Don't have counters in yet, but we chose backsplash first...we are doing Sonoma tile in a olive limestone with crushed glass accents....will try and link for you. http://www.sonomatilemakers.com/LineListDetail.aspx?prod-line-id=3&line-list-id=19&photo-id=64&IsLineList=True Here is a link that might be useful: Mosuprima tile

Now focusing on either completely white marble or pale marble body color with pale streaking. Any suggestions? (All my samples of marble have medium to dark toned streaks.) One idea is pillowed thassos like Mindimoo, but I dont have a picture. Is it my imagination or did my thread about choosing the finish of the Modernaire hood crown disappear?

Thank you pllog! According to my admittedly limited research, white subway tiles were primarily what was used during 1913 (not colored tiles just yet), or else white or cream-colored wainscoting. I know the colorful tile was used on fireplace faces though, as is the case on ours - but I think the whole sterile kitchen and bathroom look was going on in 1913 (?). I know my house originally had it cause not only is 2x6 white subway tile in the original bathroom upstairs, but the previous owners, who I am friends with, remember it having been in the house at one time. The previous owner now in her 80's moved in with her parents in the '40's when she was a teenager. There was only one family that lived in the house before them, which is kind of neat to know. I'd love to find out more about them someday if possible. All that said, if I had the time further to obsess (I'm already taking LOADS of time away from my kids to obsess over every detail that I am already!), and the eye/confidence/creativity, or a designer, and the money, I'd do something much more fun and much more "me" in a NY heartbeat. But alas, I don't. Maybe someday. The following cut/paste link is to absolutely inspiring backsplashes, which you'd probably love: http://finishedbacksplashes2.blogspot.com/ It would be impossible for me to do if the tile were to get up to $100/SF. How did you come up w/ that calculation? Oh dear - I'd better do the math again! I was told that by going to a fabricator with big machinery, it wouldn't take that long at all for a back splash my size - but that was just one person who said that; he could have been wrong. One consideration for a backup plan for me has been white or off-white minibrick. I think with a non-matching grout - e.g. a noncommittal but darker sand color (sand having both tan and grey in it?), all those little lines would be more interesting w/ the stainless than the bigger subway tile (or, maybe that would also be the case w/ standard 2x6 tile w/ darker grout?). I wish I could find the link I've lost to ceramic minibrick (if that's the word for it) that's attractive to me. I imagine they didn't have that size in 1913 though (does anyone know?) but it's still a nice classic look. If I find it on my other computer I'll post it! I've looked at Thassos which does seem too white. The in-person samples of calcutta are too grey from a distance (I don't want it to match my stainless counter so precisely) but yes I have time to keep looking. I also still pine for the Walker Zanger lightly crackled and glazed 2x6 tile I was all excited about when I thought I would do a honed black counter. haven't ruled that out completely, but it's $25/SF. Thanks!

rjpjnk, thank you. That is a stainless brick pattern tile. We bought it from a seller through Amazon.com. This is the link we bought from: http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Earthworks-Metal-Mosaic/dp/B002I6UDXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1268255463&sr=8-1 Non of my local stores had the tile in stock, yet they all wanted to charge me $40+ per SF. We received it in less than a week, paid around $25 per SF including shipping, and paid no tax. Here is a different picture showing ours at the ceiling. Since the cabinets go all the way up there really isn't much to see, it just ends at the ceiling. Since your cabinets don't go all the way up, you should look at Kris_ma's backsplash. She has window's on either side of her hood, and she took it all the way up, but not above the windows. I think it looks super slick. A picture of her backsplash is in the linked thread below: Here is a link that might be useful: Kris_ma's backsplash