Have you considered a Taj Mahal slab backsplash? It would look really nice in your kitchen.

Where have you looked?

I recommend that you visit several local independent tile stores, not big box. They will have larger grouted sample boards you can borrow and see in your space for a couple of days.

Some people here will tell you that you need a plain white subway tile because the Taj mahal is your "star". I disagree with that idea, having installed TM in 2 kitchens! It can read quite plain when installed and sometimes a tile with pattern and/or color is the right choice.

Do you like more color and/or pattern?

Or do you prefer something to blend in with the white cabinet color?

This is what I used with an all white kitchen with TM. Jeffrey Court, Chapter 16. The mosaic comes in different colors and patterns. I chose the brown marble detail because it picks up the brown wood floors and stained ceiling beams. The white marble was a good complement to my white cabinets.

I used this one in my previous house with dark stained cabinets and TM.

Encore Tile, Tamara Deco, which fit perfectly with the Spanish style of that house.

In both cases it took me months to find the right tile. Don't rush it. You will know when it feels right!

I would just do a taj backsplash . I for sure would not do those smallr square tiles ever for any backsplash. Make sure all your lighting is the same and I like LED 4000K in kitchens and IMO the best with any whites involved . The other option is a large format glass tile in a color from your counter and maatching grout to keep it soimple but a bit of bling

Pricilla I love your kitchen! And the navy blue! Taj Mahal is such a gorgeous stone.

I agree with Chipsa, many Taj Mahal countertops are fairly sedate and read more like a neutral once they are laying flat. I think you absolutely can have some fun with the backsplash as “the star”. BTW, chipsa both of your tile choices were beautiful with the Taj!

Pricilla, I don’t know why, but I feel like your backsplash is screaming to be something eye catching. I would love to see something like this.

Or here are a few more I think would be fun in your kitchen. But this next one, iirc, is crazy expensive!

This one is more elegant.

This one looks to have a similar tile “wood look” tile floor.

So many options! You can find scads of photos of kitchens just like yours on Houzz. Do a search and you'll find lots to pore over.

I'd recommend a color to work with the blue of your lower cabinets, perhaps something with a subtle pattern.

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Hex Tile Backsplash in Glossy Navy Blue · More Info

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Agree w diana (above). blue can be found in traditional patterns or modern tonal play just on the color . then use blues w tans or browns in mats / runner. it looks rather large sweeping space. detail to unite the blue w perimeter would be my goal.

I love all the feedback, ideas and samples !! My husband is making this a little difficult lol we can’t seem to agree on a backsplash. He likes this calcatta one but I’m not so sure. Then he wants to add a total different tile to go between the stove and microwave. Does the calcatta look good? Or does it blend too much?

The calacatta does not look good. With the marble, you are trying to mix two natural elements together and it rarely works. Bad news for your DH.

I would suggest the Portmore tile. It pairs well with the Taj Mahal countertops wthout screaming at you. I can't take credit for this. Some on the forum suggested it to me when I was looking at Taj Mahal.

What is the purpose of the blue then.….directionless will make a nothing sandwich. Bunch of things just pointed at and thrown in. Not a code violation …but 1. brown floor 2. blue side of kitchen 3 . white other side 4 . taj counter and 5 . grayish marble backsplash????? really??? just stop for a bit.

If you want a neutral b/s, use the Taj, either a slab or tiles. I wouldn't mix Calacatta and Taj together. But then you have an all-white kitchen, which your hubs said he didn't want.

The area between the range and microwave is too small for a different tile--it's not going to give you any impact. Do something different/interesting/colorful for the b/s.

Agree with Diana - i feel like highlighting the over the range microwave with different tile won’t be as pleasing as anticipated

Try to explain to your hubs that having just those lower cabinets in blue isn't helping to avoid the all-white look. You need to repeat the blue somewhere, and the b/s seems like a good place for it.

Based on your hubby’s backsplash pic, suggest he bow out until YOU choose the final two contenders. Then let him choose from those. Great ideas already given above.

