My monitor makes them look a bit on the pink side. What color is your counter? It looks like a dark/black base with gray. If that is the color, have you considered tile in the gray family?

I agree with Mother. The tiles don't seem right. To me the look too yellow. Gray seems like a better direction to head.

Guess I didn't take monitor differences into consideration. The tiles aren't remotely pink. The one on the right is more akin to the lighter shades in the oak.

I don't think I can abide any more gray.

I love them both!!!!!!
But you need a vote.
I vote for the tile on the right (toast).
I happen to love golden yellows and light beige yellows.
~boxer

I don't know linelle, based on my monitor it looks too "warm" with the granite. And I am not usually one to dislike shades of grays with shades of beiges, but there is something in the toning that just doesn't look quite right. With that being said, I am trying to think of something to suggest in it's place, are you set on a solid subway?

Of the two... i prefer the butter on the left.

After I posted this I realized that it would be difficult to convey the colors as they appear in my kitchen and as they relate to colors in adjacent areas.

I actually like warm with gray. In fact, I was feeling somewhat downbeat with all the white and gray until I put my warm wooden knife block on the counter and I smiled and realized there was hope. Then I uncovered the floor and it radiated.

kellienoelle, not sure what you mean by am I set on a solid subway. For shape I like subways, as opposed to other shapes. Do you mean more than one color in the tile?

Yeah, I meant one color when I said "solid". Sorry, I wasn't very clear. If you were open to a mix, perhaps you could incorporate both grays and beiges to tie all the elements together. Personally, I like the look but I realize that is busier than some tastes prefer. And it is so hard to make color choices based on a monitor, what I see on my laptop is probably not what it really looks like!

kellienoelle, I'll probably stay with a single color tile. I like single color variations and it's one of the reasons that crackle appeals to me, since it has a bit of something else going on. The only gray I would consider adding at this time is marble and I think that would be too busy with my counter. I would consider going more creamy beige, a darker version of my cabinets. Thanks for your suggestions. :)

The floor is a neutral IMO. I think you need to concentrate more on the paint with the cabinetry and countertop. I don't see a paint swatch there of the Antique White. But of the two, the one on the left works much much better than the one on the right. But until your cabinets and countertop are in place it's really hard to tell. Right now, I'd say neither because both read much warmer in tone than your cabinet's white undertone and the countertop undertone. That's what's making it clash to me.

babs, my cabinets and counters are already in place. The only reason I made a photo of small samples is because it's hard to get details of everything, including the floor, in one shot. I've had everything in place for a couple of weeks to get a sense of how I respond to them. I'd call the cabs and counter neutral, but the floor anything but. It's orange/gold/yellow. It's what makes the kitchen come alive. I've been looking at these two tiles, plus a few others that are much more a darker version of the white cabs, for a couple of weeks.

I suspect I've probably muddied the waters by asking for opinions, when I kinda already know what I like. Then I have to get all contrary and everyone should go, then why did you ask us in the first place? Good question! Couldn't help myself. :)

Boxerpups, guess we like some of the same things!

For what it is worth, I think your gray counters might be a little to dark against the butter backsplash, but at the same time, not dark enough. I think that if you found one that blended more, or contrasted more, it would work. I think both are pretty on their own, but they just don't seem to compliment one another.

I would maybe suggest going with a whiter backsplash, and adding some liner tile, but in a different contrasting color?

gray counters might be a little too dark against the butter backsplash, but at the same time, not dark enough

senator, I'm not sure I know what you mean here. That I need more or less contrast? I'm not averse to going more neutral cream with the tile, some variation of my cabs and walls but not a match. I'd been leaning toward Butter, but my KD loved Toast when she saw it in my house. A liner or accent element is probably not in my future. I'm one of those people who have objects living on the counter so a simple backdrop is my friend. :)

I appreciate everyone's input. I'll take a door and counter sample with me today and get input from the folks at the tile store.

