I am not a fan of plugmold. They are a PITA to use because you can't really see the plugs easily so you have to bend around/down to see them. We have them all over where we work. I find them quite annoying. Others on GW seem to like them. If you leave an appliance plugged in on the counter, as my toaster oven is, and the plug mold is under cabinet, then you actually cannot hide the electric cord.... There are pluses and minuses to all of these options. Even though they can be beautiful, kitchens are utilitarian places and outlets are expected. I would put them in standard places rather than too high. If you use up the electrical cord by being up too high, then you can't drag the appliances to where you need it, ie to the stove top for emersion mixer, under the venthood for waffle maker. Some appliances have rather short cords. My husband places the waffle maker under the venthood on a cookie sheet. There is a huge amount of steam that arises from the waffle maker when waffles are made. Most importantly, check with your code. You don't want to have to tear out the wall after your inspector tells you that you don't pass.... Lutron outlet/switch covers do not show screws. They come in many colors as mentioned above. http://www.lutron.com/RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL-SOLUTIONS/RESIDENTIAL-SOLUTIONS/COLORSTYLEFABRICS/Pages/Color.aspx My designer told me that she has customers that have spare panels made for their island. After they pass inspection, they cover the "outlet" with the spare panel so they don't have to look at the outlets. Yeesh!

didn't have time to read all the answers. I have no backsplash and have never regretted it...been over 6 yrs. It is painted with BM matte...which has ceramic in it. It is as beautiful now as it was when first painted. I love the fact that I can showcase other things ...art etc in my kitchen and no competition. Also if I ever want to change it is as quick as a paint brush...expense is minimal..paint only ! All in all I think it is serene as you point out . Here is one pick. Since I have a lot of high heat cooking in my kitchen..built in deep fat fryer as well as gas cook top I can definitely speak to the longevity of paint only. c ( more at this album )

thanks for the replies... plug mold is not an option now as it will mean lot of redo of outlets. also, we are thinking of installing it vertically and only at places where we don't expect spills.

Thanks! It looks like I will be able to fit 2 complete tiles (alternating with one plus two half tiles) between the borders and have it adequately visible. Outlets would also be inside that area. Does it matter what goes into the few inches above the border? It will be visible from the kitchen table and possibly across the room. I could use a trim piece with a bullnose for the border there and just fix the paint above it, or continue diagonal 4x4 chunks, or just do straight 4x4s above. I just realized I'm trying to make my backsplash look like my bathroom floor. Teehee!