I'm trying to see the positives here but its not coming to me. Usuallly the least attractive part of a tiled area is the open drywall - tile border. So now you'll have open border showing all around your backsplash. In addition you will be breaking up such a small space between 2 materials... drywall and tile.

I would think real hard about this. Fresh paint is very easy to fall in love with. After 3 years it just color on a wall. Another thing to consider is bring in your paint color as the dominant color in the backsplash

If you really love it, then do it, if you hate it just take the tile all the way up.

I agree with padola..I can't see it either. Maybe it's just my lack of visual abililty, but I think the tile needs to go up to the cabinets. Hopefully, someone will post a picture otherwise, and that will help with your decision. Good Luck!

Another option is to leave the paint for a year or two then do the tile - lots of folks here have gone without a b/s while they choose the tile - you could do it purposefully!

Or if your layout supports this - maybe put tile up to the cabinets in only a portion of the kitchen (behind range and sink, for example) and leave paint in other areas (especially ones that you won't be concerned with cleaning). I am sure there are other examples of this, but the first one that springs to mind is rhome410's kitchen. (rhome, I hope you don't mind me linking your pictures!)

I think that you might be happier if you can divide the space vertically rather than horizontally between the tile and the paint.

Here is a link that might be useful: rhome410's kitchen with tile and paint

On one of our walls, the tile goes up only about 10" and is capped with tile chair rail (the 10" includes the chair rail). Above the chair rail will be the same color paint that is on the surrounding walls. On the wall directly across from it, we have the same decorative tile and chair rail on top of 3 X 6 tile that ends just a few inches below the cabinet bottoms. I really like how it looks.

We will be grouting tomorrow evening (our grouting "date" LOL) so I don't have any pics yet.

I think it can look nice if done right, it is something a little different!

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen with short tile backsplash

I considered installing a 7-8" backsplash using the same granite as the countertop with no cap and just using paint above. I can't find pictures now, but I thought it was really cool and different

Here's a shorter one.

{{!gwi}}

If you are doing a shorter backsplash you have to be aware of proportion. You want to avoid cutting the space in half, so it should be less than 1/3 of the space or 2/3 or more so it avoids the half and half look.

A short backsplash of countertop material or one of ceramic tile has some Thickness to it as well, which mosaic tile doesn't, so the "presence" of the shorter backsplash may not be there.

I tend to go for all or nothing when it comes to backsplashes, none or all the way to the top.JMO.

I saw a short backsplash in a kitchen design magazine a few months ago. I loved it. It was maybe 7" tall, white milk glass. The very top edge had a hobnail motif. I looked everywhere for it and couldn't find it. The paint on the wall in the pic was a gorgeous soft green (which is what I knew I wanted for my new kitchen) and the combo was stunning. The magazine said it was Jeffrey Court but I was never able to track it down.

I mentioned my idea to the designer at Architectural Ceramics and he completely turned up his nose. He said the green area would look like a racing stripe on the wall and that I would hate it. I didn't have the courage to push for it and ended up going for a full backsplash. I love my new backsplash but I also feel like I wish I had a little more of the perfect green color (which my KD chose!). My cabinets go to the ceiling so from some views I barely see it at all.

I'd say maybe you should investigate this more. Could you photoshop your pictures to get a sense of the proportions and how it would look?

Good luck!

ran across another photo while looking at tile....

Here is a link that might be useful: three rows of glass tile for backsplash