Hmmm. Concrete? Maybe I could find the coloration in a quartz or grantite or something in the lighter realm. Don't think I could ever get DH to go for concrete counters. p.S. Really like the floors in that pic. LOVE that gaudy granite! Bmore: I currently have a beadboard backsplash run on the vertical. The counter installers put a nice bead of clear caulk between the counter and the BS but still the crumbs congregate in the beadboard grooves. I would think running it horizontally would make that problem much less. And these boards are 8" wide so the first seam would be that far off the counter. Thanks though!

HulaGal - I'm concerned that the relatively monochromatic scheme that I'm thinking about may need contrast (as in darker cabinets) - I probably didn't make that clear earlier. The floor tile will really depend on the granite. I originally wanted travertine or travertine look, but now I'm leaning toward the limestone look of the City View - cream and gold granite with the French limestone City View (the more gold color) or the grayish River White with the beige or gray color. I like the limestone look because it is less busy, and I can't find a granite that I like that doesn't have a fair amount of movement. The cream and gold would match the rest of my house, the gray would look better with the bedroom which is BM 451 Pine forest - I really don't want to repaint the bedroom. I saw a kitchen somewhere on GW with lovely traditional cabinets - cherry paired with this awesome dark reddish kind of modern looking tile floor - my description doesn't do it justice, the floor was exactly the color of the cherry and it made everything pop. That made me want to do a dark floor, but I keep telling myself NO NATURAL LIGHT - stay with light colors. Today, I'm leaning toward the creamy granite and cream cabinets, but wewill see what we can get at the distributor, no River Wite recently, I'd have to get it shipped in. Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Forest

Ah, a topic I may be able to help out with. We recently installed off the shelf (Lowe's) white subway tile. The brand is American Olean (not sure about the spelling!). I remember reading in a magazine that in a white kitchen there should be varying shades of white to keep it from looking sterile, just as someone mentioned above. When my husband installed it he and my mom both liked how it looked: as if it had been grouted with gray grout. I knew I didn't like this look but was almost talked into it. I mention this because of your previous statement "i have always loved the white subway with white grout look, but i donno, with the different shades, i might have to try something else, and that really worries me because i am detouring from what i originally like. " Stick to what you like or you won't be happy. I almost went with gray grout. Perhaps it may look better or more appealing but it is not the look I'm going for. And since you've mentioned that you are worried about the shade of white you've chosen change it now before it's too late. I personally think it will look great but being that you are questioning it makes me think it is not really what you want and are hoping to be talked into liking it. But if you stick with your tile I wouldn't go with a cream grout but rather one that matches the tile and blends nicely. To answer your question In my opinion the color of the grout makes a difference. Just look at kitchens with white subway with gray grout vs white grout and you'll see what I mean. I don't think an off white grout will make it blend with the cabinets better, it could make it look soiled. White will make it look whiter but IMO cleaner. I say keep the backdrop (backsplash) simple. As someone mentioned above you will have things on the counter to break it up. I plan on putting more items on our counters and the gray grout for me would be too busy. Not to mention I'm not the tidiest-so I need everything else to be simple. I sure hope I did't confuse you! Here are pics of our off white cabinet, BM moonlight white, though not quite as creamy as yours, with white subway tile and bright white grout. Below is a link to segbrowns kitchen. I think the pewter grout in this kitchen looks great because of all the other elements. But with such creamy cabinets as yours I'm not sure about gray/pewter grout. Gray grout look (before grouted). My cabinets look quite stark here but are really creamier in person. Hopefully you can see a difference in the shade of the cabinets compared to the white subway-it is hard to capture in a pic! Here is a link that might be useful: segbrowns kitchen

rmkitchen: Good idea. I will ask my realtor to come look first. What do you think about coffee? Do you think that would work better to stain the counters? I am afraid of the sealer because I am afraid it will make it come out splotchy. The coffee may take in some areas, but not in others. What do you think? mustbenuts: I really don't want to change the paint color because I have painted the whole downstairs in this color. The kitchen is part of an open greatroom and I like having only one wall color so that the room looks larger and cohesive. Stainless may work for the backsplash, thanks for the suggestion.