(Already reposted on the Discussions side)

Thanks Charlie. Another great mockup! In my next life I will be able to Photoshop! :-) I had been thinking of something like that, only off the counter. I am thinking it will feel crowded if I put much of anything there. Shermann, glad to hear from another paint-only household. I didn't have much trouble with a similar mosaic in my last kitchen, but I may have just been lucky. It was more rustic that the one I'm considering this time. It's really coming down to the balance issue for me...and maybe even more the clutter vs. serene thing. I am starting to think about some serious green (EK Chartreuse or F&B Churlish) which are anything but serene! Could be fun...and way cheaper than tile.

The same material as the counter isn't an option since the counters are installed and we don't have enough left over. The veining wouldn't work out too well either that way. Does anyone know what mamadadapaige ended up doing to cover her plywood shiplap?

I agree -- fairly simple backsplash will let your beautiful granite take center stage. I think the glass ones you are leaning toward would look great, depending on how the actual colors look next to your granite (computer monitors can be notoriously inaccurate). Greens & beiges can be kind of difficult at times. If you want a design over the range, you could do a "center of interest" by framing an area with the long narrow tiles, and fill in the space with the smaller ones, 2x2s or 1x1s. I think that would look great & that you don't need anything more.