Your buggy is SO far ahead of your horse it is absurd!!

A backsplash is the LAST thing to go into a kitchen. It can not be installed until tops are in place. You could live for a solid year or more with NO tile on a splash.

Your selections......should be samples brought in once tops are in place. You stand those on your counter and choose. You can close on a home with no splash: ) and you do not allow any builder to force you to decide at this point. You have no idea what YOUR slabs will look like in Taj Mahal, or any other selection for a top.

You get your cabinet sample, your flooring sample, and you go to a stone yard and you shop. You take your layout with those samples WITH you.

And you stillllllll need not worry on the splash.

That carpet sample should be unnecessary on the main living floor. One flooring....unless that is your bedroom, and even then? I would not.

I find it quite odd, that a builder would "allow" a quartzite such as Taj Mahal, and then restrict your tile to those two mentioned. Or use carpet on a main floor?

Wow so exciting to be building a new house. I love your choices. Taj Mahal is usually a gorgeous stone with some great subtle gray variations with warm beige tones too. The floors may be a little cool but they can work with some of the other elements. I can't wait to see which Taj you wind up with. So exciting.

There is nothing wrong with thinking ahead and planning for possible ideas. Getting familiar with options is always a great way to plan. I have seen many people struggle on here because they chose the tile too soon. And then the tile doesn't match the stone, they find they have cases of tile that they can not use. You don't have to rush it, you can think about it. Is your builder rushing you? My GC always likes choices to be made before he tackles his projects because he hates to wait for products and would rather have them in person than on some ship waiting to arrive.

You said Backsplash can only come from marazzi or Daltile as the manufacturer.

Okay lets peek at those options

I am wondering if the gray one you have posted above may be too gray. You may not know this until after your taj arrives. I think you know this thats why you posted for help And we are all happy and eager to help you. Enjoy the process of planning that's half the fun of a new build.

here is a fun Marazzi tile maybe a little warmer but I am loving how sweet this looks

Family Farmhouse · More Info

Marazzi Tile Cranes Beach Mosiac glass

Marazzi Caicos Crane Beach Mosaic Glass Tile · More Info

Here are a few daltile options. When you visit the website yowza so many pretty options

I love that this one looks like it might work with your cool floors but still allow some warmth if the TM is on the warmer side

Okay not a tile option but LOOK how warm this Taj Mahal is? maybe the gray you posted is too gray.. Lets see some other ideas to keep in the back of our brains as you plan your beautiful new place.

Taj Mahal Quartzite Kitchen Countertop · More Info

options but not necessarily Daltile or Marazzi.

If you can not find the tile you love you can always ask your builder to give you discount and hire a tiler and buy tile outside of the builder.

The important piece here, is to see the options and to understand it could change depending on how your elements fit together.

Similar floors to yours and cab color

Quartzite Taj Mahal · More Info

Cliffs Valley · More Info

Taj Mahal Quartzite kitchen · More Info

DIY Network’s Blog Cabin Kitchen · More Info

Suburban Living · More Info

Is there anyay to just not do the backsplash at this time . I love taj quartzite but IMO a star that needs calm next to it not another star and IMO best to have the backsplash the same as the counter to make life simple . I never choose backsplash at this stage of a build if not doing the counter material. Too much chance that when everrything is in the backsplash is not good. If you must then the color of the tile you show is good but I would keep it simple a nice larger format subway tile with matching grout let the taj be the star.

Why can't you do slab up the walls?

The variation in a slab can be huge, and that is true of any slab from Mother Earth.

that is WHY you don't select it until at the very least, you can visit your slab at a stone yard every single sample in hand. Inclusive any tile selection.

Is this the BEST way? No. The best way is to wait for the top install, see the material in your home, with your flooring, your lighting and all. As I said up top. You don't have to make this convenient for a builder, you can also have him credit you tile and labor allowance and do YOU OWN THING, post closing on the house.

Depending on where you live and how easy it is to find a tile pro, depending on your contract, depending on your builder and the availability and timeline of their contractors, depending on the availability and ordering timeline for your backsplash choice, having your backsplash selected and ordered ahead is not a bad or silly idea. I hope you find something you love.

Wow! Thank you so much to each and every one of you!! Your responses are very helpful and insightful. I hope to update you with some good news soon. A few explanations for a few questions that came up- I cannot do slabs on the backsplash because it will run $$$$$ with a builder (vs a reno), which means I can’t do it after the fact either because the slabs won’t be from the same sequence. The carpet won’t be in or near the kitchen area, they just were a part of the photo. The credit/tiling person isn’t a bad idea. I’ll have to ask them and see what I can get. Thank you for the marazzi and daltile suggestions! Those backsplash tiles are all so gorgeous!

