I love the 1st sample but would like to see you add a few inserts of bronze or perhaps copper to tie the cabinet color with all the gray/white.

Do you plan any window covering - drape, shade, valance? That decision could impact the backsplash decision.

I would stop the tile at the bottom of the cabinets, even beside the window. The exposed top edge by the window should be trimmed with quarter round or other trim piece, for a finished look.

It's going to be gorgeous!

That is beautiful marble. I suppose you don't want your back splash to compete with it? White subway tile might be perfect.

Your concerns regarding the glass tile mosaic seem justified. There would be too much going on. The rectangular glass tiles look rather dark.

Last question: yes, do continue the tiles up and over the window. There is so logical place to stop, at least judging from the photo.

Can you ask your neighbor to come over and take a picture of your floor for us? Hee hee! It would help to see it.

I crack myself up. I can easily see what would go in another person's kitchen, just not mine! By the way, your countertops are beautiful!

What about something like I've attached in the link? I read about them in another post on here asking about Oceanside Tiles. Go to Wavelength and then Collections. You could combine the Oyster and Silver Frost in a basketweave. (I think I'm remembering the names correctly!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Backsplash ideas

First off, your kitchen is beautifully done and the marble counter is fantastic! I think backsplashes are just about the hardest thing to tackle from a design standpoint in a kitchen because there are *so* many choices even once you've selected all your other elements.

I like your glass tile options. Going with any of those is going to add a big new design element. Depending on what you want to accomplish, you might detract from the marble being your focal point. But that might be fine too. I happen to LOVE glass tile.

I think the idea of using a very simple tile like a white subway tile and including an accent band in any of the glass tile choices might be a good compromise and adds that new element. Or you could use a marble backsplash tile to continue that look and complement the counters. I've attached a link below.

FWIW, I had a very similar window and I chose to tile around the window and up to the ceiling. I think that would look *really* great in your room. I'd probably only go that way if you are using a slightly more neutral tile palette though. It might be a bit too dark otherwise.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ann Sacks carerra marble tile

I don't like the small mosaics. Too monotonous. It won't look NEAR as good as your first sample. I can see it all done, in my mind's eye, and if you use the first tiles you will really have a LOOK going on.

I agonized about my backsplash. Even hired a designer to help. Ended up doing mosaic and now...after 4 years...I hate it. The individual mosacis are beautiful but it just seems to overpower the kitchen. Wish I had just gone with simple white subway tiles. So I agree with the previous poster...stay away from small mosaics.

Ha ha! Remodelfla, those tiles are the Wavelength double basketweave from Oceanside! Actually, the line is Mandalay, a new off-shoot from Oceanside tiles. The elongated tiles are Silver Fox and, in the Mosaic, the nearly-colorless ones are Oyster. Are you saying they can combine the Oyster with the Silver Fox to make a double basketweave? I didn't realize they could do that.
Kristenfl, here are my floors:

As for using more of the same marble on the backsplash, I really have considered it on and off all along. My reservation is that it will be too white. I also would like a modest touch of drama -- not overpowering. Going with more marble gives ME the feeling of "copping out," so to speak.

IÂm still uncommitted (surprised??) on a window treatment. The kitchen opens to our great room, and in there weÂve used Roman shades in a rich and vibrant wood that very closely mirrors the color of our cherry cabinets. Our patio slider in the great room is also in the same wood; the slider pulls open to one side like a drape, the wood slats gently fold in. I purposely left my kitchen window alone until I made a backsplash decision, so as not to box me in with choices. Now IÂm thinking that the same wood Roman shade will be perfect, regardless of my backsplash choice. HereÂs what IÂve got - the shades fit inside the window frame:
{{!gwi}}
If I opted not to tile up and over the window - oh god, another decision - what color paint should I choose??? White with a grayish tint?

I'm in the basic white (subway) tile camp. Am thinking that the other selections will be trying to upstage the marble.

I love your first choice.

oofasis... you know what they say about great minds... so I guess mine too is exhausted and incapable of making decisions! That explains alot! Yes... that link I sent takes you directly to Mandalay. I may be confusing the ability to make color choice options with similar glass tiles I saw on the Ann Sachs website. Those too were beautiful but at $72 a sq. ft. they better be beautiful AND self cleaning!!

Just wanted to add a few thoughts...

