I totally understand this! I'm seeing a row of 3x6 white first to ground this. Then I'd choose the 1x1 glass mosaic. From what I can see.. you'd fit 1 row under the window sill and I'd fan up to a 3 row strip (3") for under the hood, then the 3x6 marble. I choose the marble for the top because I think it would be the choice to most compliment your island top and get the most POP against the glass mosaic.

Anyone else?? Or did I completely confuse everyone?

I was actually thinking of white ceramic up to the hood, then the glass tile strip then the marble mosaic on top up to the ceiling.

I'm definitely thinking the larger tile on the bottom and the smaller tile on the top.

Thanks!

I've noticed that clear glass tiles juxtaposed with opaque or frosted ones creates a 3-D effect that's useful in monochromatic mosaics. It adds a little interest without being too dramatic.

Lovely kitchen. I would put the simplest opaque white (marble or ceramic) on the whole wall with a 3 to 6 inch wide stripe of that fantastic glass at about eye level (the whole width of the wall)... unless that height made an equal division of the upper and lower- then I'd shift it up or down a bit to follow the 2/3s rule.

So 2 types, rather than 3, is my suggestion.

Ooh, the marble or even the ceramic 3" x 6" subways then with a strip of the clear glass square mosaics would be beautiful.

Honestly, if you did the whole backsplash in the marble subways it would also be very nice.

My friend did 4 x 4" travertine with two strips of brick glass and mosaic and that also looked great.

NO!!! Colorblocks with a stripe in white? Pretty please, not??

I'm with ReFla: Do something interesting below the sills, then your glass stripe, then something solid up. That's what I thought you meant at first too. It would look good with the colored tiles in the photo too. Kind of draw the counter up a little.

What happened to the graduated marble? We liked that!

That big stripe across the middle is going to look like a bicycling shirt. Please don't [she says tearily]...

POP!!!! The noise she hears as her bubble bursts. So you don't like the "2 tone" look???

There is only 4 1/2" from the counter to the window molding. You would really do a different tile just there?

I really liked those glass mosaics. They were a little different because of the edges being rough. Guess I'm just trying to fit too much in here.

Plllog- what is the graduated marble tile you're referring to? I don't remember, there have been so many.

Maybe I should just go back to marble behind the range and white ceramic everywhere else. Can't afford mosaics on the whole wall. Believe it or not, the whole wall is 40 sq.ft.

Above and below the hood line is 30" for each, so i guess that make any change in tile exactly in half, sort of going against the 1/3, 2/3 rule.

HELP!!!!

I know how it is in a candy store-there are so many choices and you want more than one. I just did my backsplash with 3x6 marble subway with a mural of diamond shaped marble mosaic behind my stove. When I went to the tile store, I loved so many things and wanted to include as many as possible in my kitchen. So in addition to what I ended up using, I also purchased marble 1" pencil bullnose tiles thinking I would put a row of them above the first row of marble subway but when the time came, it looked too busy. As a matter of fact, I could have really done away with the mosaic mural as well.

I think your kitchen is so lovely, don't let the tiles distract from that. I loved your last choice with the walker zanker or was it Heath with the plain tiles in between.

I'm sorry. I know I popped your bubble (hanging head). But I think your wonderful kitchen and big wall deserves a strong vision.

I actually have a riot of different shapes and colors of tile on my counters and backsplash, like my compañra Cal Sunshine mentioned, but they're all from the same artisan, of the same bisque, with a thematic plan, and the business is necessary to make the striped cabinets with the big round spot knobs look calm.

You have all these long, lovely calm spaces, that want long, lovely and calm.

Maybe it wasn't marble I was thinking of, but didn't you have an early plan with larger format tiles low, receding up the wall with gradually smaller tiles--but all one material? I thought that was yours... I could be confused.

I don't mind two tone. It's the colorblock stripes that I think will kill.

I think you really could do something interesting very low, then something uniform the rest of the way up. But with that lovely wall you could do something very inexpensive and simple and scale would make it look fabulous.

What's the budget? I love those irregular glass mosaics too, but for the whole wall I get that they're too expensive. Surely a slightly lesser one would work? Can you go as high as $10? There are some really nice glass mosaics for less than $10. They just have to be sparkly to be pretty :)

Can you afford marble for the whole wall? You could do marble with an accent of the glass if you really love it that much. But I'd do something like an inset dot or a frame rather than a stripe.

I'm confused by the term 'colorblock' since the scheme will be all white. Am I being dense? Are you just referring to colorblock in terms of the marble and white divided by the glass?...So in blocks of material type?