Linelle- I like the cabinets and countertop, with your floor. Very pretty :)

I do not trust my monitor enough to pick a tile, but I would suggest another possibility (FWIW) and that's marble backsplash. Your countertop is so pretty and sparkly (is it a granite) that the marble might be very nice. Maybe a small marble tile? Just another idea... {{!gwi}}From Kitchen plans

LL (also my IRL initials), my counter is Caesarstone Smoky Ash, a dark gray mottled with a slightly lighter, putty-toned gray. It's not like a granite with a lot of movement, but it does have a definite pattern of color mix, as you can see from the photo. If I thought I could get away with a marble, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just fear there would be too much busy-ness. Something smaller than 3x6 or even a longer tile, would be okay with me.

Linelle- It's a beautiful countertop!

Have you gone to the tile store yet? Any ideas? I usually recommend a little color, but if you could get some tile that matched your cabinetry that would be great. It would not detract from the countertop (which I'm concerned these samples might) and you can bring in color with accessories, fabrics, wall color, etc.

The backsplash would be elegant, but not compete with the countertops...which I think are going to be the 'star of the show' in your kitchen :)

LL, thanks for your take, I really appreciate it. I hadn't considered the counters to be anything more than a dark neutral horizontal plane, but it's possible I've underestimated them. I definitely don't want kitchen elements competing with one another.

To the tile stores!

I don't want to rain on your parade but I don't care for it either. I am wondering if you are saturated with the process and now just want to get it done.
If you indeed like your tile choice, make up a sample board and place it in your kitchen. Take some photos and show us!
But also, you can see for yourself how the tile plays during different times of the day.
I think your counter reads as a solid. Have you considered a fire and ice backsplash?
You have the cabinets and counter in place. The direction it is going in is cool. This is what you chose so I think you need to follow it through. You can use warm accessories, maybe bring in reds or oranges.
When I was going through my own "horror" of the backsplash choice, I was told that the backsplash has to relate to SOMETHING. In my case, I chose a granite that was too brown for my white counters. I wound up with a cream tile to transition from the white of the cabinet to the brown of the counter.

Linelle- If your countertop is'too busy' for marble...then it's definitely more than a 'dark neutral horizontal plane' so take your samples and try them with a white (or what matches the cabinets) as well as marble. Then, you'll know for sure if the countertops are going to be a focal point or not. On my monitor, they're beautiful!

Have fun tile shopping :)

ellendi, I do want it done. I want to stop thinking about my kitchen as an unfirnished project and looking at the backsplash area painted primer white with small holes the electrician made. And no range hood. I'm ready to get on with my life. :)

Based on the images I get when I google fire and ice backsplash, it's probably not in my wheelhouse. Just a little too busy for me. I'm glad my counter reads as a solid to you, because that helps me in my search. If cool is what I chose, cool is what it is.

I totally get that the b/s has to relate to something. I was trying to make it relate to my floor, rather than the two masses (cabs and counter) between which it is sandwiched.

LL, thanks for the vote of confidence with my counters. When they went in, I wasn't so sure I'd made the right choice, but that has been my standard reaction to everything lately. It is a nice quartz. I took my counter sample, plus a cab door to two tile shops today. Trying a new direction. :)

L to R: Sonoma in Biscuit, random off-white tile from HD or Lowe's, Lycian Letoon marble. Surrounding border is cab color.

I like the random off-white tile. It's still creamy and warm but it doesn't look yellowed like the first set of choices you posted. I think it will be a choice you can live with forever.
Renee

Renee, it's kinda funny how this is turning out. Thanks for the feedback.

I like the random off white, too :)

Leaning toward the marble. Set them up on the counter against the wall and live with them a few days. How do they look at night, morning, afternoon? Is there too much reflectiveness? My dear friend was ready to send back her "dark" glass tiles. No way could she ever have bought them because they are too dark. She finally set them up against the wall (taped them) and viewed them in various lighting periods, she fell in love all over again. They are gorgeous installed. Good luck!

Good luck!