After looking through these forums and looking through all the backsplashes trying to make our own decision (we're so close...) I've come to two conclusions. I'm probably going to be flamed for this but here goes...
1) Subway tiles are being seriously overdone. All this talk about them being "classic" reminds me of talks about avocado green being classic. I think they're busy and boring at the same time.
2) Those glass mosaics are way too busy for a full backsplash. They wind up looking terribly gaudy.

One other thing to consider. White on white (especially in different materials) is very hard to pull off. You ever visited a paint store and looked at all the different versions of white?

White marble with a white backsplash (especially a white ceramic subway tile) would, in my opinion, wind up looking very institutional.

Also remember that with glass tiles, the thinset will show through and you'll get "ghosting".

Wow - So many different opinions... So here's one more! ;-)

I think your kitchen is lovely as it is. There's something natural and serene about it, and a beautiful interplay of materials. Somehow, I just don't see hard shiny glass as being the right compliment to all of that lovely soft matte texture -- it somehow feels wrong to me. No glass, no mosaic (too busy) and no metallic (just very wrong).

So what to use? I do think pbrisjar has a point about white subways being 'overdone', though I think the relatively plain simplicity of it would be lovely. IMO, something very subtle in a light color would be the way to go.

For some reason, I'm also seeing a matte-finish tile with a fair amount of shade variation in your space -- though I normally prefer a glossy tile with matte counters, etc. Maybe a harlequin pattern in white, light gray and one other light color?

Or have you seen Reno_Fan's gorgeous backsplash? The multiple shapes of plain white tile with just the tiniest of black accents? (Not Reno_Fan's first kitchen's backsplash, which is in the Blog and which, though lovely, might be a bit much for your space.)

I love the tiles in the first pic. Is there someone that could paint them in(photoshop?) on your backsplash for you to get an idea what it would look like? Then you could see if it looks like it would be too much. I would try both the vertical and the horizontal layout. I also wonder if you could add something like the light brown color of your perimeter cabinets to the mix to help it blend more.

Sweeby, in real life the combination of gray glasses is stunning, but my gut told me I was going in the wrong direction which is why I'm here today. I think I knew that just because they're beautiful, it doesn't mean they suit the rest of my kitchen. We're on the same page about mosaics and metals.

But pbrisjar 's point reflects my concern: White marble with a white backsplash (especially a white ceramic subway tile) would, in my opinion, wind up looking very institutional.

I found Reno_Fan's 2nd backsplash, and it truly is lovely. I particularly love what she did behind her range, and I'd love to have something like that. But do you think that my beloved marble would feel washed out surrounded by so much white, if I continued the white tiles all around?

I'm definitely not a harlequin kind of gal (looking at Reno_Fan's first kitchen). Unless I could find smaller diamond squares, maybe using dual tones of gray, and run a stretch of it across the backsplash??? I do very much like the glossy-ness of Reno_Fan's tiles.

New question: Would a tile design set in diamond shapes be more costly to install? And then adding accent and framing pieces? Our budget has been shot to &%#, if you know what I mean. There were so many, "Oops, we-gotta-do-this, take-care-of-that", and things that we just didn't forecast during our reno, so I'm trying to eke out a backsplash.

Well Oofasis, you know how I feel about that marble! It is so gorgeous that I think a plainer backsplash would be the best choice so that the marble continues to take center stage in your kitchen. What about doing some sort of ceramic in a dove gray that would match the veining in the marble? You could do a few small accent tiles in a darker color that would pick up your island or floor color. Or you could even pick a bold accent color for them if you liked. Or instead of a contasting accent tile, what about doing a row of a liner with raised pattern but the same color....Wow, I'm not helping to narrow done the field am I?

No, Alku, you're sure not helping. But today's responses make me realize I can't just walk into the store and fall in love with the first thing and be done with it. Thank goodness for this forum.

You know, I backed off from completing our reno and remodel for several months. To be true, the San Diego fires really hit me in a deep place - just as our kitchen was being installed. Compounded with the weight issues I was dealing with (3 specialists and lotsa tests later, everyone now concurs that stress brought on the weight reduction), I found I had lost my, um, momentum. I think you understand.

We (yeah, right! It's just ME in that euphemistic "we.") began again a few weeks ago with a big landscaping project we hired out. They're stamping our patio as I speak. Still have the upstairs to paint and re-floor. It seems some of us have the energy to plow right through these things. Truly, I'm sapped. If someone else asks me a "What do you want?" question about our reno, I'm gonna bop them over the head - if you catch my drift.

lol. I think you need a mallet!

