yes, I have an entire box open and there is just that one vein.....I'll check the other boxes but the lack of veining is why the original purchaser returned the entire lot. Plus, our stone guy will cut the 12" tiles and I'm sure he can cut any obvious veining when he pieces under the window sills. We ran into that problem with our flooring...some of it had too much of a rusty color to it..so, he just cut those tiles and used the non-rust portions when he was going around intricate areas.

The marble is the most neutral option we've found so far. It is a soft white and I can limit my grout lines with proper sizing. I think the number of grout lines in a regular subway is busier than some of the tiles themselves. It also doesn't flash under the cabinets with the lighting...another plus when compared to the glossy subways.

I do appreciate everyone's comments. I like that the comments make me consider things I hadn't thought of before.

I'm late to the party, but first your kitchen is lovely! Second, I totally agree on the green...too green. But that's a dead horse at this point. I can *almost* see where you're going with the marble...but I do think once it's up it could go either way. Could be just perfect or could be off by just enough to annoy. Have you put up a bunch of them all together to get the full-ish effect?

I know your DH doesn't want white...I get it...I had that same struggle. But the BA is so incredibly beautiful that I wonder what about revisiting the creamy crackle? That might have just enough shimmer to make it un-boring, while still letting the granite be the star. Just a suggestion to consider before you make your final call.

Backsplashes are so hard...I just finally pulled the trigger on mine, and while happy, could still have gone in other directions as well. Good luck!

Slone...OK! that is a whole other story. Getting rid of those veins makes all the difference. I think it will work.
jals: I have a cream crackle and I really like it so I agree with you but I think this marble will work just as well.

It looks great go for it. It was meant to be. I also personally love it. It really is gorgeous with your granite and much classier than the sparkly tiles with your particular stone. That granite is a star all on it's own!

The marble is beautiful!

Wow...now I'm confusing even myself! I went to the showroom that carries the tile I like from my scrapbook of ideas. The tile looks NOTHING like the photo in real life! It is very grey. Here's a pic..it's the first one on the left:

Here are some other color samples I saw while there - they all come in larger (4x6 or 8) subways as well:

any thoughts on those? I'll save my pick after you guys chime in. I'm not 100% sold on anything just yet. I think most of this tile is outrageously priced for what it is.

Been there, done that!
I think the lighting at all tile stores is awful and when you take it home, you realize it wasn't at all what you wanted!

I would like to see you add some color into the scheme - I like the tile that home picked out.

I am just about to start mine - stay tuned - btw - you colors are similar to my counter but I have a darker cherry.

I think I like the 4x4 between the grey and brown (I guess it's the 2nd tile). Just the right shade a cream without being yellow or white. Maybe with a few accents thrown in of the brownish color to its right?

Or, I really like that plain subway - sort of taupey? Though I wonder if all over it will be too dark?

I like that tile too but it looks best with a soothing granite like the one in the picture (I believe that is the marfil with veining)...not my super busy bianco~

Hey there. I posted in your previous post labeled "more bianco BS help please" about the Sonoma tiles I brought home and think I mentioned Stellar line from Sonoma and the colors that matched my BA granite that went well :-) Good to see it in the kitchen pictured, that always helps! I don't think I brought that color home. I never found the marbles to match when I brought them home, the Sonoma line was the best. However if you are looking for something cost effective, look up Crossville Tile....their are #'d by colors.The WT07 matched and was $4.68 sq/ft.

That being said, I am anxious to bring home a pricy little ditty from Sonoma and see how it looks...the Beveled Picket fence tile is neat looking...adds visual interest while keeping the color solid and simple. Its $4.49 a piece though-$5.34 and it takes 10 pcs to = 1 sq foot :-(

Oh, wanted to say though that when I look at your kitchen, I see a solid glass subway tile like the one Namarie posted. It looks ideal for your kitchen in my opinion :-) Classy like your kitchen with just a little pizzaz ...its what your kitchen needs ...GOOD LUCK...stay sane !

Hi Missy ! Yes! that is why I brought home some of the stellar tiles! Thanks! I'm not sure I brought home all of the colors you mentioned.

