I think all your materials are beautiful. I agree that the kitchen seems to be taking on a less traditional vibe, and that using these natural textures will carry that even further. Of course a glazed tile like a ceramic subway would probably bring it back to a little more traditional, but I'll bet you wouldn't be happy with that look(?)...That being said, I do guess that using fire & ice, copper squares and tumbled pebbles along with butcher block, dark wood and ceramic floors may be a lot for the space. I'd stick to just one good backsplash material and the pebbled end wall. Since the other materials are matte, perhaps a glossy ceramic tile backsplash might give you some plusses:1) More traditional classic vibe 2) More reflected light 3) More contrast with surrounding surfaces like the pebble wall and countertops to help them be more pronounced 4) Easier to clean. You have a good eye and I'm sure whatever you pick will look great. What a fantastic pro DIY job, poorowner!

Thanks.. I have included some more pictures.

Here is my layout

I have small planked butcher block, which will be finished in a semi gloss finish, it will be more amber when done.

Also showing pebble sample and the area it will cover, I am not worrying too much about the pebbles being too busy, I am ready to cover it up some with art work or a built-in TV. It's a daring approach for wall covering, but I can't deal with another paint or wallpaper.

You can't see in the first picture, we have a semi-glossy floor also. So I think the backsplash needs to be matte to cut down on the gloss a bit :) I personally do not want subway tiles 1" or less to go in this kitchen, except when used in 2 tile high to form a border, for example.

You are right, maybe the copper tile will be too much with the Fire and Ice. So maybe the F&I by itself would be too busy too, perhaps, a larger backsplash tile with less lines? At this point I don't have a preference whether it is traditional or transitional. Now that I can see it, a little modern touch is looking nice.

I'm glad you like the transitional thing- I think it's fresher too ( it's my DIY kitchen look, too). I agree completely about your analysis of the backsplash tile size- a busy or small scale tile will clash with the pebble. A larger square or horizontal rectangle with less grout would be ideal AND easier to clean. I know because I have that combo in my master bath shower; pebble accent wall and large tiles on the others- and they don't compete and look good together. Keeping grout color the same will help pull it together. Also... check to see how the tile sealer affects the pebble color; even a non enhancing product darkened my pebble tile considerably (just a heads up).

Can you tell me more about the rock tiles? That would look so great on my fireplace wall! Who is the mfg and where can you get them? thanks!

Cindy

Hi, here are a couple very quick attempts at unsolicited photoshop help. I could have searched for some maple bb and a cooktop to put in, but I have to leave soon. I like the fire and ice, but not with the copper behind the cooktop. IMO they are too busy together and the copper doesn't contrast with your cabinets enough (both are beautiful! I just don't know about together). Maybe use a stainless steel splash behind the cooktop if you fear the fire and ice will be hard to clean. I think some of the other fire and ice people have it behind their cooktop.

All fire and ice:

{{!gwi}}

And fire and ice with copper behind cooktop:

{{!gwi}}

Your kitchen is beautiful. May I ask what kind of sink you are going to have?

I agree with Lyno....I like the fire and ice, but not the copper with it. The fire and ice is perfect!!

You've done a fabulous job with your kitchen - it looks beautiful!
Makes me wish I had gone with Liljestad instead of Lidingo... :)

Another vote for the straight fire & ice backsplash - it's perfect!

Dawn

Poorowner, as you may know I have Fire and Ice in my kitchen, along with Ikea's Tidaholm black/brown cabinets. The kitchen has two large south-facing windows, so it gets a lot of light. While I love my Fire and Ice, it is a dark backsplash, and since it is matte does not reflect any light (aside from the glass tiles). Sometimes I think I should have used something lighter (though the F&I works well with my "autumn-inspired" palette). In your kitchen, which is a bit smaller than mine and does not seem to get as much natural light, I think it would be too much dark-- I would go for a lighter splash. I think travertine or tumbled marble with copper inserts would look great, or you could go more modern with ceramic or glass tile. If you want something easy to clean behind the cooktop, maybe a solid piece of glass would work. You could get a piece of safety glass fitted to the space and paint the back. I've thrown off a jumble of suggestions here, but I guess my point is, I think you should go light and/or reflective.

Your space is looking GREAT and I look forward to seeing how it all comes together.

Also, I don't think the F&I looks bad, and it is so handsome IRL, but if you put it in I think you would be wanting to keep your undercabinet lights on most of the time.

Also, Lyno, aren't you sweet to photoshop. I am always impressed by the generosity of this community.

