Those are both pretty, but until you pick your counter you won't know which way you want to go. Since you haven't picked your countertop yet maybe you could take the BS samples countertop shopping with you. It will become evident immediately that shopping for both at the same time will be an advantage. You'll end up with a look you like, and they'll work together. Each backsplash alternative will limit your counter choices, just as a counter already installed limits some BS choices. Chosen together you get to make the decisions which is more important in the combo.

I was recently on the hunt for tile to go with my granite counters and found that I preferred the matte finish against the sheen of the granite. Perhaps you could decide on finish first and that would narrow it down. Then decide whether you want cool or warmer color. Then how dark. Slowly narrow it down but once you decide, don't go back and rethink it. On my monitor, it looks like they all pick up colors from the counter so I think all would be lovely. I like the middle and left ones the best.

Hey, Cloud! Is yours the blue kitchen, by chance?! When they did the first installation and I had my doubts, I start searching GW and found someone's beautiful blue kitchen w/ full granite backsplash, and I was indeed trying to find shots of well done installs. I couldn't quite find a close-in shot among your earlier photos...thanks so much. So helpful. My two windows are undercabinet cutouts (about 4-5" of space between window bottoms and counter), and while the installer offered a lip/sill as an option, I was looking for a cleaner look to the facade of the backsplash -- plus, more corners sticking out just meant more that would risk getting chipped. I can just see us sliding our glass salt/pepper shakers across the cabinet and constantly hitting those corners. :) Below is a profile shot of one of the windows...latest version. I could've cropped the pic more closely, but then you'd all miss seeing my refrigerator in the background that's been parked in our family room for six months!!!! Maybe it hurts less to insert some humor into all of this. This was their 'best we can do, ma'am' on Monday. I'm just noticing NOW that they left the upper joint completely uncaulked! And see the gloppy line silicone at the lower edge? They didn't even try to tool it. The company owner, who was there, said that since it seemed I was so bothered by seeing the black line in between granite pieces, he said a bead of caulk would be better. Ugh...I'm just so done. Life really is too short so, yes, I'm picking my battles and trying to move on....obviously more difficult than it sounds, as I sat bolt upright in bed at 4 a.m. this morning, thinking about my kitchen. Here's another question for ya: the end portion of your backsplash that faces the window? Is that as glassy-polished as your countertop surface? See the end edge of the window, the piece on the left? All of the straight edges in my kitchen look just as dull. In this pic, you can see side by side the difference in glossiness....normal? Edited/Added: or, maybe, is this similar to wood and its end grain? And that the flat surface of the granite can be polished to glassy smoothness, but the end/edge surfaces, not so much? This post was edited by javiwa on Wed, Feb 4, 15 at 10:32

mayflowers: point well taken. Thank you. On the glass front cabinets... ugh. There's another issue. This kitchen and butler's pantry have too many. I am considering replacing some with regular doors. These might be lovely for someone with loads of things to display, but that's not really me. I have wonderful pieces in the formal dining room in two built in cabinets, a breakfront, and a curio... but not a lot of cool stuff to display in the kitchen, and - honestly - I don't feel like buying pieces just to fill them. Having said that, I'll probably leave the glass fronts on the hood wall for that zing factor... but replace some of the others. So, what do you think of the idea of running the TM for the bs?