A solution that will work for sure is to use countertop slab material. When you figure the cost, the labor for tiling will not be in the price. I like the wide drawers next to the range. Another slab material to look at is porcelain stone. It is offered in 6mm for use on walls. Maybe a white sandstone or concrete could coordinate. Florim is one source. Link.

I like the dark choices. Your counter is light and so are your cabinets, you could get away with it without it being overall a dark look. It may be too dramatic, though. If you really like the dark tile, can you bring home a bigger sample board? Or buy a buy of tiles and make your own big sample board to see how you feel about it on a larger scale?

I am not sure about any of the tiles that you've selected so far - maybe the ceramic/porcelain white one - but I can't tell if it's the right white on a screen vs. seeing it in person.

I did want to warn you re: white glass tiles. If the tiles are not actual colored glass = they are clear glass with white paint on the back side, you need to be VERY cautious about installing them. If you do a search for "white glass backsplash looks gray/green/blue [pick one of the three] after being installed" + add Houzz at the end, you will pull up several posts where people were very disappointed by how different their white glass tile looked once it was installed.

Glass has a green cast to it (unless you have starphire glass - I don't know if there are glass tiles that are made using starphire glass). Many people have discovered that the color that they couldn't see prior to installation suddenly becomes apparent when the tile is installed on the wall.

Here is a screenshot from searching something like "white glass tiles turn blue" or something like that:

Other colors of glass tile also may look different once installed.

I am not sure what to suggest re: a tile - right now you have a busy countertop, a different color stained island - and perimeter stained cabinets that have some variation between doors/drawer fronts. Your floor also has some variation between individual boards. It seems like your backsplash needs to be something simple.

Hopefully, some pros will join in on this post shortly!

love love love both the wood and the counter! What about a backsplash to match the coffee colour wood of the island? Or a light teal blue?

@dan1888 Thanks. I looked at that but using the same slab would be too busy for me. I've seen photos of that and it's too much for me. At this point, I think I'm going to go with tile rather than any kind of slab.

@porkchop_z5b_MI I read a suggestion on here to tape up black trash bags. I tried that but I don't want that dark. I'm trying to at least stack a few tiles and honestly I'm thinking of doing a quick paint job with dark gray paint. I've also tried some dark gray poster board.

@dani_m08 Thanks for the caution about the glass. I'll look into that more. I don't know if this is just painted on the back, but I suspect so. It's just glass tile from Floor and Decor. Nothing fancy.

@Rho Dodendron Thanks! It's nice to hear someone likes it. For the backsplash, I'm trying to avoid more brown. I was worried about too much brown with the floor and cabinets, which is why we went with black/white/gray countertop vs a lot of granites that have brown. And I think I just want to stick to neutrals and I can add color in towels and things. I always try to be pretty neutral with things that are permanent.

I'm really thinking of a quick paint job, at least on part of the backsplash to help me visualize.

I was leaning back toward white--a nice clean look. But husband thinks some contrast is better. And I don't want to deal with white grout.

I wish you could build tiles--pick a material, pick a color, pick shiny or matte, pick s shape, pick a size. I'm mainly going by color as the most important thing, but I prefer the tile just be smooth and the medium gray I like has a slight wave to it. And the gray leathered is sort of a boring size. Oh well. Mostly I want the backsplash to look nice, but not be something your eye is drawn to.

you answered your own search quest with "theres not a lot of subway area" .Absolutely do a color......greens are evolving into a neutral these days. It would be my pick, hands down. Look at how many shades to pick from. Id like the longer slightly thinner tile on the area .

Kezma White Handmade Ceramic Wall Tile 3"x12" Subway Tile, Green, 1 Box · More Info

IRIS 3x12 Polished Ceramic Subway Tile Wall Tile, Green, 1 Box · More Info

Chester Sage Ceramic Wall Tile · More Info

Thanks @herbflavor. I'm hesitant to add a color. But I'm going to think about it because I just can't figure this out. The medium gray that I thought was going to do the trick now seems to be making my countertop look a bit navy blue rather than black. I want to like it because I like the color and size of the tiles, but I don't think it's working for me. And I'm not sure about the white either.

The problem with green is that it's giving me flashbacks to the 90s when my house was built. The standard was oak cabinets and then lots of people (not us) chose a green laminate countertop. I know it wouldn't look anything like that but I don't know if I'd like it.

I wouldn't do an actual color. I initially thought blue might look good but when I took another look at her pics, I noted just how busy the counter is -- really beautiful stone, but there's a lot going on there. Mix that in with a different color island and then colored backsplash that doesn't relate to anything else and it would just become too much. The reason the dark grey or black tiles might (MIGHT) look good is because the colors are found in the stone. It really a matter of would it be too dramatic, too visually overpowering, especially if glossy.

Another option for you, OP, is to skip the backsplash and just paint the area. Lots of people do that. Or, if you have any stone remnants, have the fabricator make you a 4" backplash and boom you're done.

We went with Tribeca Basalt for the backsplash, a shiny slightly varied dark gray.

https://www.tileshop.com/products/tribeca-basalt-porcelain-wall-tile-2-5-x-10-in-484040?srsltid=AfmBOoqWBqwEcr1tpbqxecMzNcZqHw5Ee_S8V3GuogKQ-luMjoBCJOAe

Paint suggestions--just general color family? White? Gray? Green?

Nice choice for adding contrast to the light cabs and countertop! My only other suggestion would be adding undercabinet lighting, if you don't already have it.

Thanks @porkchop_z5b_MI.

We looked at undercabinet lighting. Getting it hardwired was expensive. But the main issue is that the bottoms of our cabinets are completely flat--nowhere to hide lights. I read suggestions, such as putting a rail at the bottom to block the lights, or doing something with a false bottom (basically putting another bottom shelf inside the cabinet, or routing out a channel for the lights to go in. I didn't like any of those options.

I bought tape lights that plug in and will put them to the left of the stove where I need them for task lighting. Other than that, I don't want lights showing under all our cabinets and while it would be nice for ambiance, it wasn't that important to me. The tape lights will plug in behind the toaster oven and the cord will only show a tiny bit. Toaster oven is moved to the side but is normally at an angle in the corner and the outlet in the photo is hidden. We're getting our outlets switched to black, which is why the face plates are off--no reason to put them back on after the backsplash went in.

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I bought those plastic sheets you can paint to use as larger samples and am trying out a white white and a gray with green undertones. I think I like the crisp clean white better.

I think green is too much, so I thought a gray with green undertones might be nice and kind of warm, but not sure. I may try a light gray with blue undertones. But I think gray just might not be right. I suppose you can't really go wrong with white and paint is not as much of a commitment as tile! We'll hire painters (entire ceiling into the family room needs to be done, and also I hate painting) but if we don't like the color, it's not *that* much to repaint once