I’m doing the same exact thing! My husband is against herringbone and doesn’t have an opinion about much else so I’m letting him have this thing on the backsplash plus I think Taj needs a cleaner look.

I’m down to a marble brick laid but just trying to find the right tones for my slab.

I’ve gone through lots of colors and price points starting w the easier big box stores.

Home Depot and lowes and floor and decor all had a few acceptable options of a creamy neutral off white subway ceramic or porcelain w subtle variations (so it wasn’t a pure solid color) that I liked but all were just a little off w my slab and cabinets.

The variation in the marble helps ties the cabs w have a hint more yellow/green undertone to my less yellow slab.

My neighbor did the same and just showed me her marble.

The photo is from The Tile Shop and their Evora collection but I also liked their Hampton which had a smidge more grays. Evora has more brown golds.

Lowes Satori Bianco Perla is nice from a big box but I’ve had to go pick sort though some boxes - it’s natural stone so you don’t know from box to box the consistent look.

I’ve seen a few other picks of similar marbles w Taj on Houzz

This was her kitchen w the Evora herringbone. But the marbles have so many slight variations it helps tie that particular white of the cabinets and the just slightly different tone of the wall to the slab.

As far as wall color. I’ve read in all my research either color match to your cabinets or go 15-20 lrv darker to give the right amount contrast. You’ll just need to gather some samples and see how the undertones work w your slab. Some TM pull taupe or green or orange

Forgot to add the pick ;)

Thank you gilllis! I love how the marble complements the Taj. If I hadn't seen the photos, my impulse would have been to shy away from using two different, but similar looking natural stones together. It definitely works here though! I guess the patterns in both are subtle enough that they complement rather than fight oneanother. You have given me some great options to look into I would love to see photos of your kitchen when it is completed It sounds lovely!

Audreycoral, your TM is much darker and moodier….it will not look the same with that backsplash. In your case I’d go with a simple, light gray backsplash because your TM has a lot of movement in it. Check out Riad Zellige in Natural White, order samples; it looks like it would go with your tops, have lots of interest, without looking busy.

I agree with @coray - go taupe-ey or beige-ey - not marble. Your Taj is lovely and a simple simple backsplash is going to complement it better.

A plain square tile will give some interest without competing with the stone.

Yes, the square….we used it and it looks great. Our Taj is much lighter so we used a different color, but they complement each other well.

Thanks Coray and Red for your advice They both seem to br great choices that have character without competing with the the Taj that I chose. I purposively chose slabs that were a bit darker and with more movement than most because I hoped it would stand out some in an otherwise very white and cleaned lined kitchen .

@coray the square tile you picked - I keep seeing that style w the rough/irregular edges and surface. I wasn’t sure how that would look. It doesn’t feel too rustic or casual w the TM? You said you used it. Would you mind sharing a pic? My slab is much softer in mvmt that’s why I’m struggling w the solid tiles even though they tend to appeal to me on their own.

I need to get some samples from tile bar.

Gillis95, well, no matter how well something might go with other elements, taste and preference also come into play, and only you can decide that. We chose Zellige because I wanted something beautiful (and they are that….the glazes shine!), but not busy, a bit rustic, yet not as “rough-looking” as they sometimes are when installed the traditional way. I’ll share a couple of pics so you can see what we did. (I must say that our tile guy had never installed Zellige before and I had a doc appt hours away so was unable to stick around during much of install; I recommend you do your homework! We had used this guy before and knew he was good, but it does take some experience to work with the thicker, uneven clay tiles. Unfortunately, up here in the mtns it’s very difficult to get anyone in the first place, so we can’t be too choosy….) I hope the photos will give you some idea, though they might not be of great quality, and on top of it it’s totally overcast and rainy today. Good luck!

@coray sorry I was distracted by YOUR VIEW!!! LOL Which color did you choose? I always struggle in my own house trying to match/coordinate whites but see it in others and think it looks nice.

