hummm....I'm familiar with Vyara because I almost bought the same one. It's one of my favorites (though we got something else). Vyara is a busy granite, and frankly, if I were you, I'd keep the backsplash more on the plainer side with alot less movement all over the entire splash area.

I've seen alot of counters with busy granite and busy splashes and it just looks wrong - but that's my opinion.

Too much of a good thing, IMO. They match perfectly, but that does not mean it will look good. :)

Thanks for your opinions. I sorta feel the same even though the slab we are getting isn't nearly that busy. I'm having a hard time finding the right tile for the backsplash - as you can see our kitchen is not the ubiquitous "Tuscan" style but most of the tile I've found is. What type of tile would you suggest? I want soemthing that won't make the cabinets stand out.

I'm having the same problem - the glass tile I thought I liked with my "granite" look formica was too busy. Your granite looks like it has streaks of blue - what about painting the kitchen blue and doing a blue tile backsplash? Only other thing I can think of is to try to go with one of the neutral colors in the granite, but that may and up too "Tuscan". Do you really love the red? What about keeping the oak backsplash? I have been kicking around the idea of a wooden "backsplash" myself since the center of my kitchen island is lower and recessed from the corner cabinets of the island, and so my "sidesplashes" there are oak.

It isn't blue but more gray. We like the red and would like to keep it if possible. We would like to have a tile backsplash and aren't planning to keep the one.

Here is a picture of the actual slab.

Here is a link that might be useful: our granite slab

I love that red with your cabinets! Actually I just emailed my mom the page because she is looking for a color to paint her kitchen too. She has oak cabinets and trim also.

As for the backsplash I really think it is to busy as well. I can't offer any advice on what to do though because we are in the same boat as you. Good luck and I hope you get some good advice.

Your granite looks like it has a lot of green, actually. If you really like the slate the color that really picks up the veins in the granite is the upper right - but that blends in too much with the oak. The bottom left might be OK (hard to tell with granite pic in sunlight and tile inside), but I'd keep looking. Whatever you pick, look for something that's fairly neutral and consistent color, not a lot of variation since you don't want to take away from the look of the granite. Beautiful slab, BTW!

Oh, about the oak backsplash - how has that worked out (I can understand not wanting to keep them with new counters)? Was it more of a pain to clean the wood/painted walls than you think the tile/grout will be?

I was thinking about your kitchen and your granite and want to throw another thought out there. Have you looked at any glass tiles? I think some of the mosaic glass are so pretty and will add sparkle and take you in a different direction. They come in different sizes in case you don't like the mosaic.

Here is a link that might be useful: glasstile

I would think about a lighter, warm field on the backsplash with detailing for texture and interest. Metal relief tile accents (bronze, pewter, or copper) and maybe the slate accents that pick up your stone colors, rather than the whole splash in slate. That would look very nice and earthy with what can be seen of your rustic dining area.

Personally, I think it looks better to transition the area between the counter and splash with some sort of a border. An example would be a row of tiles with a liner or molded trim piece above before breaking into the field pattern, or maybe just a wide trim piece along the base. Even just one row of tile, a liner, followed by the same tile/pattern above.

The painted B/S is hard to keep looking nice and I think having tile will be more interesting. Wood B/S shows wear and water damages it.

I strongly agree that the slate mosaic is too busy - thank you for that feedback. I've found a cream tumbled travertine that looks good. Here is a photo of the granite sample with the travertine sample. What does everyone think about this option?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cream Tumbled Travertine

Are you sure that you want a backsplash at all?
I've had two kitchens in which we had none, in one case running a single row of tiles along the wall at the countertop, and in the other, a simple quarter round molding sealed with spar varnish.
And I have also used mirror cut to fit and sealed with silicone at the counter.

Yes, I'm sure but appreciate the point. Here is the cream tumbled travertine with my granite sample

I like picking up the warmer tone from your slab and cabs. That one looks very white & light.

It is light but the others were either too red, dark or yellow. Soooo frustrating. I've ordered a box of it and will put up on the wall to see what it looks like.
Thanks for your input.

Figured. Sealing it darkens it a bit and brings out more of the colors in it. Wetting the tile might look similar, but not sure if just the same. Try sealing one first to check the coloring out before ordering. That will protect it from splashing oils, sauces, and other stains.

I may just wait until the countertop is installed and then choose the backsplash - I assume it is possible for the tile to be installed behind the sink without causing damage to the faucet...?

When my kitchen was remodeled, the backsplash was the last thing to go in before we painted. Once the granite was installed, it was much easier to coordinate!

I agree about waiting for everything to be installed before choosing your backsplash material. When I worked as a designer in a tile showroom, I would relate the backsplash to jewelry - it's the last thing you put on and you choose it to complement your outfit. What size tile are you using? If you like a 4 x 4 color but think it might be too busy, try it in a 6 x 6 - fewer tiles, less pattern. When I remodeled my own kitchen, I had a 1" granite liner fabricated instead of the traditional 4". It gives you more room for your decorative tile. Personally, I would not put tile directly on the granite because grout might have a tendency to crumble or stain and it just looks more finished with that 1" strip of matching granite. HTH!

rrs626 in your last post regarding your backsplash you had asked me a question about the lighter colored slates we're putting in our kitche (which is awesome looking with oak) I responded there with some info.

Celebration - that is a good idea about the 1" strip - I will look into that. I didn't want a large granite b/s then tile -- sometimes things are too obvious to see. Duh!
I was thinking about 6x6 but wondering if they would be too big - in the 18" space that would be just 3 tiles vertically. Would off-seting them be too busy? I guess it depends on the tile, too. Do you have a photo of your b/s with the granite strip? I'll try searching on this site for examples.

Lukkiirish - thank you. I'll check out your post.

rrs626 - I am sorry I don't have any photos of my kitchen. That backsplash is in our home in Michigan and we are in Florida for the winter. Re: tile color. The lighter tone you are looking at looks like botticelli to me. Although it is a pretty color, I think it is too light and "cool" for your backsplash. Your colors seem warm and that color tile will really make those cabinets jump. You need a midrange, warm shade - Light Noce? Although, Lt. Noce may be too brown with your counters - it all depends on which stones YOU get! Believe me, I know as a designer AND a consumer how frustrating and scary this process is. Did you purchase a few square feet of the lighter color? Here's what I did when I needed to get an exact color - just don't tell anyone you heard it from me(wink, wink)! I purchased a few shades of WATER BASED paints and stains from Michael's craft store. I diluted them with water and then started experimenting on the stone. This works best with a "plainer" stone like the botticelli I think you have. Try using a sponge and dabbing it on and try painting it on with a brush. You just have to play around. Obviously, chose paints or stains in a color you think is missing. Wood tones are a good place to start. If you find something that works, make sure you do 5 or 6 tiles, at least, to make sure it is the right feel. If it works, make sure you get a water based sealer or you could have a mess on your hands. Remember, experiment, experiment, experiment. It's a small investment to make. Concerning size: If you have 18" (or a little less) you can do the 6x6 offset pattern, no problem. Get a grout that blends for a less busy look. And, one more idea - have you considered running the granite all the way up to your cabinets? It is a nice, clean look that I think would work because your slab does not have as much movement but it does have large "swirls" to give it interest. I've seen that done many times in all styles of kitchens and it looks good. Plus, you know it will match!

I've decided not to go with the Vyara and now I'm thinking Copper Brown granite. What do you think?

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

I agree that I would put granite in first and then try different backsplashes. Depending upon the other colors and cabinets in your kitchen it might be fine. I actually like the tile and granite together.