NO!! to calacatta. It does not go well at all. The pattern fights with your countertops. Above there were a couple suggestions for blue, to bring the blue into the kitchen in another area. I agree with those suggestions 100 percent. A blue that goes with your island would be stunning and perfect.

absolutely no to the calacatta. (are those samples you have even real marble? they look like porcelain, not a true Calacatta marble.)

no calacatta. not w/Taj. I have the same real calacatta tile on my backsplash. want to see how busy it looks once up? (I have a solid gray countertop w/it)

An no to your other option. And no design behind the stove. Please, tell your husband to step away from the tile selections!

Taj is an exotic stone that needs to take center stage. If you wanted a fancy tile backsplash, you should have gone w/plain old countertop like quartz.

these are all taj kitchens

This marble chevron mosaic works because the kitchen is large. Somehow, it looks nice.

You could try something like this on yours, as long as the coloring isn't too much. and please, make it real marble, not the fake stuff.

or try the white thassos marble

You're going to need some solid color options w/that stone. either a grayish white, a gray, or a beige/white

this one could work.

Or, head over to Bedrosians and look at the makoto, the sahara, or the Zenia lines.

Or, this Marin in the sand dollar is nice

https://www.bedrosians.com/en/product/detail/marin-tile

https://www.bedrosians.com/en/product/list/backsplashes/

What do y’all think of this blue glass looking tile? DH is making this difficult. I would prefer a neutral color like all are suggesting even the beautiful blue subway tiles or patterned, this was the compromise we did today.

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Thank you. I’ve decided I’m just gonna go with this one not asking Dh just gonna go but it

I would make sure that the herringbone marble works with the Taj. It very well may present the same problem that the Calacatta did. It would be a shame if you bought it and installed it and then came back here to ask what happened and how you can fix it.

I went to the MSI website and used the ”See it in your room” feature. This is the Angora Herringbone. I think it will look nice.

Then all you need to add is some blue countertop decore, a pretty rug, and it will all come together beautifully! Here, I gave you a runner and a navy Kitchenaid mixer lol!

I saw this photo and it looks like a similar color of countertop as your Taj. I would not run the herringbone this direction though.

I would run it like this.

Eta: I hope I fixed all my crazy typos!

Sorry but the "see it in your room" feature isn't going to render the colors the way you'll see them in real life. It presents a pretty picture, but it may not be reality.

Yes, Diana, I am sure the OP understands that.

Have you considered a large format tile with maybe some blue to help tie in the blue section of cabinents?

Yes, I have. I originally wanted a Taj backsplash but DH said no… this is beautiful though

absolutely NO to this blue tile.

(I think DH should recuse himself from backsplash selection. isn't there something else he can have a say on ? like a man room or something?) yes, you can show him what I said.

You already have a very vibrant blue cabinet color w/your exotic Taj. last thing this spot needs is another "Look at ME" accessory.

And NO large format tile w/'blue in it".

if you want some blue, bring in a rug w/blue in it, or some art on the wall w/blue.

this has a lot of diff colors that may not work w/the taj, and it's very busy.

this is what it looks like close up. this would be a no for me. You are bordering on Grayish,Beige lavender/silver tones w/this one.

If you had dark cabs like this, I'd say it might work w/the taj. but not w/your bright blue.

Before you 'go' w/that marble chevron, why not order a few sheets and see how they look in your kitchen? you can always return them

I posted many many tile options. did you even see them? further up?

I posted this one too. if you like the chevron design, pick on in a solid color

Even this one w/the MOP would be better than the Angora.

IvyHill tile at HD and Wayfair

I would reconsider your choice. Too much going on. Keep it simple.

I don’t understand how some folks here can be so sure that this particular marble tile will clash with the counters when we have not seen it inside Pricilla’s kitchen. It might look bad, or maybe it will look great! Who knows until we see it in her space?

I know there has been so many times when I have brought samples of tile or paint or fabrics home that online or at the store seemed like it would be perfect, but then looked terrible irl. And usually it was the one that I wasn’t sure about that ends up looking great. So you just never know until you get it home.