I looked at the solid glass subway tiles but they all give too much of a contemporary/modern feel to them for us. It's a ranch home and I wanted to kinda go more "upscale farmhouse with a romantic flair" if that's any kind of style!

As for staying sane...too late. My head is spinning. Our builder wants us back in the kitchen and if I order any of these tiles,it could be another 4-6 weeks. He and my husband don't really want my new fridge or the range in there until the BS is done.

I'm going to look up that crossville tile and also the colors of the stellar you first recommended

Hey missy....I did see the smoke (too dark), otter and creamy crackle. I liked the last two but they were *just* off white enough to make my cabinets look dingy (my cabs are not a stark white and for some reason, they didn't quite go)...still checking on the crossville

I agree on the smoke....too dark for me too, but when I had them sitting out at home, everyone said "go dark, white is not enough color." yet inside me, i didn't like dark, i liked the light/whites. so, its my kitchen and i will pick what i like :-) that being said, i have no tile on order! my cabs are not WHITE, they are BM's Linen White, not sure how that compares to your cabs. i think they are a warm white, almost more creamy than I wanted, but I like them.

keep hunting, don't settle!

American Olean has a glass subway tile in a taupe that would be perfect. If you want to see a sample, they carry it at lowes but under a different name. I found them online at 15.99 a sq ft. I just wish I could send you all my samples that I looked at since our colors are so similar! I like the tile in the last picture on the very left hand side. It is similiar to the Olean glass that I saw at Lowes and found online.

Missy, I fear I'm going to be like you and be living with no backsplash for a time! Funny..the just put up the hardiebacker stuff and I like THAT color! I think I'm leaning more toward a warm grey than brown. I do like the tile in the scrapbook picture i posted. It's the lighter, brownish grey in my photos (not the dark grey).

I'm trying to find a warm grey with a crackle finish now...haven't had any luck so far. I think the plain subway lacks the depth of the hand glazed tile or the crackle finish. I might have to just go with the plain though if the others continue to be over $19/sq foot.

CKGM: I wish you COULD send me all of your samples! lol! I like that tile on the left too..it kind of reads on the pinky side of things though. I wish it were more brown or greyish.

Am I being too much of a perfectionist? I get down on myself regularly for being this picky when there are starving kids in Africa (and the US!) But, I don't want to be foolish with our money either....if we're going to spend some on the kitchen, it needs to be just right.

Why don't you go to Houzz.com they have over 400,000 pictures of designer houses (kitchens,bathrooms etc). Just select kitchen then search for BA. It should narrow the search. You might find something there. Good luck!

Yes, I find brown doesn't work, no matter what shade I put up there, so it will have to be in the white family or gray family. Just take your time, its an important detail that really matters to the feel and tone of your kitchen. You came this far in selecting your paint colors, your granite, your light fixtures, so take your time and find what you love!

Thanks, julcarr~ there were quite a few BA pictures there..did I see anything? not really...but it was a great idea!

Missy~ I'm leaning toward grey. I really like the Stellar Bellini tile alot but right now it's not really in the budget. The thing I like about it is the variation in color being hand glazed. My sister came over the other day and suggested I pick out a few different grey shades of lower priced subway tile and see if I could use them together to get that effect. Daltile has several very reasonably priced tiles that look good with the BA so I think I'll order a few boxes and see if her idea might work. If not, I might just bite the bullet and get the Bellini....and eat tomato soup for the next 8 months to make up for the cost! lol

Where is your range?

Range and refrige are on the right hand wall as you walk in...can't see them in the pics. You can see the hole for the range in the first pic. Because of the two windows, the original builder had a time figuring out where to put the big appliances. When we remodeled we worked round and round with where to move them but in the end, put them back where they were. The range is a tight fit in that corner but I've lived with it for 14 yrs and haven't had any complaints.
:-)

The previous owner put in Sonoma stellar tile in the shower of the house I just bought. It's not as pink as in the picture. I can look up the exact color if you're interested. Pretty tile, but very expensive...

I think I saw that color today. It is very pretty but not sure I like it with my cabinets. My cabs are not a true white so when you get beiges and browns near it, they kind of muddy up the kitchen.

