I think this look is too clean and crisp to add tumbled stone. I'd stay with ceramic, with a little bling of some sort...Maybe glass, but maybe just color to have it fun, but stay classic. Or I might do something totally fun like painted (Mexican?) tiles...The colorful painted ones, but I'd make sure they are the right color scheme to go with the white...not too yellow or terra cotta. Could be fun to checkerboard different colors (including white) with square ceramic tiles, too.

Carrera marble subway tiles is what I see. Beautiful kitchen!

Pale Grey glass. Since it is a traditional kitchen, I'd probably not do sheet glass (*gasp*) but I'd at least do long or larger rectangles as opposed to the normal subway size.

Well, when you ask: "what would do if this were your kitchen?", I guess I should pipe up. My second/rental kitchen has white cabs, a very dark countertop (wilsonart hd laminate in Bella Venito)and. . . walls of BM Kennebunkport Green! ( love that color!). The backsplash is actually the original tile of the house -- 100 year old porcelain white subways that have a 1" listello of glazed emerald green. IMHO, it all works together very well.

I think ceramic would work great in your kitchen. Check out Sonoma... they have way too many choices/options to combine for me to link different options. Just look at this one display board... it's just one of HUGE bunch of choices. I love the idea of mixing some sizes/shapes in your kitchen.

Very nice job so far ! I like your cabinetry a lot, particularly with the dark countertops.

I like remodfla's suggestion. If it were my kitchen I think I would be tempted to run a 2 or 3 inch band of the countertop material along the wall where butts the countertop and above that I'd put the combination that she has pictured.

when i was trying to choose a bs it was between two.....i ended up with a raised basketweave but the other top runner was also a basketweave, polished marble with green dots. i can't remember the name of the maker but will try to find out for you. i think it would look great in your kitchen....here's a pic of my raised basketweave but the one i'm thinking for you was a little more reserved....might work better along the whole run of countertops....

GGLKS - I remember seeing your kithcen before and thinking it was beautiful!! Would love the name if you can find it. Thank you

i tried doing a search for you.....it was something like this (except with ming green dots, but you could also do the grey dot)....i can call the tile place later to get the name of the one i saw....what do you think?

Here is a link that might be useful: marble basketweave...

Very nice. I'd do ceramic, maybe with highlights like this from Motawi (but get a colorway that matches better):

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

I like remodelfla's suggestion - perhaps make a choice for door & drawer hardware & that may help lead you to the backsplash.

"Carrera marble subway tiles is what I see."

I was thinking the same thing!

Marble subways would be gorgeous. I think the basketweave is too much for that long run, and if you put it above the cooktop, you have the issue of balancing the sink area (I thought I'd posted on this thread before). Something like marble would give visual interest without creating conflicts. Classic too.

I'd use a polished black white and grey marble like grigio malaga as the field tile, and either absolute black or black galaxy as an accent. I'd cut the grigio into either 3x6 or 2x4 pieces and mount it on the wall in a brick joint, like subway tiles on the top, bottom, and ends of each part of the splash. I'd use the black to make "pencil liners" to box in the center of each wall of the backsplash and accent it. Inside each box, I'd cut the grigio into 4x4 or 3x3 pieces, and set them diagonally with small 3/4" square pieces of the black granite at the corners where the diagonal tiles meet. It wouldn't be every single corner, but more of a patterned kind of thing.

This is assuming you'll have a microwave over the cooktop. If that will be an open area, I'd modify my above description in order to do something even more artistic over the cooktop.

Two things I forgot-- first, the grout would be a medium grey, and second, below is a link to see what the grigio looks like:

Here is a link that might be useful: 2nd row all the way to the left

Take a look at the backsplash of the third kitchen in this portfolio. The kitchen is similar and the ceramic backsplash has color but not too much color. Just an idea...

Here is a link that might be useful: backsplash idea

i like what fern4 posted. it makes the subway tile a little more interesting. i still stand by my basketweave!!!! i think you need to decide how unique you want to make your kitchen. the subway tile (or marble subways which would be nice) will certainly look great and will be the classic white kitchen. if you want that look, than go for the subways.

i liked the basketweave because it is still traditional but it is something you don't see often. i also don't think it will be too busy.....mine isnt' busy at all and it is not busier than the minibricks or glass mosaics out there.

have you seen vic's kitchen.....

white cabinets, costa esmerelda countertops (same as my kitchen) but she chose a terracotta patterned tile. i love how it makes her kitchen "hers"...... and it looks totally different than mine.

i would say decide what look you are going for, and then make your decision, because all of the ideas sound great....it's just what you want the feel to be.....