I also don’t think we can judge based on the colors of the one photo facing the blue cabinets. The Taj countertops look gold here. I don’t think that they are gold in reality. The other photo seems more the correct color. Here they are next to each other.

Maybe it is just the camara or maybe the yellow bananas are reflecting down onto the countertop? Maybe the camera focused on the bright blue which highlighted the golds more due to those being opposite on the color wheel?

Pricilla, I have seen that exact tile at the big box stores. Some sheets are definitely more quiet and some sheets are busier with more color variation. If the mosaic color actually ends up looking nice with your counter and cabinets, I would recommend buying extra boxes and then picking through the ones that are more busy and returning those.

I also would leave the samples sheets taped up on the different walls for a few days before deciding. Then you can make sure you like it from different angles and at different times of the day and night. Please come back with new photos if you would like further help deciding.

Now, it very well may end up that the ones saying it will clash or look too busy are correct. But I am hoping it works out! I hope it will look similar to this kitchen. This may not be your exact tile, but I think it would be a similar look with the Taj. I personally think this looks very nice here!

Let us know what happens! 🥰

Thank you! I really appreciate all of your feedback/advice. This is hard lol and a bit overwhelming. I’m trying to make a chip ice that I won’t hate and regret . I really want something more on the white/neutral side I found another local store that I haven’t looked at so I’ll be going there tomorrow.

I’ll keep y’all posted!

rebunky, Taj varies greatly. from gold tones to strictly cooler gray tones.

these are all taj.

your pic w/that ALL white kitchen, tons of light, high ceilings and no blue cabs (which reflect light differently) looks nothing like OP's kitchen. yes, that particular mosiac looks fine in that kitchen w/that particular stone. lots of reflective white light happening there.

not the same. The blue cabs and darker reddish brown floors all give off diff relective light. Even the flooring has pattern and movement (grout lines)

I still stick by my guns. no multi-color busy mosaic.

I totally agree with you Beth that a less busy tile would definitely be better! I understand what you are saying, and I am aware how different the colors of Taj Mahal slabs can be.

I guess I was just trying to be positive, since the OP said they were going with that particular herringbone mosaic and had ordered it already, I figured… Why not give it a chance? 😉

Reason being, that we all know photos of tile online NEVER look the same once they are in the actual space. It is shocking how crazy different they can look!

I am pretty sure I have seen that exact same MSI Angora herringbone mosaic at my local HD. It looks nothing like that online photo. Nothing! Much lighter and much less busy, so that is why I was super curious what it will look like in reality!

I am not saying it will work. I am just that it might not be as completely hidious as expected is all. 😂

Angora would be a great option:

https://villohome.com/products/angora-subway-11-81x11-81-polished-marble-mesh-mounted-mosaic-tile-2x6-msi-collection

If Taj as the backsplash is out, then the quietness of the Portmore tile with little color variation is lovely. No thin, bar mosaics, no tiles that look like a bath floor, and for sure no feature tile behind the range.

I think your DH must be choosing things that seem safe and familiar to him since they were ubiquitous in the past, but not what's really current now.

With a plain, monotone splash that fades into the background, you'll be able to repeat that blue color in some well-chosen accessories around the space since the half/half cabinet paint is the real limiting factor in the room. It's water under the bridge, but all white cabintry with your layout would've been perfect. Had there been a free-standing island, that's where a secondary cabinet color could've been introduced.

Repeat the blue in the adjoining dining space and sitting space (dining chair fabric, tonal rug or some wall art) if those spaces connect to the kitchen.

i might be tempted to hit pause on the BS, just paint the walls and finish out the kitchen with some very curated accessories (my favs are old french bread boards, pot with herbs, crocks filled with wooden utensils)

- it could be once there is some additional color and texture in the space, your DH may not feel the need for a bold BS — lots of folks on here live with a kitchen for a while without a backsplash - enjoy your lovely new kitchen!