I saw these today and brought them home:

I think I like these so far:

I think I'm leaning toward grey. The browns warm up the kitchen but also make it feel muddy as mentioned above. The greys seem to keep it crisp and light...they all come in a 3X6 subway. I like the color of the 4X4 in the photo but like the variable color of the one next to it (that one also has a slight crackle finish)

I like grey! Did you look at Grazia tile- they have a grey blend that is really pretty. It's not cheap but not too crazy, around 17 a sq ft.

That grey with the color gradient looks very sophisticated.

CKGM: I've looked at so many tiles I'm dizzy! lol I wouldn't know if I've seen the Grazia unless you showed me which one.

MareLuce: I like that one too! It is pretty reasonable at about $12/sq foot...at least more reasonable than the one with the medallion ($22/sq ft!!!) It's a strong contender right now. The 4X4 grey/beige tile is pretty too but I do like the gradient of the other one. I'm not sure if I need a BS to just fade away into the background or one to have a little sophistication.

As I'm putting things in the kitchen, it's getting busier and busier. I think I need to get rid of a bunch of stuff to tone it down a bit....maybe time for a garage sale~ lol

I like the one with the white paper on top of it the BEST! The taupey gray one. Beautiful, different but not overly busy or dark. Makes the white look crisp/clean. My second choice would be the white subway.
Kitchen is beautiful!

still following your saga.... :-)

At 12 a sq ft, go with the gradient grey one! I think it will give you a subtle bling- I really, really love it. Very similar to the Grazia one I was taking about but way cheaper:$ what kind of finish is on the tile- I don't see anything too shiny but not too matte either. I am throughly obsessed with your search- I love backsplash sagas:)

The gradient grey has a crazed or slight crackle finish. Here are some more angles of it:

I'm honestly down to three (maybe 4) final choices. The only reason I'm hesitating on the gradient grey is because when the light hits the finish just right, it kind of reminds me of alligator skin...haha...funny, yes. But, I'm not sure the shine of a plain subway would be great either (without the variations in color that the gradient one brings).....any thoughts?

....fifty shades of......

Good one ellendi--
I also favor the gradient grey...oh so slight bit of texture and like the color.
I'm anxious to see the winner.

I'm not sure if I suggested this earlier, but did you look at the Mandala Tiles? The Sinu collection in particular. I had suggested the color Stingray to srg215 and she went and got a sample and it was perfect. Besides the Stingray there are other colors, but there is something about that tile, I don't know what it is, but it really works well with BA. Comes in a variety of subway sizes.

Here's a photo of srg215's kitchen I found through a Google search:

I also liked a collection from Daltile. It was a modern tile, available in gloss and matte. The collection is called Modern Dimensions. Lots of colors that work with BA. The sizes are great too.

I struggled with this granite. Even though it goes with many colors, tile is a different beast from paint color.

Have you considered a beveled subway to give the hint of a sparkle when the light hits it. That was one of the cool things about the beveled arabesque tiles. It looked like a patent leather Chanel purse.

Here is a link that might be useful: daltile modern dimensions

Hi Bee~ yes, you mentioned that stingray tile and from all the pictures I've seen, it looks too dark for me. I agree that BA has been the hardest to find a backsplash for! Had I known, I might have chosen a different granite. But, I do love it so it's worth the struggle.

Glad everyone likes the grey!

I feel like I'm getting close to a decision. Hubby has been away on business... I need his opinion before I write the check~

Really hoping on the grey! I love it!

I took a break from anything backsplash related.......I'm back at it again now. I'm afraid I might be the homeowner who, after 6 months of completion, STILL doesn't have a backsplash!

The grey that I was leaning to just isn't right..it has too much blue/green to it for our liking. sigh......

Guess what?....I'm wanting to go with white subway...again. I've been exploring painted ceiling tile, more ceramics, glass etc etc and nothing is setting right still so I've come full circle again. I feel like everything has too "heavy" of a feel for the kitchen that I want to be light and airy. The only problem is that my cabinets are not stark white..they have a grey undertone. I thought about going with cream from the start but all of the creams I've found tend to muddy up the granite and don't quite look right with the cabinets. Can I mix whites? Can I go stark white with the backsplash? my sink is white and I have some white trim...and my dishwasher is white (until it dies..then it will be replaced with stainless)

I know I've said that hubby doesn't want to go white...he wants color...but I really haven't found a contrast that we all like. I'm hoping that he'll see that the backsplash needs to be a backdrop for the granite and not something to draw attention to itself???

