and i like it with that wall color i can see at the end of the cabinets. i dont know about the wall color with the cabinets. Unsure about the tile with the cabinets. they seem too white, or a different shade of cream. i know that i would be obsessively turning lights on and off, looking at it 400 times from every conceivable angle, bc thats what i still do in my own.

i dont know, im not a designer by any stretch if the imagination.

Agree with @eam44. It's way too rustic a look for your pretty cabinets.

I'd pull it now and live without a backsplash for a year. That won't delay anything. If the drywall is torn up when you remove it, you can learn how to repair it and reskim your wall yourself, then just repaint. When your budget recovers, a cream tile would also be my choice, but retiling isn't necessary now.

Thanks, @NagyMama! It definitely is a unique space, which is something we were hoping to achieve. And I really don't want to prolong the renovation agony any longer, that's for sure. Thank you for sharing your son and DIL's story--that makes me feel a lot better about the idea of just hanging in and moving forward.

Hi @eam44! Thank you so much for the tile idea! We almost went a tile like this, but I like what you posted here better than the option we were looking at. I wish I'd posted here back when we were trying to make the decision. Hindsight. Sigh.

Thanks, @barncatz! It's good to remember that we always do have that option.

Hi @Midwest (4b IA)! Oh, I've been staring and turning every light on and off constantly, lol. It's driving my partner wild. Yeah, I think they're just a touch too white. At least in the current light. Then the light changes and I change my mind again...sigh.

I’m glad you like it, I love Fireclay tile, but you can find absolutely gorgeous tile for a fraction of the price. Let the color be your guide. Bring home samples and look at them in your space before you choose.

I don't particularly think that everything works well together. That said, although it is a nice tile backsplash, it works with neither the cabinets nor the countertop. I would rip it out and leave it for a moment.

Do you have undercabinet lighting? Conversely, you could work with the warm/cool tones of the lights to help blend it together better.

Good luck!

The splash running past the upper cabinet and countertop all the way to the corner of the wall is driving me crazy. Should have stopped at the end of the countertop edge profile.

All that matters is your opinion. I agree that we all might not be seeing it exactly how is in person.

Many of us have ripped out initial backsplashes because after they were installed they just didn't work.

This happened to me. I had the first ripped out the next day, but then it took me 6 months to find something that worked better.

Since you don't have an alternate tile, give yourself permission to put this on hold. Complete your kitchen, then when you are up to the task start looking.

Post a new thread when you begin your search to get some ideas here.

Thanks, @eld6161. That's really good perspective. This would be a lot easier if partner and I had the same opinion, lol! :)

Oh, great note, @Joseph Corlett, LLC! Thank you! Should it end up getting ripped out we'll definitely change that.

@modpod I was wondering if undercabinet lighting would help! We don't currently have it but we're hoping to put in some later on. Hmmm....

Undercabinet lighting can do so much to uplift a space and illuminate kitchen tasks. The only thing it cannot do is change the color or your backsplash tile to one that will coordinate with the other elements in the room. It sounds like you’re still trying to convince yourself to like the tile you chose, which I totally understand. Absolutely hit us up if you eventually decide to replace it.

I can sympathize. i almost went with this same tile- I liked it individually but when i saw pictures of the tile put up i didnt like it.

One thing to remember is you do not need to coordinate or match everything. The tile, wall color, counter, floor, and cabinets need to make their own statement. It's what you like and pictures do not tell the true story. Trying to match everything is boring. Cream colors go with a lot of other colors. Keep the tile for a while and then if you are truly not happy, give it a facelift. Adding your own decor to the countertops might make a difference. Or change the wall color. If you don't like the rust color, you could tone that down. Again, pictures and lighting are hard to tell the true colors. You'd be amazed how little things, like changing light switches, lights, or faucets can make a difference. Question, why is the molding on the top not to the ceiling?

I made this mistake 10 years ago in our house. I lived with it for 4 years and hated everyday I had to look at it. it was also poorly installed. first I painted it, then I ripped it out and replaced. my advice it to just do it now.