How dark for the grout? And there's not a BM dealer near here but there is a Sherwin Williams. Ill call and see if they could mix it.

Oh yes, Smokey Taupe would be great, love that color. You can put your color in accessories. Good choices.

This is my serving dishes that I want to accessorize with. Thoughts?

You need blah, blah, blah to balance those hot hot hot serving dishes!

You got great advice here. Your sister is not living there. It's your place and your decision!

I think you did great, and neutrals always make for a better sale if you decide to move, but you can definitely add a pop of color in art work, vases, pendants, and things like that! Don't forget that tea kettle in blazing red-orange, sitting on the range!

Suzi

On screen Camarodreamer, those look a lot cooler than the "honey" tone of the cabinets. Someone even suggested taupe would go nicely with the tile (I don't trust my screen, but it looks as if it would here too).
I suggest you lay it all out in your kitchen and take a good look before installing, and think warm grout leaning toward honey for harmony, because a large sweep that trended cool, grayish beige taupe might just prefer to scrap.

We've all seen so many kitchens whose counters, cabinets, floors just aren't right together. I think one or more are under discussion right now. Put in a handsome formica that looks wonderful with the cabinets before you make THAT mistake.

I have the rock tiles in my guest bath and love them. When they are wet they have more depth and color to them.

I don't dislike the tile and don't think it's blah but I see pink undertones on my monitor. I have brown so called neutral carpet like this and it limits my color choices.

I think the tile is too cool compared to the kitchen cabinets.

If you do decide to use it, check out BM Shaker Beige and SW Kilim Beige.

The cool aspect of the tile scares me too. I agree it would be nice to get the laminate in and then decide on backsplash but labor wise I need to do it all at once. The laminate has already been ordered but the tile is returnable. Any thoughts on a warm replacement option? Thanks so much!

I've got the honed Ivory Kashmir and love it! Never thought I would love my laminate counter, lol, although I did know I would like it well enough. I find the colors very pretty and like that the honed is not shiny. I don't think of it as trying to mimic stone. It's just a bunch of organic mottled colors that I like and I really like its soft texture.

I didn't do the backsplash. It's just painted now but I do want to add tile, having in mind one row topped with a decorative liner tile. The ones I spotted at the time were terribly expensive, of course, so hard to justify. But I'm going to do a creamy ceramic. So, I don't think the coloring is boring or blah at all. I might go a little warmer though. I don't, however, think mixing a real stone, especially a rustic tumbled, with a laminate counter is the best combination. The two materials are on opposite spectrums, imo, and I wouldn't want to accentuate that.

What did your sister suggest?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, May 3, 13 at 8:08

I agree with snookums, I don't like the laminate with tumbled stone. I also agree with sister, it is blah. Perhaps you should try a cream ceramic subway with a glass accent.

Yes, it's blah. Look at doing a much darker countertop. And really really make sure the stone isn't pink, as it so often is. Pink is NOT going to work. And often, that pink doesn't come out until you compare it with something that is more neutral or more yellow. Like a yellow based beige. Or oak cabinets.

Could anyone give me some possible examples if the best options for a backsplash since the laminate has been ordered? I hope to drive a couple of hours to a larger town tomorrow to have dinner with the hubby who is working there this week. I may be able to find a tile shop!

Something like this:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=47326-74035-WD1022HC1Y2&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3034008&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1#BVRRWidgetID
they have pictures of installed tiles.
Second one is maybe too dark.

Here is a link that might be useful: tile

I know you said you placed an order already but did you check out the Amber Kashmir? It would seem to pick up your cabinet color. Too much so? Not sure.

(It takes a while for them to arrive for fabrication).

As far as the darker grout color that was mentioned, here's an example of one. It pulls some of the darker color from the counter into the splash, so it doesn't pale by comparison.

Personally, I think an swift change from counter to back splash, as shown here, without a transition of some sort, looks abrupt.

{{!gwi}}

Here they've done an accent tile with a pale back splash to connect with the counter. Don't like the abruptness of the two planes though.

Below you can sort of see how the dark tones are brought up into the light back splash with a liner tile pulling the other counter colors in.

