Hi there - I'm afraid I can't provide you with much help re: tile counters, but there are people (plllog and others) who I bet can. I suggest you re-post as the title of your post might imply that you are looking for something in Vancouver. Most people on this board are in the US and may not even read it. You might get more responses from "tile counter layout help please", etc.

Your kitchen looks fantastic by the way! Good luck.

Any ideas???

under the arch you have a blank slate. A tile mural with some green in it (and framed with a tile frame) will look subconsciously like a painting on the wall or a peekaboo view into a hidden garden. To simulate a view, arbordomus hung a framed painting on a spot of wall over his sink, where he had no window. His thread was "Small kitchen, big success". Many people put something framed in tile in that space over the cooktop and under the exhaust vent. You could put a huge niche there too.

John, are you asking about some kind of tile design, or something to do structurally?

If you're talking tile, let me give you a website with a few ideas (below). Use a mural you like, and frame it with something like chair rail pieces, cut in "pie slices" for the arch across the top. You could even do some kind of geometric accents around the outside of the frame work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Custom Tile Murals

Bill the structure is not the issue. I have a new 2"x4" stud wall and will be building in front of that 3-4".

The idea I'm looking for is a tiled niche of sorts. I like the idea of bullnose or switching the tile on the diagonal inset but at a loss for some creative design.

My gut tells me to mirror the arch of the cabinet with a nice white accent bullnose or cane tile and do some sort of simple pattern inside. The niche will hold a pot filler that has a 5" trim (Chrome).

My wife (the head designer) does not like picture mosaics but is open to a little colour.

I'll go look at your link now.

Thanks.

What about making up a bunch of your own pieces and making your own mosaic for the niche? A good friend of mine in Washington State did that for one of her clients, and this thing came out beautiful! Completely made from scratch on site:

bump

Hi there Vancouver.
We are planning on having our backsplash behind the stove "etched" or sans blasted with a design of our own. Could be a family picture (the negative would be etched) or something related to our family. This will personnalize our tile and make it unique. An artist of etching could be giving you more ideas.
Good luck...from Canada

I like this detail Bill. We are repeating the Arch in many areas of the home; the fireplace, our master bedroom window, a mirror and our hood fan.

My wife is thinking of a mostly white look, food pictures are out!

I have issues with family pictures everywhere.

No chickens please.

We are good to go with Plumbing and Heating Inspections.

Now the tile we picked is unavailable! My poor wife has to scramble to find a replacement.

Please keep the ideas coming.

Tell your wife the backsplash cannot be all the same everywhere, as it's a focal point that takes your attention right under that massive hood. This will make her give some thought to the small variation in hue you will add in to the backsplash and that will somehow culminate under your big hood where you already have a focal point. You have a low-contrast color scheme. White and pale are close in color value. So, you could just vary slight differences in hues and concentrate them there. Doesn't have to be anything "representational" at all. In art, representational means it shows you something that represents a real thing you already know how to see. Concentrate accents in one area, any way at all.