I have told Malhgold this already, but I am still for going really simple on this wall (like in the link), although I completely understand the desire for a little bling and interest.

Graduated sizes of the same material would be cool, also. Textural interest, and something to look at up close, without dominating the room. Subtle, but interesting.

Also liked the previous idea of monochromatic matte and glossy mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: picture 2 or 3

My vote is also for keeping it simple. I think that some kitchens just have IT even with out the backsplash and yours is one of them. I would stick to one tile you love back there and keep it simple. You have a clean, uncomplicated look going there, and it is just lovely!

I wonder if I think that white ceramic subways are going to look flat(in my space!) and that's why I keep looking for something else. I guess that's why i was trying to add in another layer.

What about "mini subways" in either glass or ceramic. The small glass squares that I posted above come in a 1"X2". am I crazy to go with glass, or should i stick with ceramic?

Modwall Glass:

would love to do black behind the range only, but i don't think it will work. I think it's too dark.

thoughts?

What color is the cabinetry behind the bar stools (opposite the range wall)? From the first picture it looks like a pale blue. Another option might be to do a glass tile in that color for most of the wall and then to intersperse some interest, you could throw in the marble tiles in whatever way pleases you. I think this would give a lovely color balance to the room.

I feel your pain. I too am fighting the fear of the white subways looking plain and flat and I keep looking for something else. But in my space I keep coming back to just subways (2x8 matte to be exact).

I love that black subway in your picture, I saw that in ___ magazine. Something about the texture is really cool, but I couldn't figure out the manufacturer of it. But, I think in your space the black will look too dark, you have dark cabinets and dark counters. What about a gray? Just watch the contrast against the hood--it could disappear.

If you are worried about the subways looking flat, could you go with a subway that is beveled? Sometimes that 3 dimensional look is enough to give you a pop. I found one I really liked, had a slight gray undertone to it, would go great in my space--except I can't bring myself to do glossy tiles with my undercabinet lights and shiny granite. I really need matte (I think). The tile I found was only around $7 or $8 sq foot. The beveled edges weren't really beveled, more like a soft bevel.

Marble subways would look nice, and really tie everything together. I have no information on this, but is marble hard to use behind the range? Is it hard to clean, etc? I see lots of people using it, but I can only imagine a pot of sauce bubbling and splashing on it--but that's my house!

Good luck, just remember that you are not alone in the backsplash struggle.

The mini-subways would build into a texture with hard edges.

I'm most attracted to the solare tile in the picture in the original post. I like the texture build. But maybe in a different size...

I like the black tile. I don't think it would look as good in your kitchen because of the window casings. I can understand the comments earlier about taking them off or doing a more modern design. I'm not sure I could face it, tho - redoing something I just did.

I guess I most like a matte tile(a little bit of texture) with glass specials- maybe take a mosaic sheet of 1 x 1 and cut down to fit in the tile pattern and sprinkle in. A row of 2 x 8's with one or two places in the row where a piece of mosaic two tiles high and two wide were installed as a "dot".

beekeeperswife - can you tell me who makes the beveled tile you're referring to. Maybe I just need some "dimension".

bmore - I didn't do the window molding, DH did, so I guess "I" wouldn't be the one redoing it! LOL!!! If that would make a considerable difference in the way the wall looks, I'd take in down. I just wasn't sure if it would look strange not matching all the other moldings in the house.

The solare tile comes in a 1"X2" brick style. There's also Hakatai tile which seems to be of a similar texture, but the colors seem pretty limited.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hakatai

Vallelunga Rialto, At my local store it is $7.95 sq foot for the subways. The white is the one that has a little gray undertone in it.

Here's the site:

Here is a link that might be useful: Vallelunga Rialto

Yes, Rhome, by using the word "colorblock" I was emphasizing how different the three different tiles will look separated into their own sections.

Another vote for simple! But it could be anything. Beveled would be great because it would create shadows and interest without adding something different. Even a repeating pattern of three different tiles all over will read much simpler than three blocks. I agree that black would be too dark, with the black counter and cabinets, but if you wanted to use a staggered sequence of the colored tiles, including black, that are in the top picture, it would look good. I still like the idea of white, but the particolor would look good.

The mini-bricks would look great. And if you want to do ceramic, say, and pull out a few per sheet and substitute glass, that would also look fine. Even if you wanted to mix ceramic, glass and marble 1"x2" randomly, it would look fine.

I don't think your wall calls for an inset over the range. You got the balance between the range and hood just right and I'd hate to see you mess with that. I'd hate to see you section apart the wall in any way because you have it looking so beautiful, with the windows, hood and range. Let them speak for themselves.