I think herringbone is classic. You have to have the right tile obviously.

Herringbone is not as easy to install as the standard brick look (as your hubby calls it). So your contractor may not want to do it, and that is why he is trying to talk you out of it.

The 80's?! Agree that herringbone is very classic. We have seen a LOT of it in the last several years, so it does seem a little trendy now, but that doesn't mean it isn't classic. I don't think of the 80's at all. It is a traditional tile pattern. Agree that your contractor must be trying to talk you out of it. May want to discuss whether he thinks he can do it correctly (or his tile contractor can do it). It is more difficult than many standard installations and you will likely have more waste than with a standard brick pattern because you will need to have more tiles cut.

How about a more modern, stacked subway? Or use a different shape like a picket or arabesque. Not gonna paste a bunch of pictures here but there are a million on tilebar:

https://www.tilebar.com/lookbook-backsplash

Thanks for the feedback.  I'm not a fan of the picket or arabesque, but I'll have my husband look over the look book and see if anything catches his eye.  It's funny, to me the arabesque seems 70's because that's what we had in our bathroom when I was a kid.  Guess it all really comes down to personal preference and experiences!

Totally agree about the arabesque, which is why I like it, probably. I like the 60s/70s vibe. With the color palette of the tile you've shown above, I think you should find some shape variations that your husband may like better than "bricks."

Try stacked. It is a modern take on the running brick.

I was going to say the same thing as Chipsa!

Agree with chispa.

If you love it, it's not trendy or dated.