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Neither of those options look right to me. Unless they look better in person I think you need to keep looking.
Anything marble look in a kitchen looks strange to me as I am used to seeing that in bathrooms. If you have wood floors in adjacent rooms you're best to extend that into the kitchen. If you really want tile (I still like tile in kitchens even though it's not as popular anymore) look for something not marbled - maybe sandy looking. Something plainer will let the wood cabinets be the star.
Unless you are in a humid and or naturally wet tropical clime? I'd not want tile everywhere in the home. I'd want a wood, everywhere. Engineered if you are on a slab foundation. Opinion of one, of course. Kinder to your back, your feet, and especially warmer in the bedroom and open living space.
Wow! Looks like a completely different house! I especially like your blue hood tile and how you tied it in with the blues in the other room, and the hardwood floor color looks great against cabinet color. Well done!
James, I don't share that opinion.
For the way I cook, a clear, open, and uninterrupted island is most ideal for a functional kitchen.
It is your drop zone for unloading 10 bags of groceries, or multiple boxes from Costco, to then unwrap and sort accordingly.....remember, you will do this every week until you die....
It's your banquet or display area at Holidays, weekend gatherings, birthdays, and celebrations....
It's a place for gathering, displaying and serving.
It's for prepping 9 trays for the dehydrating machine....
It's your space for spreading out and making homemade pasta....
kimchi....
tortillas....
crepes. ...
tacos and fajitas spreads......
tortes, tamalles,
or 2 different pad thai (one vegetarian +one meat)....
Meal prepping for a few days in advance....
Chopping and prepping multiple ingredients
Making real meals from scratch...
....on 2 or 3 cutting boards. ......
These are real life scenarios for the way I use MY kitchen. That last thing I'd want to do is be confined to 2 or 3 feet squeezed on the side of a sink in the middle an island, or heaven forbid a cooktop.
I suppose the only way to enchange my logic is to add a tiny prep sink on the very corner of the island, but I don't want one.... I prefer the uninterrupted space.
Just consider that there is not a black and white rule to what you're saying.
If people (and by people, I mean my husband) are at the island, it's usually because he's helping to prep.... Roll the dough....fill up the dumplings pinch them shut by hand.... but even that is very rare.. because 90% of the time he (or our visitors) are hanging out outside or in the living room across the dining table or other areas of the house until the food is ready to be served.
For me, a window at the sink is most ideal and best for providing adequate natural lighting for inspecting the cleanliness of what I'm washing.... I do not need to face my husband while I clean dishes...I do not need to see piles of dirty dishes stacked up in the center of the room.... . What I need is great natural lighting at the sink... and admiring my $2 million dollar ocean view....
There are some really renoned Architect firms who have been pushing this idea, which has been in response people automatically assuming the island is the best place for the sink.
The counters are very bold and pretty. You need a very plain solid color backsplash, or just paint. #2 is the only one that might be in the running.
Sonoma Stellar tile comes in many other shapes besides subway. This is Boka and the color is smoke.
#2 isn’t showing up, but I will say it is nice to have the island clear to use for entertaining. It is surprising how quickly a large island gets covered with all the platters and bowls, drinks, apps etc during holidays.
#3 looks good to me. This is similar to my kitchen and I do all my prep with my back facing the stove. It’s easy to pick up the cutting board, turn around, and slide chopped veggies, prepped meat, etc into the pan(s). I don’t have much counter space on either side of the stove.