@audreycoral here's one pic of a marble w TM. Many marbles are too white or grey so you do need to find the right creaminess, more golden taupe ones but they're out there. I've seen several TM kitchens w similar backsplashes. Not sure i prefer such a small brick as it makes it busier to me I've seen a larger format which calms it down. BUt again its all specific to your slab and mvmt and color undertones. Get lots of samples and tape them to the wall! Tile bar has a nice 5 for $5 sample ordering.

A Showstopper Kitchen · More Info

@audreycoral are your countertops installed yet? Your countertops when viewed horizontal/installed will likely have a different feel and mvmvt less noticeable as compared to seeing your entire slab straight on so keep that in mind. Don't commit to anything until you're installed!

Gillis95, we chose Clé’s Zellige in Weathered White…..our slabs are very light and creamy (we paid dearly for that😩lol).

Here some more views: as you can see, our trees are just beginning to leaf out; we’re expecting 3 nights below freezing this weekend, so we might end up losing all these early leaves.😥🤞 (Better now than in May, though, because then we’ll lose all our blueberries ☹️.)

Sorry…..for a minute there is thought Gillis95 was the OP…didn’t meant to hijack this thread!😬

We installed our kitchen backsplash 8 years ago. One of my best decisions was to put all electrical outlets hidden under top cabinets so as to make backsplash less cluttered.

Yes, judiegal6, we did the same thing.

I used this backsplash with TM counters. It does add a large pattern to the kitchen, but my cabinets are white so it definitely needed something different. The brown marble mosaic picks up the color of the veins in TM and the color of my stained wood floors and beams. The white marble is a good match to my BM Chantilly Lace cabinets.

Yes, I also used the plugmold outlets under the upper cabinets, but wish I had done a regular outlet in the spot I keep my toaster oven, electric kettle and shake blender. You can see the black cords hanging down! Luckily they are behind the oven stack, so you only notice once you are all the way in the kitchen, but can't see them from anywhere else in the house. I unplug them all if I have guests over!

Do you have Taj Mahal? I have used it in 2 homes and it can vary quite a bit. Depending on what else is included in the design, it can work extremely well with a marble tile/mosaic. Like most things in life ... one size does not fit all.

And unless you have owned and lived with Taj Mahal, you might not realize that once installed horizontally, it really isn't much of a "star". It tends to read quite muted and from across the room, it just reads as plain beige.

Definitely agree that tile samples should be collected while building/remodeling, but the final decision for backsplash should only be made after all other elements are in place, specially lighting.

Hello, so my experience working with Taj Mahal to clients was that yes Taj Mahal can pair well with marbles if you chose the right one. Calacatta usually has been the go to but if you are skeptical about it, I would go to a more transitional direction in which I would recommend a glass tile. Possibly in a matte finish or a type of textured. These types of tiles you will not find in Lowes or Home depot but rahter in a specific Tile Store --like Best Tile, Artistic tile, Lunada Bay. If you do like the idea of a glass tile, it can be in a 2x8 size not a typical 3x6 size. Colors I would suggest is an off beige/ cream and the grout to pair would be a translucent grout. (Mapei brand sells them). Using a regular grout will make the tile darker so translucent grout is great for glass tile (to keep the color as you see it without being grouted).

Marble paired with Taj Mahal. Not seeing any competing "stars" and all these kitchens are still quite muted in their overall look. How boring it would all be if everyone had just used off-white subway tile!

Taj Mahal with Danby Marble

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Taj Mahal with calacatta gold marble mosaic

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Taj mahal with marble mosaic. This is the same stone mosaic I used, but different pattern.

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Taj Mahal with calacatta gold marble mosaic

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Taj Mahal with New Ravenna marble mosaic. I've seen this mosaic in person, beautiful but pricey.

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While we chose a non-marble, non-veined tile with our light and not-so-dramatic TM, I do like the muted herringbone pattern in chispa’s examples…not so much the busier ones. I generally agree with Jan's philosophy: let TM be the star. Well, to each his own!