I find that when nothing is working in the direction I'm headed often trying something completely different will be just the thing. So for instance in your case maybe try some silver or bronze metallic accent tiles mixed in with your best plain color. Try some that match your faucet and some that compliment.

Personally if it were me I would put in a full height slab granite back splash that matched your counter tops although I loved the green glass tile pics that some have posted.

If you do something cold or cool then you need to throw some warmth in there somewhere. Maybe through the light fixtures or the blinds.

Here is a link that might be useful: [Something like this - full granite backsplash[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/classic-kitchen-style-cabinets-and-entertaining-island-traditional-kitchen-phvw-vp~82687)

Wow! It was fun looking back at this post to see how far we've come! We decided on a beveled subway tile in the perfect cream! It is warm without being sterile. It just came in yesterday and is scheduled for install on Monday! Yay!

Congrats. We have followed many down this road. While a grey could seem exciting, it is very difficult to get it right.
I ,for one love the white, or cream backsplashes.

I didn't see your post until now, and although I skimmed it, I didn't read everything thoroughly.
But, FWIW, I can see this as your backsplash:
The lovely marble tiles, cut into 2'', 3'', and 4'' strips, and applied in alternating rows. I personally would not do them with the typical seam in one row in the middle of the tiles in the rows above and below. I would apply them somewhat randomly, with the same pattern in all rows of the same dimension.

Hope this makes sense.
Then I would chose a warm light color from the granite and use this color for the grout.

When I look at your pic of the finished kitchen, this seems to me to be a really strong possibility, bringing in colors already present and a strong horizontal line and geometric pattern.

Slone - I am also in the ABB club and have a busy counter also.
I went through various stages and also needed to take a backsplash break!

- I didn't want subway tiles and really wanted back painted glass. I finally figured out glass just didn't make it.

I have samples from a zillion places. When I saw Chitown's backsplash - a light went off in my head.

I am going with a very simple light cream crackle (Grazia Rixi Crema) with a band of accent and possibly a few medallions over the cooktop. I am going to use all 5x5 tiles - the bottom row will be straight, then a row of accent and the tiles above will be set at 45 degrees.

There is a recent post (Who's backsplash is this) on the colors.

I have a lot of tile samples to share with others...

First of all, your kitchen is beautiful. If I got to choose a new kitchen set up, it would look very similar. I don't think anything will look bad but here are my thoughts. A light or white backsplash will look nice, very classic and subtle. I would choose a darker color (out of the granite) and pick a solid tile backsplash. A dark backsplash will make a statement while a white color backsplash will still look good, but will blend more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Choosing a backsplash

Any updates?
I hope to be out of the ABB club by September...

very pretty! congrats on picking a winner!

Wahooooo!!!

Looks great! Enjoy your kitchen! It's pretty!!

Your Kitchen is stunning!!!! It should be on the cover of a magazine.

Beautiful kitchen slonewby! Glad you found a backsplash you love! It must be a wonderful feeling.

Quick side note on an older post in this thread. Home4all6 , I love the kitchen you posted. According to Houzz, those are Walker Zanger Mizu tiles in pebble. I believe it is discontinued, but Wizard Tile has similar color variation in their wash and watercolor tiles. Many thanks to 2LittleFishies for making me aware of this brand, I love all the samples I have from them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wizard Tile Catalog

Take a look at translucent white crystal marble. You can simply Google translucent white crystal marble or check this link out: http://www.stonecontact.com/products-52372/translucent-white-crystal-marble-tiles-slabs. It's quite white, when light is behind it looks like a cotton ball was pulled apart behind it. As a back splash I think it would look wonderful with the countertop you chose, which is very nice btw. Typically I find the cararra marble look to be boring, but I really like what you have chosen, the black veins are very interesting. Good job