Is that your existing kitchen counter and cabinet the tiles are sitting on top of? I'm fine with the tile, but I don't care for the laminate sample (assuming that is between the two tile selections) with the tile or with the honey oak. I think your black counters work better with both, and I don't think dark grout would make the tile better. IMO, it would be worse.

I'll be honest and tell you that there is nothing I like less than a beige, beige on beige kitchen. Even for spec homes and resale, having something that contrasts is generally more appealing and interesting than something that looks like the oatmeal exploded.

So, I have the anti-oatmeal bias, but that look may be the comforting blanket of beige that you crave. Have you looked at lots of kitchen photos online and in magazines to test what always appeals to you. If not, take any magazines you have and print photos from the internet. Run through them like flash cards and put the ones you most like in a pile. Repeat until you see a trend that repeats on different days and in different moods. And even if you love the beige on beige, make sure the laminate is working with your other choices. It doesn't on my monitor, but this monitor is not where it will live.

BTW, I do like your serving dishes -- definitely not blah. They actually make me think you like color and might like something other than beige on beige -- the black counters which you may feel need an update (a different texture, some bit of color or pattern within it?), a charcoal grey, a deep color, etc. Would you entertain the idea of navy counters?

Navy, lol.

(Yes, I know that was rude).

I don't like the laminate you've chosen with the oak either. It doesn't bring anything to the table at all. Too blah.

Formica Basalt Slate would be a good choice with the oak. See how it sets it off?

Well, not to be a wet blanket, but are you DIY, or have an installer?
I ask because I got a smoking deal on BS tile fron Lowe's, and my installer nearly committed harey-karey trying to install it. YMMV, however.

The laminate had already been ordered so I couldn't change it. The installer will be here next Tuesday and he will be doing the backsplash as well. I drove over an hour yesterday to the nearest actual tile store. I walked in with everything. He immediately asked if he could take the wrapper off of the decorative tile and grabbed a spray bottle. I was blown away when he told me that it was a great choice for my cabinets if it was sealed. He then showed me the tile that was originally sold with it. He thinks the cabinets are actually hickory vs oak. I've been told that before on here I think. We experimented with a lot of different things but in the end I chose to use the decorative tile along with its original match and trim pieces that would serve as a frame over the sink. I am pleased with my choices. I truly understand about neutral being blah but after living with green for five years in so ready for neutral.

I love neutral colors and you can always dress it up with paint, towels and things you can change out. Please show a picture when it's all done.

Snookums, have you ever looked at any navy counters? I did before I posted. Some are nearly black or have a lot of grey -- not that far from the slate. Sure, there are brighter blues, but that's not what I was talking about. The slate looks great and that type of navy could too -- but I probably wouldn't have suggested the idea if I had realized the OP had green (and brighter green) counters.

Camarodreemer76, I'd really like to help you, but I'm having a hard time seeing the laminate with the cabinets. You are seeing them in person and I'm seeing flash photography and computer monitor images. That last photo seems to be picking up green from your counters too. My concern is whether the colors work together. I just can't see that they do on my monitor, but as I pointed out, I'm not seeing it as you are. If they do, I think the tile is nice and would use it. If not, don't rush into something that isn't right and be unhappy until you can pay again to redo it.

camaro, I agree to go with the "blah" for the permanent items. You can always crazy with the accessories or with paint that can be changed after a couple of years.

Why didn't we think of sealing them! Your cabinets look a completely different color in this last photo and much better with your selections. I'm sure you will be glad to move on from green!

On the serving dishes you asked about, they look very modern. I'm not sure why you've chosen modern (other than you like them), but I would be inclined to get something ceramic with your kitchen, in a deeper more earthy red.

Lascatz, I can't see the blue for all the oatmeal in my eyes from the explosion.

You asked about paint. My personal preference is to tie in the grout and paint color. I like using a tone of the grout color on the walls. I think smokey taupe sounds great. Make sure your grout color looks good with whatever you pick.

I love neutrals! Many here complain about neutrals but I think neutrals are soothing and calming. I want to have a house that makes you want to kick up your feet and say ahhhh. Others want their house to feel happy and vibrant. Think about how you want your house to feel as you pick things out.