Just got back from talking to the contractor. What I am leaning to is the matte 3"x12" tiles in a staggered pattern with one double row of the pewter glass tiles. Since the opinions seem to be mixed, I think that is just comes down to preference, and what can I say, I think I am a bling type of gal! Plus if I DON'T do it, I'll wonder how it would have looked since I just love the tiles so much. That is what I am thinking right now but ask me again in 5 minutes. I can't believe that this may be my final decision, whatever will I do with myself after this? red_lover - the rest of the house is more on the traditional side, but I really love contemporary. So the look I was going for was transitional so the kitchen didn't look totally out of place (I struggled with this early in the remodel process and got some great advice along the way here). The backsplash is the one place that I am letting myself lean towards more modern, and I am OK with that. jalsy - I was considering the sonoma creamy crackle subways, that was what originally took me into this tile showroom was to check those out. However, they only had them in a 3 x 8, although they are quite beautiful. When they heard what I wanted they brought out the 3 x 12 and I really loved the shape of them. Plus I really loved the price! If you look at the pics, the creamy crackles are on the left side (although in square) and the color looks too "bright" to me, but that may just be lighting. Christine - I just love your kitchen and how you used those tiles too, they are just so beautiful. I also was considering the Typhoon Bordeaux granite, so obviously I just love all of your choices!

I will caution you to be careful with Daltile since I had a very recent, very bad experience. Our tile guy bought what we requested and many things were not in stock. Very long story short, most of it came in little by little over the next few months. After 2.5 or 3 months the master bath floor was still not in (they missed two different dates on this one) and it wasn't going to be in for two more months. Everything else was already installed and designed around this floor and I had to pick something else. Just make sure they actually have it and don't trust any future dates they give you because they are just guesses and you may never get it. Oh, the customer service can't be considered bad since it is completely non existent.

Kitchen 20 x 26 or about 500 sq. feet unfinished oak regular do it all yourself flooring at Menard's last year $1.71/square foot but there were about two or three bundle-worth of bad boards so we bought about another 40-50 square feet later. Add to that the cost of feeding a work crew, renting the nailer, buying nails, etc. and buying the poly coatings. Haven't put in mouldings yet. Lobby area 10 x 26 was $1 square foot remaindered porcelain floor tile, plus cost of orange crack barrier, whetsaw rental, a few trowels, underlayment, thinset, grout, and silicone goo for perimeter.

Marble needs constant maintenance. I have no doubt those rough tiles are simply stone pieces that are an anomaly. They probably were not visible when installed....so they did not get "picked up" at time of install. There are many stone experts who recommend sealing marble tiles BEFORE they are installed and then 3-4 times RIGHT AFTERWARDS. That's JUST for the install. The then need to be sealed every few months (can be every 2-3 months or as much as every 6 months) for the first few years of their life. Eventually they will become saturated with the sealant and need less and less maintenance as they age....but that takes a few years. I would leave the tiles until after the stone mason drops by. I would then get a detailed information packet as to what is needed, when and how much to use at any given time. This will be your "Maintenance Schedule" (aka your marble bible) for then next 5-8 years. Get your stone mason to give you the names of his favourite marble maintenance products so that you can purchase the right stuff. You can probably buy them from him if you are on good speaking/working terms.