From what I can tell, full tile backsplashes in kitchens are a fairly recent trend (with some exceptions -- see the 1928 bungalow thread -- though that was more a tiled room than a backsplash per se). When your corners aren't quite square, it makes countertop installation easier if there is a 1" thick backsplash to cover any gap between the countertop and wall. That said, I agree with the pp's that the short backsplash currently looks a bit dated. That might change in time. After all, I don't know anyone in real life who has put in a new kitchen with no backsplash at all, but I have seen some beautiful no-backsplash kitchens on this forum... maybe that will be the next trend. [grin] I haven't decided about the backsplash for when/if we redo our kitchen. We are old enough and have been in our house long enough to take the long view, so probably we will do something that's either relatively timeless (i.e. white tile) or easily changed.

I don't like the 4" backsplash for the following reasons: - if you are doing a decorative tile for the rest of the backsplash, you are now decreasing and cutting off your design area by 4". - the 4" creates a little "shelf" that gets dusty, just one more thing to clean. - added expense to install the 4" piece of granite along your countertop. - people who say you "need it" to cover a gap between the countertop and the tiled wall just don't have good installers. My kitchen walls are extremely out-of-plumb, but my tile backsplash meets my granite countertop with no gaps cause I had experienced installers. - IMHO it looks dated, since the 4" idea was popular with formica in the '70's. I would only do a 4" backsplash if I were doing no other backsplash at all and just leaving drywall on the rest of the wall. And even in that case, I'd try to make it a little higher, like 5" or 6".

YOu can go to dupont.com and play around alot. It is fun to do as well! Check it out. As a matter of fact, I need to revisit. I have looking at the same & I am in overload at the moment.

Didn't your inspiration kitchen, or a display you saw that served as your inspiration, have a full granite backsplash? Something in my memory says that's what you'd always planned...or maybe I just imagined your kitchen that way for some reason? If that was your original plan and intent, I see no reason to change. I think it's just personal preference, and although it's not usually my choice, I think the full granite backsplash would be stunning. The cabinets are strong, with a simple elegance...The perfect accompaniment to the fancier and shiny stone. I see the tile as a more 'normal' approach that will detract from the boldness of the granite. In this case, I see less (in number of materials and focal points) as more. I think the general idea of the light fixture works. I think the basic style/shape and overall size of it are OK, but I'm just not sure about the exact fixture. Maybe the color? Maybe the hanging crystals are too much? Maybe just simpler. The center part of it seems to have so much crowded together and so much 'going on.' Anyway, so happy to see your kitchen coming together! The cabinets are beautiful.