You haven't mentioned your lighting plan. Task, ambient and decorative(if any) led. The led lighting has whiteness options from 2700k incandescent warm to 3000k, 3500k, 4000k and 5000k bright stark white. Light will affect the tone of your whites. I wouldn't give up on a slab backsplash without getting a separate quote from a fabricator. Install is much less time and materials than tile. Obviously.

Definitely, reach out to a stone fabricator. My slabslash (Slab Backsplash) Was cheaper than a tile and tiler. Maybe it was because the wait for a good tiler was the problem. Maybe it was the cost of the tile I wanted to use... But we looked at options. Can't hurt to find out.

Discuss reserving enough Taj Mahal for both counter tops and backsplash.

The fabricator can do this install post closing. Is there a better backsplash with Taj? Not really....: )

Get every detail of venting and cabinetry firm.......first.

Sometimes I when I read responses like this, I think people forget that with builders who have a menu of finishes from which to choose, with limited manufactures and preferred providers that the buyer may not have complete control over the individual selections. Because it's not a custom build if you are picking off a menu.

I have known several people who built relatively expensive houses who were allowed a certain amount of flexibility even outside the menu (like any tile that was in the same price tier as the menu tile/manufacturer), but did they get to pick actual slabs? Were they a part of the templating process? No. and No. It's not a fully custom build if you are picking from two tile manufacturers.

And likely the "credit" you get from leaving out something of the build will be pennies on the dollar, nowhere close to what you will pay for time and materials when you find your own fabricator. I know someone who was offered a credit of a couple thousand dollars when they wanted to leave an entire bathroom unfinished, for example.

Issues are subject to negotiation. Come into a negotiation prepared. I'd get a cost for the amount of tile of the variety offered. Figure the wholesale value of that. Get estimates on install and grouting. Now you have numbers to throw out before a credit is offered to show you have done homework. Include the likely reduced cost and simplified procedure of having the counter installers do the slab splash. This can lead the other side to give you a reasonable and justifiable credit. It may also prompt the builder to change and go with the slab install option you've put on the table. He's likely never priced it. This would benefit the quality and ease of install. Doing the slab splash install before the upper cabinets go in is massively easier and results is less gaps and caulking between the splash and the upper cabinets. This timing procedure is highly recommended.

" And likely the "credit" you get from leaving out something of the build will be pennies on the dollar, nowhere close to what you will pay for time and materials when you find your own fabricator. "

Exactly. palimpsest said exactly what I was going to say all the way thru.

This is THE top selling splash to go with Taj Mahal. It has all the colors of a good Taj, greige, beige, gray, etc and there are several forms. https://www.daltile.com/products/Wall/Mesmerist/Trance

This is #2. https://www.daltile.com/products/Wall/Mythology/Olympus

I like the links Minardi shared. Of note: #1 tile (this link) is a variation level V4 - the highest level. #2 tile (this link) is a level V1 - the lowest. If you want a quiet backsplash to let your counters be the star, as recommended by Patricia, then a low variation tile is a safer bet.

Hi there! It sounds like you're in the exciting phase of choosing countertops and backsplashes for your new construction. Given your white cabinets and cooler toned walnut floor, opting for a warm quartzite like Taj Mahal is a great choice to bring balance and warmth to the space. Since the backsplash cannot be the same quartzite and must come from Marazzi or Daltile, you have a wide range of options to explore within those manufacturers' collections. When selecting your backsplash, consider complementing the warmth of the quartzite with tones that harmonize with your existing color palette while adding texture or pattern for visual interest. Don't hesitate to post your options for feedback, and keep an open mind to discover fresh design ideas that enhance the overall aesthetic of your kitchen. Happy designing!

in the ensemble picture you'll note the countertop looks a bit more greige because the floor bounces more reddish undertone w the stark white cabinets..... you can search for months or years but if these surfaces are decided I would default to a simple white subway backsplash. Subtle tones are what people struggle with when backsplash is the activity.... the red of the floor w the greige of the taj is what is facing you....I say No more gray/ and you cant go really warm due to the cabinets..so KEEP IT SIMPLE and find a white subway.....you can alter the grout into a tone away from white to tie things together a bit. People wait but what will that accomplish? GOODLUCK..I'd finish up w things in this case. .