I like that first tile that you posted. Does it come in white? I keep thinking of cat mom's backsplash in white/clear.

I like small sized backsplash tile that doesn't have lots of variation in it. From a distance you don't notice it but when you get closer you get a "texture" feel. (If that makes any sense.)

I like cleanfreak's idea best:
I think the idea of using a very simple tile like a white subway tile and including an accent band in any of the glass tile choices might be a good compromise and adds that new element.

I like the classic direction your kitchen is going. I vote for beadboard. :)

Though I love mosaics, and I love your choices, I don't think they go with the carerra. I'd like to see the concrete looking tile matched either with something else, or just with an interesting pattern of installation on their own. They have a lot of depth and won't steal the thunder from the marble countertops.

Don't go white. Don't go subway tile. then again, I wouldn't go with your 2 choices either. I would find something more earth toned / natural material (ie not a glossy finish ). That way your marble stands out but your backsplash creates a warm look

I agree with a previous poster that plain white subway tile would be ideal for you. For my bathroom, I bought tiles from Subway Ceramics and love them.

Ann sacks has a nice glazed 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 tile from the Sur La Mer collection in the color "corona" There are slight color variations in the tile that do not show up in the picture.
The link below is not in the right color but will give you an idea of the way it would look up. This is a thick non solid color tile tile, I think the color corona would add just the right amout of interest without distrating from countertops.

Here is a link that might be useful: not the color - but the tile

I was looking at a magazine today that had a kitchen similar to yours. They used a high gloss white tile in a 4 x 4 and then added little dots in the corners - kinda diamond like. Maybe you can use the little mosaics in place of the dots? That way you still get the glass and the grey in your backsplash. My only other idea is to do a subway but add a few lines of the little mosaics about two rows up from the counter.

I feel bad for you. The backsplash decision sucks.

If your budget is shot, then you've got the perfect reason to wait! And perhaps these pricey but to-die-for samples will give you inspiration and motivation to save up for them: ;-) These are from Jeffrey Court:

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

The other thing I could see working very well is a marble mosaic with a darker grey grout accenting the shapes. I think it might read like a continuation of your countertops and not steal attention.

Ooo, I think Sweeby's onto something great there! The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a monotone backsplash with some textured accents to give it interest. Although I still think that going with a very pale gray would be a better choice than white. It's impossible to match whites perfectly and I'm disappointed with the close-but-not-quite mismatch my white splash and counters have. That's why I recommend the pale gray for you...but gray would also have the added benefit of highlighting your cararra's veins.

I let out barely audible gasp when I saw those tiles, Sweeby. I love them! And I think I might love them even more, as Alku says, in a very muted gray. Or a combination of the two.

And Alku, I agree about the iffy-ness of matching up the whites. One thing I wish I could do as you did -- is to find the same $$ deal on tiles. What a steal, lucky you.

I want to do my backsplash and get it over with. Ann Sacks and Jeffrey Court are out of my league, but if I can keep the price at near $25/ft, I'll be OK. Well, I have NO IDEA what the install prices are. Can anyone give me some idea of what to expect? Do you think $15/ft is in the ballpark?

I'm drawn to the marble combinations in the mosaic, Sweeby. It's soft looking. Do you think I could pull that off in 4x4s? The shop where I got my marble carries Jeffrey Court. Maybe I could convince them to give me a contractor's price since they've been using me as their cheerleader for using marble in the kitchen. I've spoken to several of their prospective clients; maybe they'll throw me a bone.

Ooh, I really like the color combo in Sweeby's mosaic. I think it picks up on the marble nicely. And with a grey grout that doesn't stand out too much, I think it would be subtle enough not to be overpowering.

I would not tile around your window. It's nice on some windows, but I think yours isn't one where I would do it, IMHO. I would leave the paint a beige color (and if you go with a color combo like that mosaic, I would try to get the paint to match with the beige tile).

I'm not sure I'd like this mosaic so much in a 4x4. Maybe in a diagonal 4x4. Diagonal install is definitely a bit more expensive (more cuts). But it can be a really cool look. Yet another idea is a light grey 4x4 that matches the mosaic, then a 2- or 3-row stripe of the mosaic.