If it were me I would hands down take the tile on the right - the one with the subtler viening. I just think this tile will stand the test of time way more then the stronger viening tile which I think will look rather busy and you may tire of it over time sooner then the more neutral tile.

Follow your heart!

I like the one on the right. When looking at your beautiful room, there are a lot of splashes of black or dark things in that bookcase and on the mantle. I think adding more of that by using the tile on the left might make you crazy. The one on the right is much calmer and I think you need it to balance out things. Have you taped the samples up on the fireplace to see them? Duct tape is your friend.

Your room is so pretty.

Thanks, we like our room, too. :-) I don't actually have the samples in hand, but I was thinking of printing out the photos and trying to do something with them. I wish I could photoshop, but I can't. I still use a copier and tape!

The ones on the right, hands down. Beautiful Home!

Without question - the classic look on the right. I love marble and have it in one bath, and love the subtle look, not the sort of disjointed look on the left.

The right one is the right one lol.

I agree, the one on the right. I don't like the yellowish tone to some of the tiles on the left. If they all had that tone to them I might like it more, but to my eye, those tiles look a little "off".

I know I've told you before, but I *love* your home!!

Hate to be a PITA....can you keep looking and try to find the middle road? I agree the left sample is too too, but I think the stuff on the right is going to get lost.

I agree with the subtler marble.

And: can I ask a question? Have you had experiece, and/or looked into the suitablity of, using white marble as a fireplace surround? My DH and I were just discussing this option for our own kitchen fireplace. I have carerra marble counters and thought that carerra tile would be nice. But he said, "Isn't it going to get terribly stained from the soot?" So, wondering what your thoughts are on that...

I'm with Amy (PITAs of a feather, and all that).

The marble on the right might disappear.

Yep, I'm with Amy too. I was going to ask if you could tape them up to the surround, but since you don't have them home you can't do that. Before I did choose I would certainly bring the tiles home and attach them to the surround somehow and live with them. And heck you may find the one on the left it's so busy as it looks close up.

As for using the stone, this is a sealed gas fireplace, so we don't have any soot. The wall above the glass does get very hot, though, which I inquired about. I was told that plain stone would be fine as long as it wasn't glazed or treated in some other manner, because the glaze (or whatever is on the tile) can get too hot and discolor.

We considered using soapstone, but decided we didn't want it that dark. But that's an option that wouldn't get/look sooty, but still kinda go with the marble.

As for continuing to look, I don't know -- we already ordered and paid for freight, I don't really want to pay more freight for tile! Yikes! It might be cheaper to buy some extra square feet of one or the other and mix them a bit. But as I haven't seen them in person, I don't know yet.

The sample I got was only five of the tiles, so it wasn't terribly representative. It really did look like a mix between the two.

The one on the left has too much grey for the warm tones in the family room area. I don't think it'll tie it together with the kitchen, I think it will make it look out of place in the family room. My vote is for the one on the right.

Use the one on the right and put a sealer/enhancer on it. That will bring the veining out a little more. Even without the enhancer I would pick the one on the right, left is too busy for me.

I think the one on the left is too busy. So I would go with the one on the right.

But really and truly, I'd keep looking. I know the situation you're in and how annoying it would be to pay more freight for tile but think about how much more annoying it would be to stare at a tile forever that you know isn't right.

Your home is so beautiful. I hate to see you settle.

I really like both. Since the fireplace wall is already busy, I would go with the one on the right. It will be beautiful! Love your room!

I also gotta say that I'd keep looking...the left is too busy and the right will blend in...have you considered just doing a light gray glass tile or subway? I think a herringbone pattern would be lovely too...Great rooms!

I vote for the one on the right. You have a lovely home.

I don't care for the white on the right...too bland for me, but the one on the left, which originally I'd have said I prefered puts me off with the creamier tiles mixed in. I'm going to say this and not mean to be offensive, so forgive me in advance cuz I can't think how to say it right...but the white with the cream...it kind of looks like cheap tile verses the one on the right which has a consistency of coloration throughout the main tone. A little cream in veining is one thing, but the cream tiles look to come from an entirely different batch and really cheapen what is probably rather expensive tile.

If you've purchased both I'd do a hand mix and get some of those lovely dark pieces into the white mix to come up with a happy compromise.

Doing a hand mix is just what I was thinking ... luckily I do have some samples coming in person, so we'll see what things look like. Thanks for all the opinions!

Another PITA opinion - both of those look like carerra (sp?) marble and I'm thinking calacutta might be more suitable for your room. It has a bit more gold in it along with the grey and would pull more of the colours you have going in that gorgeous kitchen onto that wall.

They aren't carrara, they are statuary vein (supposedly) -- the sample I have is very white with a few darker gray veins. Which is why I approved it and placed the order. Unfortunately, neither of these looks too much like what I approved. As I said, I'll just wait for them IRL; who knows how accurate the photo is! It was very good to hear all the opinions, though, and I will certainly update.

LMAO!!! PITA???? Love it, at first I thought you were going to say something very 'animal-rightsie' until I figured out what PITA meant. Yes, do the one on the right, more subtle so you can allow other areas to POP and not look too too busy.

Update: finally chose and got it done. Used the less busy pattern. I like it a lot, not sure I love it, but by now I don't care. (uh oh, project fatigue) Need to put up some more whitish accessories, I think.

That is a beautiful fireplace. The texture of the tiles is just wonderful. You did good!
Diane

I think you picked right (haha, no pun intended)! Looks lovely.

I think it looks great, but doesn't look like either of the choices you initially posted. Is that correct? Hard to tell....

No, it's the one on the right. Different lighting and all that, I guess. I did not take the original photo of the samples. What we got did end up looking more like the very first sample I did see, in person. (Then we ordered, and the lots looked like the two in the photo in the first post.) So maybe the photo they took was a little washed out? Who knows.

Seeing it finished now really reinforces that you made the right choice - it looks lovely to me. The other tile was just too busy and this tile adds warmth that I don't think the other one would have provided. I just love your room and your kitchen is one that I've added to my clips file.

Oh yeah without a doubt you chose wisely! And I am trying to figure out how the heck I don't remember the thread from March. I am in looove.

I really like it! Great job to go with your awesome kitchen!

Wow! Your new fireplace surround is stunning! Congratulations. Now you can sit down, kick your feet up, and enjoy.

Perfect. This is definately a case of less is more. So are you done? Enjoy your great space. It's gorgeous!

Are we EVER done? LOL. We are sort of done, for now. Still need the wall/ceiling/outdoor speakers done, since there are wires hanging from the ceiling. And some backyard landscaping and sprinkler repair. But everything else will probably wait until next year. Would like to kick our feet up, for sure! :-)

Can any tile work for a fireplace surround or do you have to have heat resistant tile? I have some older (1980) Dutch delft tiles that I would like to put around a fireplace. Do I need to worry about the heat?

What kind of fireplace do you have? I think it depends on that. Ours does get very very hot around the surface, so we used plain stone, with no painted or glazed surfaces that the heat would bother. I think a regular woodburning fireplace would be fine, though.