Thanks, it sounds like I need "real" grout lines. Still, the 4"x4" (I've used in a bathroom, including stand alone shower and a tub) have built in spacers that provide, I estimate, no more than 1/16" space between tiles. The work I've done with these is now about 20 years old and holding up well. The subject brick shape however doesn't seem to have any space other than the bevel, which does go down to the unglazed edge of the tile. I would in any case plan on a 1/8" gap at the counter-top which is filled with caulk. I notice there is a Jacks (not sure it isn't Jax) type spacer that looks to my mind's eye to be better than the older flat cross spacer. Any advice on the type of spacer? On a related item, if I cut (wet saw) or break, ceramic scribe and brake, a tile and the edge will be exposed, is it possible to use a polishing stone or other tile cutting tool to smooth that edge, round it off a bit? I know when I hit an interface, including a corner I will use a caulk to close the run...that has worked well in corners where I have the cut edge of the "top" tile facing away from the line-of-sight, making the cut edge almost impossible to see. I'll have to check to see what I did in the bathroom job many years ago when I came to a bull-nose finished edge. I'll guess there must be some cut/broken edges there, I didn't have a wet saw when I did that job. Just in case one cares to advise, my new counter top is a solid man-made material. Do I have to carefully protect it from any drips of a mounting mastic? Would it be safer to use a thin-set as regards any "splats" hitting the new counter-top? I believe most mastic material is petroleum based, I will guess if there is a latex mastic it may be safer to use over the new counter top. The old bathroom tile job I referred to I think I used a combination premixed mastic/grout...hey, it is still holding both the grout and tiles. That job was above fiberglass tub and shower pan, I didn't see any damage from drips on that job.

I cut 1" glass mosaic for my shower, with just a regular wet saw/diamond blade for ceramic tile. If you're doing larger tiles, they have special wet saw blades for glass tile, but I've heard mixed things - some people tell me I can use a regular ceramic diamond blade for 3x6" glass tiles; others say I need a glass tile blade.

I haven't posted 'close to finished' kitchen photos yet, nor of the solution to my backsplash dilemmas of a)what to use and b) where to end the tile before a doorframe, but will hopefully soon. Floor just went in this week. Granite: golden crystal (pretty busy) Backsplash: (plain due to busy granite) 3x12 Crossville unpolished porcelain in Empress White (same as kellinoelle) Flooring: Wicander cork planks in Harmony. We love the way it looks and feels. Here's the cabinets and granite:

If you are selling I think a border has a lot more chance of feedback than no border. Meaning, if the bs was just subway, then there probably won't be comments like "I wish there was a border" because they don't know what they are missing, but if there is a border and potential buyers might say " I don't like the border". Buyers are quite picky and insane these days. Been there, done that. If you think you aren't selling, then by all means do what you like. Life is too short to just be designing your home for a potential possibility you might sell it. No matter what, it will look clean, current, and fresh. And those are always good.