Hi Cindy (Ccoombs), the stone pebbles are from costco.com, they have a bunch, they have a bunch to choose from. Go to Costco.com and type in "stone tile"

OK, I want to thank Lyno for the help on the photoshop, I just want to mention it's not to scale.. Fire and Ice strips should be 2", so it should be 9 strips high on my backsplash if the counter top is installed. So if it looks overly busy, maybe that's why. I think I don't like the copper now, so thanks for the visual..

I am so leaning towards the F&I, because my walls are so wavy. The F&I natural random thickness hides the installation errors here. Also, I like how it is ready to go on in moasic form that will save me some lay out time. It will go on quick.

Morton5, I have no ceiling lights yet, which will be recessed, we typically have to turn on the lights in here anyway. I think I would like to get a F&I sample and see how dark it is. I have been looking at glass tiles can't seem to ring a bell.

Here is the sink side. I have a 3" strip of wall behind the faucet.

I think the floor, cabinets, and fire and ice are all beautiful. I am not sure how well they go with the pebbles, though. The former elements are all more elegant/refined. I am not sure how well the rustic pebbles will complement them.

Yes, I worry slightly about the pebbles. I plan to get 10 sq feet to mock up on the wall then see how it looks.

This had been my inspiration/confirmation photo of stone pillar look

I love the cozy look of stone walls -- reminds me of cabins (when wood is used in front of the stone) but this is scaled down version with pebbles.

Here is a link that might be useful: pebble visual references

I like F& I , but not along with the pebbles ( which I also like). I think you need to "pick a lane". Also, I have glass tiles on my backsplash; easy to clean but very sensitive to wavy walls so I can understand your concern. Any alignment issues are really visible on those; I'm glad I had a flat wall!

I also think the fire and ice has a different feel than the pebbles - any chance you can use the fire and ice on the column/wall as well as the backsplash?

nalcar, do you have any picture of the tile work in your bath or kitchen? feel free to post them here.

I've also had a thought about Fire and Ice on everything, only dismissed somewhat because of the cost. But.. it may be well worth it, it will still give the stone wall look that I wanted and be elegant, matching at the same time. If you think that will work out better I will save up for it. It's a few hundred dollars difference.

First, I just want to say it's looking so great!

Now, while I love the fire and ice (photoshopping that in was great, whether it's to scale or not, the colors look great), I'm sorry, I just don't like the pebbles, or the copper tiles. Re: the copper -- it'd be too much with the F&I, and I really like the F&I. Re: the pebbles, I think it's becuase the Fire and Ice, while having a rustic vibe, is still linear and cleanly cut. The pebbles just are too random, and dare I say it, cheap looking in contrast to the rugged precision of the F&I. It'll look like a fred flintstone effort. (The pebbles by themselves would be fine if they were the only small-scale element, but it's too much with the F&I and way too much if you add in the copper. Too many small-scale mosaic-y pieces in different styles and your kitchen will look like a tile display!)

I see where you're going with the pebbles, but I think I like the the stacked stone in the inspiration pic better because it is more linear.

But ultimately I agree with Pepper -- save up, use the F&I on the BS and the pillar wall, and you'll unite your kitchen proper with that wall that would otherwise look intrusive. It'll be a knockout kitchen! I know it's expensive, but you only want to do this once -- the F&I will be sooooo pretty. It's looking so good!

Evilbunnie: Yabba Dabba Doo! heheh.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I will just have to place something over the F&I when I fry stuff. In fact maybe 2 hidden hooks will let me hang a fire resistant cloth, mesh or something. The cook top is induction so there is no flame, which will allow me to implement this.

What about a ss backsplash? It'll pick up that nice expanse of stainless on the front of your sink, and the silvery stainless will go well with the silvery slate of the Fire and Ice.

I've attached a link to the bertazzoni backsplash that I've installed, it has a nice utensil rail already in there. It was a piece of cake to install, and around 300 bucks.

I love how it's coming out. I'm so happy for you!

Here is a link that might be useful: bertazzoni backsplash w utensil rail

As I was reading through, for easier cleaning/care, I was also thinking that a brushed or more matte stainless backsplash (could be flat, a textured stainless to resemble a tile pattern, or be stainless tiles) behind the cooktop might work. It wouldn't be adding another material to the kitchen, so may not give the impression of breaking things up like the copper did.

If you look at your inspiration picture with the stacked stone, you will see that those cabinets are simpler and lighter in color than yours, which is why they go better with the stone. I think fire and ice on the wall might be too busy, not to mention too expensive. You could order it for the backsplash, though, and mock it up to see how it looks. You could also paint with a color that you pull out of the fire and ice.
Actually, I am also wondering how your maple butcher block will look with this. I don't think it will go with your dark cabinets and F & I, either. Maybe if someone would photoshop it in, you could get a better feel for the combination. Maybe it will be amber enough to tie into the little copper in the fire and ice.

astridh, the maple is done deal, already waiting for install.. At first I struggled with this combo but I think it will look OK with the cabs, just that it's not a very common combination. It's actually looks great unfinished on my cabs right now, even though it's so pale.