Need to go out and get some decent white tiles to try. I think my countertop will like white, but I gotta try a few to see what plays nice with my cabs.

motherof3sons, the tile store gave me 5 marble tiles. I will tape them to the wall tomorrow while I have plenty of natural light. One thing that concerned me was how crumbled some of the edges are. It could very well be that the tiles had been banging around at the store and no one's been that careful with them. Still, it gave me pause, lest it be indicative of wear I'd see on the front side. They're honed, very soft looking, so not much in the way of reflectiveness. I think I'd prefer a little more reflectiveness. I'm not crazy about matte ceramic tile.

All of you, thanks for your honesty and esp. your helpful suggestions. I loved the Butter tile, but I can see that it didn't tie into anything. I did find a Sonoma tile--Bossy Gray--that loves my quartz. Will have to think about it.

Be sure to post the whites, the marble and the Bossy Gray. I know you're hesitant about gray, but if it loves those countertops... :)

I'm liking your new direction simply because I didn't think your first set of tiles worked. Glad you looked more.

I like the marble tile also. A bit of pattern, but still simple. Much better than the yellowish ones. Ask at the tile store if the marble is soft and crumbly like the samples. My guess is that its just because they have been banged around and that the damage isn't indictative of the stone's durability.

I am starting to dread my own impending tile journey. Kitchen backsplash, fireplace surrounds, master bath....ooufff. I admire your tenacity to fight through it. :)

i vote for random white tile

I am with the masses-voting for the "random white", although I look forward to seeing the others you have today, too. Who couldn't love a name like "bossy gray?"

Who couldn't love a name like "bossy gray?"

senator, I know, pretty sassy for a gray. Got a touch of brown in it, kinda like my hair.

The random white tile--RWT--needs a replacement. After looking at better tiles, this one too thin and cheap, even for my budget. This is one time where I would prefer to spend a little more. Pics later today.

Linelle-I too couldn't decide between bossy gray and toast. I ended up going with twine. It was the perfect beige that had just a touch of grey. Might want to grab a sample of it!

I am looking forward to the bossy gray! I agree with you to go with the highest grade tile you can afford. White can be tricky as it has undertones. To continue my backsplash saga, we had a white crackle tile installed. It had a gray cast to it and looked terrible with my brown counter! We ripped it out and then it took me months to make the choice of the Grazia Rixi cream tiles. I am glad I listened to the sales rep that explained how it should tranisition to me. Others recommended other tiles that I know now would have been a hugh mistake.

Just back from another tile sample run. It seems that the crumbliness of the Letoon marble tiles is inherent in the tile itself rather than rough treatment in the warehouse. That might explain its $7.50 sq.ft. price. It is off the table.

Looked at another honed white marble, Afyon white. The tile guy said it was Italian, unlike the Letoon which is Turkish, however, the internet identifies Afyon as also Turkish. Not sure that part matters, but it is substantially more solid. He didn't have any honed samples so sent me home with a 12x12 polished piece. The honed is far lovelier and seemed to be more uniform and show less cream.

The next photo shows, top to bottom, left to right:
Sonoma Star White, Sonoma Creamy Crackle, Sonoma Bossy Gray, Daltile Almond, Daltile Biscuit

I had a devilish time trying to make these colors true to real life, but I've failed miserably, not to mention our different monitor calibrations. The only consolation is that they remain somewhat relative to one another.

Now that I've given up the yellow/gold, I find that most of these do not compete with my counters. As for my cabs, they do not like all whites equally, so I must be mindful of that.

An aside, my experience is the higher end tile stores give much better customer service. The guy in the high end store was running back and forth getting me samples, looking up prices. When I asked him for another one (necessitating a run to another building) I apologized and he said, no, he should apologize for leaving me unattended for 2 minutes. At the Daltile store, I had to hunt someone down for a sample and they wanted to give me little inch-square chips. You'd think it was such an ordeal for the gal to get up from eating her sandwich to go find me a couple of real tiles.

I live about 6 miles from where they make Sonoma Tile, so the full line is carried in a few local stores. It is gorgeous in person.

