I was thinking a bright white subway or herringbone tile, or a marble subway or herringbone.

Everything else you have is the trendiest of today's trends. Subway would be expected to "finish the package", and -- since your countertop is busy -- you need to stay very simple with the backsplash. I'd break away from the trend and consider something like 4x4s or penny rounds. Herringbone would be too busy with your counter top.

While you're choosing, don't forget that you need to choose your grout color too.

Since the countertop is honed, should we choose polished or honed for the backsplash?

If one is honed, it seems that the other should be honed as well.

Would the marble look too busy since the countertop has a lot of movement?

Yes.

Also, not sure if a marble backsplash is a good idea in a kitchen; would it be another thing we feel like we have to be careful with as far as stains?

I'd think the marble counter top, which you already have, is the item that'd stain. Backsplashes are mostly for looks.

Your countertop is not what I would consider busy. Take the countertop up the wall.

Agree with the above. Get the same material as your countertop and use it for the backsplash.

We think you might want to do the white subway tile, or use the countertop material as the backsplash. A marble tile would be way too much with your countertops. You countertops are the star of the show, so you don't want to draw attention away from them. Notice how in this kitchen design of ours, we used a simple backsplash with the countertops:

Wine Country Charm · More Info

Thank you so much for weighing in everyone! I think we’re going to go with white subway tile now, just need to choose a size. i have an appontment tomorrow with a designer at Mosaic tile to help. Looking forward to finishing up oir kitchen soon.

Your kitchen is going to be lovely! Is that Super White = dolomite OR is it Carrara?

Our hood is going to be a stainless chimney; do you see the tile and the chimney stopping at the top of the cabinets, or the tile stopping just below the base of the hood? Tiling the entire wall isnt an option; the wall extends into a breakfast nook area with no break. @mizlizzie gray was an option we had thought of, but not sure how the cool gray tile will look behind the warmer gray stainless? @dani_m08 thank you! It’s Carrara and so far so good as far as stains and etching! No stains, and only two small etches from apple juice squeezed from a juice box (kids).

What about a whisper-soft light blue? It would go nicely with your artwork in the other room and the right shade will complement the gray in the marble.

The light blue idea-love it and will have to think on it for sure. Thank you!

You have a very small area for the backsplash, so whatever you select is not going to overpower the kitchen. Regarding the sheen, there's no "rule" that says if you have a honed counter top you need a honed tile backsplash--a glossy tile would be a nice counterpoint to the honed marble. I personally think that a rectangular tile in a regular running bond pattern is preferable to a herringbone, especially in a small area such as yours.

However, if you do decide to use the same marble slab for the splash, then it should be honed.

I would not think of stainless as a warm. I would read this dilemma that is in play right now as well. Very similar situation.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6442226/i-need-help-correcting-the-mistakes-i-made-while-remodeling-my-kitchen