I will be getting a fire and ice sample in to see with actual lighting before I commit. There is also 2" light rail to close it up some, and I will have other appliances, so it is not looking as much of backsplash as it is now.

As for the SS backsplash, of course I had that idea too, but I am afraid there will be too many SS around, since the sink, dishwasher, fridge are all close together, but then maybe one more SS on the cooktop wall will balance it out.

I am not sure about a rack above the cooktop, since it's glass and I may drop a thing..I have bought utensils in silicone now, it doesn't look nice to be displayed at all :)

I agree that the stainless could get to be a lot...if it's too bright. That's why I was favoring a texture, hoping it would appear just a bit darker and more subdued.

I brought home some 4" square glass tiles that seem to have a similar look to the 2" tiles in the Fire and Ice. Have no idea what or who the manufacturer is- sorry- didn't think to ask, when I asked for the samples. Could you do something like that behind the stove instead of the copper? that would give you the easier surface to clean, but tie in with the rest of the BS. And, rather than pebbles, could you just do a matching ledgestone on the pillar/wall instead of Fire and Ice? Would that make it more reasonably priced?

I'm sorry the photoshop wasn't to scale and sorry I didn't get back to this sooner; I just got back home. You probably don't need it, but here it is closer to scale. I'll do one with stainless behind the cooktop if you are interested in that. The photoshop was just to give you an idea; it was/is far from perfect!

{{!gwi}}

Sorry Lyno I didn't mean to demand a correction at all!!! you are very kind! It was just my engineer eyes trained to check measurements. It is looking great! Thanks again!

I went to look at more tiles today and I am just more confused now. I think the F&I is my first choice and offer many advantages for ease of installation and design, and I should go with what I like! Thanks everyone for your opinion!

While you have looked at my kitchen, I was wondering what you think of these pulls? I looked at it in person and it looks better than in this picture.

I was trying to find something not too classic but not highly modern such as rod pulls of Ikea style. I feel this one just fit in between, and the design synchronize with the cabinet doors. I am not sure about the knobs though, I think going with a round knob will also work. Alternatively I think get 6" pulls for drawers and 4" pulls for doors would work also.

I liked the brushed nickel..

I have a sample in the actual kitchen and I am very happy how it looks, under the wash of my undercab lights, and range hood halogen, it has some resemblence to floor color, which is fine. It also has a similar palette of my floor tile divider moasic. Some may find the counter top needs to be a stone to look good with it but it looked fine against my BB, in my opinion. I did not find the lights off being too dark and I actually liked the grey tones in natural lighting.

It's the one on the right. The slate version is too dark for me.

so my conclusion is no pebbles and no copper. It will look fantastic.

Thanks everyone for the help and opinions are always welcome.

Just saw this thread, as I was trying to show your kitchen to my DH...I love your choice for backsplash (and column?) but I'm also still suggesting that you consider sheet stainless for your backsplash. If you like to cook, it will be a *load off your mind* that you won't have to be worrying about grout sealant, fast cleanup, etc. -- we have stainless behind the range and glass tile everywhere else, and I'm *so* thankful I did it. It doesn't look horrible or intrusive as another new surface would, just like an extension of the vent fan (ours is like yours except not as tall).

I really love that you're doing a column in the same material as the backsplash. That will be fabulous.

I have to say that the ideas for a stainless backsplash I agree with. The stones and tiles you have picked out, although beautiful, would suit a much larger space in my opinion. And if you do cook a lot, the cleanup could be a nightmare. I also have a small space and selected glass for easy cleanup and a bigger statement in a smaller space. Just a thought.

And this is why I shouldn't post at night! I meant to consider sheet stainless for the backsplash *behind the stove*, where you were thinking of copper tiles. Tiles would work beautifully elsewhere, e.g. as cabinet backsplash and as the column. Sorry for the confusion!

Hi, thanks for your input, we have already gotten the tiles, and think it's going to work quite nicely.

I COULD still do the stainless behind the cook top however I am not liking the idea of the discontinuity.. I have seen people with beautiful stone work behind the cooktop so I don't know. But people cooks different things, boiling perogies vs making chow mein will mean different outcome for the backsplash area. (not implying saying ppl with stony material behind cooktop only make perogies, just I am more like the chow mein cook :P)