3”x6” Crossville, Market Collection, Ashbury tile in the color Fleece in crackle finish set in a brick pattern. It was a collaborative remodel of my Dad's house, and I got outvoted. I wanted something fancier and with more interest, but in the end we went pretty plain. I do like the crackle finish though, at least gives it a little dimension.

Closer up:

Each one of these splashes is a star on its OWN.

So ask yourself.......what did you love about the Taj? The movement...... the veining......the multiple shades or the stunning organic look, where polished or honed.

These are stars.....especially top and bottom.

On a date with your hubby.....Do you want him to bring the gorgeous new secretary slightly over 22 years? Maybe not so much : )?

It's all opinion, so too mine. But a rip and tears is pricey. If you are convinced you want? Buy a box or two,, make a grouted sample board and stand it up........or find a local with the board and borrow it.

Wasteful Not as much as the ...........yeah. : )

Design is editing. Editing isn't boring. It allows the intended focus to be just that.

Thanks Jan snd AJCN I am inclined to go with a simple backsplash that is pretty consistent( ie no obvious pattern.) The movement in the Taj and ithe natural look is what attracted me to it so I do not want the backsplash to detract from that Truth is I would have used it as my backsplash too if it wasn't so expensive to do so There were other bolder quartzite types that I also loved when considering a countertop choice but I was afraid to commit them-the Taj seemed more adaptable to me.

Anyway, where I feel challanged is to keep things subtle without being dull. I like the suggestions for a crackle tile or handmade meditetrean look tile with subtle variation. What I want is to avoid is a cosistent, white glossy subway tile That look reminds me of schools, hospitals, and other big public buildings. I still have lots of time to narrow down my options I'd love to wait until the counters and cabinets are installed, but I worry that the contracter will not want to wait for me to decide and order once he's ready to move on

Once the countertop is installed, with your cabinets and lighting, the backsplash tiles will be easier to pick. Every piece of stone is different, so getting samples now is a great idea. Making a decision is for later.

Thanks 8th avenue interior design. I haven't eliminated any tile style choices yet, as I am still in the exploring phase. I do like the look of glass tiles in general because I lean toward a more casual, somewhat contemporary style than an formal, traditional one. I have seen many beautiful examples of elegant traditional kitchens with Taj. I admire them- but it doesn't fit me personslly.

You bring up a great point about using a translucent grout with a glass tile! I would definitely want to go that route if I decide on a glass tile.

Just curious what others think about glass tile in general since it has been so popular for a number of years now Do you think it will be viewed as dated 10 years from now?

Your contractor is the only tile pro in your neck of the woods? Bet not.

A kitchen can function indefinitely with no tile on a back splash.

If you must have glass? Go larger and NOT mosaic which will look dated and yes busy as well.

I would definitely delay a tile until you've made boards and tested. You could easily, just from tone of your thread, cross over to ick from "Not boring"

Gin on let, fog on right Tile bar. Your slab is yours which is why you wait and test

@audreycoral no problem - I've always lean towards glass tile if not marble when using a Taj mahal quartzite or a look like. I've done crackle ceramic tile which would also need to be sealed anyways as a natural stone so people would use that instead. But in the end, it should be what you ultimately will be happy looking at everyday and not a traditional backsplash look like what you see online. Any questions, feel free to contact me via houzz profile as I do offer virtual/digital design for people. Good luck!!

@audreycoral I used the Tilebar backsplash in Gin with my Taj counters and I LOVE it! It might be my favorite part of my kitchen. I got the 2x8 subway tile but they are so unique. My husband was also against a plain white subway tile, but he loves this tile, as well. It has enough texture and shimmer to be beautifully unique, without taking away from anything else in the kitchen.

Check out Bedrosians Makoto tile in shoji white. It’s matte, slight variation in color, so more interesting than basic subway tile and looks great as a backsplash with many Taj slabs.

https://www.fireclaytile.com/subway-tile/colors

I would look at fireclay & pick an off white that goes well with your stone.