I vote for the zellige tile.

You want a farmhouse cottage kitchen look? Have you considered 4” square tiles in a running bond pattern? These are Fireclay Tiles, although you can buy something similar from other tile makers. The tiles on the right are lovely neutral 4” tiles with a darker grout. They separate it from the backsplash behind the stove with matching tile trim pieces. You could go for a patterned tile behind the range and a coordinating tile everywhere else. I really like the classic 4” square for a cottage kitchen. It’s charming.

If your home is a Spanish style home then zelige tile would look a little less odd I guess, but it will date your kitchen to the 2020s.

Your floors are pretty dark have you thought of a darker tile in a herringbone. its a small area to tile so you might like the bit of interest of that. i like the floors . I wouldnt put a motif under the hood…rather have an all over tile pattern because of the size of the area.. herringbone / chevron / maybe basketweave ? is there one you like?

this is not a good closeup but I like the earthy color and the herringbone for your overall space. .maybe a medium toned grout. love the warmth and texture yet its a simple feel for "farmhouse" vibe i think.

Lorraine Vale · More Info

Thanks for the inputs! I ended up going with a artisan subway tile, not sure if it's considered zellige or not. I like a light colored, white or off-white look.

However I feel like I went with the wrong grout color. Went for warm grey but in person it looks more gray (less warm). So now I'm trying to tint the grout using grout renew. Thoughts on the grout color? The second pic lighter area is my "sample" for the lighter tint.