I like the direction you are going in. I think your job now is to coordinate the white with the white of your cabinets. I think if it relates to your cabinet it will also do fine with the counter.
Can you post pictures of your kitchen with the tiles propped up on the backsplash wall? It will also show it in position and with the lighting in your kitchen.

I like the marble, especially if you can get it in the honed. I like the way the two stones play off each other, rather than the ceramic. The other tiles are nice, too...but lack the same depth as the marble. It doesn't seem to busy with the countertop, either :)

Thanks guys for hanging in there with me. I can't believe how many sample tiles I have.

ellendi, here's a pic of some tiles along the b/s wall. It's not the best with light pouring in the window. At night with lights it will be totally different, but daylight conditions are my standard. If I don't like it in the light of day, nighttime won't make any difference.

LL, I like the marble too, but only the honed. Since I'm going with a single tile, no embellishments or over the range thingy, a little variation and depth can make a difference. Cabs like it better than some of the plain tiles.

First tile guy thinks it will be an easy job. He's from Bulgaria by way of New Zealand. Told me I could have his contractor's discount, which I assume means I may have to fetch the tile myself, which I don't mind doing.

I like the second tile from the left. Are you going to grout with gray?

mcmjilly, I've already moved the tiles, but I believe the second from the left is Sonoma Creamy Crackle. I was thinking of using a gray grout.

I'm not so sure I like the marble. I do like the small tile, second from the LEFT ( ;-) ).

At this point, given monitor colors, I think you could pick whichever looks best in your light IRL and be fine. I'm excited for you!

I like 3rd from left.

I like the way the marble seems to tie the cabinets in with the white appliances, at least on my monitor :)

I think I like the Sonoma Creamy Crackle best, followed by Sonoma Bossy Gray. The Creamy might be better with your cabs, but the gray is better with your counters, I think. I really think either could work though. You have done a great job!

Breezy, the tile you like is Sonoma Creamy Crackle, the much subdued sister of Butter and Toast. She's the only crackle in the running and I like that added bit of interest and texture. This is one of the few tiles that looks good with Cloud White.

Annsch, that tile is one of the finalists.

LL, I wish I could hand pick each marble tile. I'm a little worried about too much honey. Also, my white appliances are on borrowed time, slated to be replaced with SS sometime in the next 12 months. So, there's that.

Which tile coordinates the best first with your cabintets?From where I am sitting, it looks like the one closest to the large marble tile. I am assuming that is what everyone is saying is second from left.
Your next job is to get more of that tile and make a sample board. You will get a better idea if it tranisitions well from the cabinets to the granite.
I like your thought aboout liking it first in the daytime!

Senator, thanks! You've got a very good eye. The Creamy Crackle does go best with my cabs and the Bossy Gray (is that a great name, or what?) is dead on with my counters. CC might be a little more up my alley.

ellendi, I don't know how many more tiles I can get. They sell only by the box. Not sure how many samples they'll let me have. Or am I not going about this the right way?

Maybe you could go to a paint store and have them color match some samples for you to paint a search of the wall. While you won't get the dimension that will come from the tile, it might help you see the colors together. Isn't it exciting when you know you are getting close?!

ellendi, tell me about your Rixi Crema. I have a sample tile and love it. It's slightly warmer and richer than Sonoma Creamy Crackle (front-runner) but doesn't have too much yellow. I know the Sonoma would be safe, but would love just a touch more warmth. You have browns in your kitchen, right?

My granite is a dark brown Giallo. When I was looking for granite, I took along a sample piece of wood painted in the White Dove of my cabinets. When looking very closely at the granite, there are white specks in it. So, I thought it would be fine. Not so! Over all, it looks brown! It competed with the white tone of the cabinets. The crema is more beige than cream but it goes with white and it goes with brown. And, it is a good transition between the two.
This is what I am hopng you can achieve. A good transition color in the tile I am not sure if this color will go with your counter. But, you can try a sample. Everyone on here who has the Rixi really loves it.