I agree the travertine doesn't look like it matches. The tan glass is nice but it doesn't scream $20+ more a sqft nice to me. I'd defnitiely take the white tile to the granite and check.

I like the tan glass tile too, could you perhaps start looking for a ceramic tile in tan as well as in white?

From the colours on my monitor the travertine does nothing for the granite sample.

I agree with the others - the travertine does nothing for me.

THanks, guys! I do like the tan glass tile; that's a good suggestion about a cheaper tan tile.

Did I mention I was thinking tan for the paint color in the kitchen/family room (open to each other)... so maybe I could get away with white tiles on the backsplash and tan on the walls to pull it together... :) Or am I just being optimistic that it'll all be sooo easy?

I recently read that it is recommeneded that the backsplash
color be a shade lighter than the lightest color in the granite. I guess you would want your granite counter to be
the focal point and not the backsplash. However, maybe you
would like your backsplash to show up more than your granite.
I think it just depends on what look you want. Good luck.
I am sure it will be very pretty whichever you decide.

On my monitor, the glass tile in the top photo reads very cold, a slightly blue, pale grey-- not tan at all-- and looks just awful with the cab, though alright with the granite.

The travertine looks nice with the cab, but not the granite.

Probably just the monitor settings, but perhaps this is a good time to remind everyone to check their colors under the actual light you'll have in the room...

Our kitchen uses materials that are similar to what you have in mind. We have medium stained cabinets that are lighter than yours and a darker island. We have a light granite, Colonial Cream, that sometimes looks white and sometimes beige.

When it came to the backsplash, I knew I wanted ceramic subways and had to choose between white and Daltile's almond. (I think it's called almond; it's a beige.) We never thought of tan tiles but that's because we wanted lighter surfaces.

We went with the white because with the beige tile, there wasn't much contrast between the backsplash and our counters. Also because our trim is white, and there are white mica chips in the granite, white seemed to make more sense. As it happens, our walls are tan but we don't have much wall space showing.

Just a suggestion....go to the finished kitchens blog and check out the kitchens that have your granite on the countertops. See the backsplashes they have and it may help you decide. There are some beautiful kitchens with whitish granite countertops!

Thanks again, guys! And meg711, great kitchen. Thanks for the picture, that helps me visualize it.

Make sure you check the granite and tile together in good lighting. It would be great if you can get samples of everything to take home in your kitchen lighting.

I was amazed how different things looked in stores versus my lighting at home.

Good luck!

You could always use a white tile as a main base and add accents of glass tile to pick up other shades in the granite or for "pops" of a completely different accent color that you could also pick in in accessories. I love glass tiles.