That backsplash you want is gorgeous. Fortunately, the backsplash can be done at any time. I did mine about six months after the rest of the kitchen was finished. How about faux painting a backsplash for now and save up for that gorgeous tile and install it later, rather than settling for something you don't love?

Ooo...I love your floors. What colour is the stain? Are they oak?

On a previous backsplash thread (can't remember whose - Flatcoat maybe? or Rmkitchen?), someone pointed out that $30/sq. ft. is hard to handle on its own but not so bad if you aren't getting many square feet. I'm rotten at estimating square footage... would you need 30 or so? Can you put the harlequin tile from WZ in one focal area and something less splurgy in another?

Btw, on that previous thread, they wanted harlequin, too. Might be some good tips there. Now if I could just remember who it was...

It was flatcoat2004

BTW, I love the colors in your kitchen. Very warm yet also bright and cheery.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's the link to the thread

My KD steered me toward a company called Lanka (as in Sri), which overall was very inexpensive by specialty tile shop standards ($3/SF for subway tiles). They had rhomboids in a muted green, off white, some taupeish shades, both plain and with a raised design -- didn't look at them closely, sorry. Maybe use mostly those (or a basic subway tile or 4 x 4 square design) and save the WZ tiles for a focal point?

$30 isn't that much when you consider I paid $14 or so for cheap HD subways. Eventhough I love your tile I think you might get tired of it after a few years or it might look outdated. If it's the pattern you like, I would do it in a single color (cheaper) tile. If not, do something like subways and splurge with your tile above the range. Like cate1337 said, you don't have to do the whole backsplash in your tile.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far
--pbrisjar, Thank you for the link...I posted on that thread! There are some nice tiles featured, I just love the thick beveled look of the WZ tile.

--aliceinwonderland, DH also thinks we should just wait on the backsplash. I just know how things usually go in our house...if it's not done NOW, sometimes it doesn't get done! Everytime we save up money for a certain project, something comes up...so I'd love to have it done and included in the price of the house.

--redroze, I have no idea what our floors are. It breaks my heart because I "ordered" Brazilian Teak (or Cumaru) from a hardwood supplier over the internet...and what we recieved doesn't look anything like it should. We're building long-distance and our GC says that the boxes were labeld Red Cumaru...and they started installation even though the wood didn't match any of the pictures I'd emailed them with the variation of color in the wood. The floors are pretty...I just hope that whatever they are will hold up well for us over the years.

fairytalebaby,

Beautiful kitchen. Love that yellow. Do you mind sharing the color?

As to tile, I searched FOREVER for a tile that fit in my budget and made me happy. I finally found an artist to make me exactly what I wanted. I'm wondering if maybe she could do the same thing for you? She was worked patiently with me and made me exactly the size and shape of tiles I wanted, with the glaze I wanted and did custom tiles for me based on a line drawing. They are hand painted and were reasonable. You might want to contact Christine and see if she can help you. (I swear this isn't an ad. ;-) I'm here all the time and found the fabricator online). Sorry I don't have any installed pictures yet. (I WISH!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Art Tile Direct

My advice is to hit the tile shops with an open mind and your samples in hand. We lucked out and found our marble mosaic tile on closeout for $7/sqft. It was a very different tile then I thought I'd want, but it was a great fit for my kitchen.

good advice. we have a 'tile outlet' here that has great high-end stuff at deep discounts. you have to be there at the right time, so we would go early and often when we were looking.

we recently scored some pretty darn nice glass mosaics off of ebay for $3.50/sq. foot. we're re-doing a leaky shower stall upstairs as part of our current kitchen project and were just planning on doing cheap subways, but realized that for about fifty cents to a buck more per square foot, we could really make the shower a focal point.

i know you didn't mention glass mosaics, but the price is really damn good. the $3.50/sq.ft. price is for the vitreous glass mosaics only.

i'll supply a link below to the seller's ebay store. tiles are already installed and we're very happy with them.

Here is a link that might be useful: glass mosaics on ebay

jaymielo, thanks for the compliment! The yellow kitchen is really tricky...you may not like that it darkens to an gold/orange color in certain light. Regardless, it's a mix of BM Suntan Yellow & Semolina. We just did half & half--here's a more accurate picture of it in the afternoon.

You might want to wait a bit. I believe WZ has a sale once a year. Your tiles might be on it. Ask them when their next sale will be.

I love WZ too. What about using the harlequin in a pattern behind your range and then go with a coordinating (but less expensive) tile in other areas. It will serve to save money and make the harlequin stand out even more.