I would wrap your BS tile around the sides, but only under the cabinets....so 12" wide. Then I'd do a single row out to the edge of the counter top.

Backsplash shouldn't extend past cabs - unless you are doing the whole wall in tile.

So are you suggesting I not wrap at all? Or wrap a little just under the cabinets like ccombs1 suggested?

Just wrap out to the edge of the cabs - as ccombs says. I wouldn't do the singe row, but that's just personal preference.

It's one of those design "rules" that the backsplash should end where the upper cabs end, but like all rules, you have to do what seems right to you. And some times the best results come from broken rules. In your space, I think it would be best to follow the rule.

If the area is hutch-like, it looks best if you only do the back wall and don't wrap around at all. Your area is somewhat hutch-like, but because your cooktop is there, I'd do the 12" wrap.

You could also have the tiles go down in a staggered angle from the edge of the top cabinets to the far edge of the bottom cabinets. I've seen that done before.

I know your dilemma!

Have sort of temporarily given up on the BS search (have a whole house/yard to reno- so there's enough on my mind), but I have a similar corner where my stove is. Though in my case, the other side of the stove the counter is an L so the BS will continue on there. I also have 36" from edge of cooktop to wall, so there is not the same issue of splashing/grease concerns.

However, looking at your pics, and seeing your choice of a 'brick' style, I would just cover the back walls in both cases, and not bring the BS around at all. Then you visually have the look of a 'brick wall' which if it really was a brick wall would not end arbitrarily either at the height or end of a cabinet!

If you use a good quality scrubbable paint like BM, you can wash any spills off the side walls, and then you can potentially use the wall to hang utensils/pictures etc.

Okay, I just pulled up the larger picture and see that you've got builtins on the left side. I'm going to change my mind (I'm allowed right?) and go with what raehelen suggests and just do the back - don't wrap at all. Just be sure to use a really scrubbable paint.

Ok, great! That's what I'll do. Keep it as a "brick wall" per se, and just paint the sides.

Thanks for all the great feedback!!!

This is definitely one question where there's no right or wrong answer. It's all up to your tastes. Go to my backsplashes and countertops page, and you'll see where I did the very same side area three different ways. It might help you visualize your own:

Here is a link that might be useful: My backsplashes and countertops page

Bill, that is so helpful!! Thanks for posting that linki. It's great to be able to see real installations when pondering all these decisions! Nice work, too :)

Don't wrap it, it will look to heavy.
Keep it light by only doing backsplash on the back
under the cabinets.

By the way, I like your granite. The pic
is tiny but it still shows the beauty.

I'm just doing the back and so far I like it! Thanks for the pics Bill... that helped!