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Here are the pictures (sorry no time to copy captions):

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Your cabinets are really pretty and I like your granite and tile choices. The small glass mosaics are really pretty with the granite. I think I'd like those as an accent with some of the larger tiles, like those shown in pics 2, 3, 4, and 5.

If you use the small mosaics, I suggest using them as an accent. However, I prefer your choices without them.

Thanks chicagoans for copying the pics for me. My countertop is actually quartz.. I said granite!

For those who can't see the pics in the album... I have an L shaped area to be tiled. Design idea is 4x4 in a horizontal row on bottom... 3 rows of glass tile border.. then tile on diagonal. Thinking about accenting in diagonal tile w/ squares of glass.. but not sure.

Over slide in stove I have a micro. Should i keep it consistent over stove w/ rest.. or any idea to do something subtle over stove?

Thanks!!

Stephcil- for me, its hard to gauge since there are no "full shots" to get the gist of your style. I am definately drawn to photo 1 with the diagonal tile and I'd skip the glass. this is ironic for me becuase I am toying with the idea of doing a iridecesent cream glass backsplash in a very old world kitchen- I'm sure everyone is shuttering at the thought, but the bling is attractive. I havent decided. For you, with what i could see, I just really like the travertine or marble, whatever it is, with the accent. Cant picture how big your stove area is- have seen really cool accents for stove area so I say yes is big, no if not.

In the photo I love the how the amber shade plays off of the quartz in the small glass tiles but I think I would like them as an accent with glass subway tile or just by themselves.
I also like the combination in the second picture but then I am a subway tile fan.

OT sort of. I was so excited to see your kitchen because I am having glazed creamy white raised panel cabinets installed next week with tropical brown granite and my kitchen layout and family room are similar to yours. My range, microhood, sink, and diswhasher are in the exact same locations and I think I even have the same coffee maker!! I noticed your range and microwave in your snapfish photos. I have really been struggling with what to buy. Is yours a Bosch dual fuel and bosch microhood? I have looked at those but read reviews that the fan is loud. Would you let me know how you like them?

Good luck with the tile selection!!

Here's a wider picture of your kitchen. I like the combo in picture #2. Good luck!

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Thank you again to those copying my pics here.. i have no ideda how to do that!

if i did the style in the pic w the diagonal and glass border.. that may be it... no accents added in the diagonal squares. i like the look too of a simple border too, but my husband wants something a little more interesting.
i too really like the glass w/ the quartz.

i haven't been considering subway.. but could see if that travertine comes in 4x4. how does travertine look as a backsplash? maybe could do the initial design using the trav mosaics as a border?

irishcreamgirl... i do have the bosch dual fuel range and microhood. love both... though the fan is noisy on the range! i do like it a lot though. i have a bosch dishwasher too which i love. that is funny we have a similar kitchen! and coffenmaker!

I like your glass mosaic tiles. It's a nice blend of contemporary tiles and traditional cabinets like in this first picture. The next backsplash is mine. If you prefer the honed finish or tumbed finish next to the shiny finish of the quartz/granite. Either way it's a nice contrast w/o being too matchy matchy.

Looking at your kitchen in the shot that shows it all, I would love a simple crackle cream subway or maybe a bevel cream tile. You can dress it up a bit with some pretty embossed mouldings in the same finish and maybe a little design with that moulding above the range. I don't know if those are real stone or not as in the photo they look like porcelain. It's also a bit too gold and not reddish enough for the counter. In the 4th photo the one on the left works best. The glass mosaic is too modern for the Tuscan look and the other mosaic too busy.

Forget the overdone Tuscan --it looks dated already--and go clean and classic.

Love, love, love your cabinets! I'd use the backsplash to play them up. Would do two colors: main color close complement to the cabinet paint and small accent color leaning towards the cabinet glaze. Something along the lines of the tiles on the far lefthand side of the #4 photo. Something very subtle and different behind the stove might work or a uniform treatment all the way around could work too. Blondelle's clean and classic advice sums up my thinking on this. HTH.

Forgot to add too.. the countertops don't have a reddish tone.. may look like that from the pic. they are a combo of dark choc brown and carmel color.. tx!!

I was hoping to have the cabinets stand out a bit.. would cream blend too much? maybe I am thinking about this too much. ???

For the pic of the big tile board w/ the glass border being held up.. I would actually only use the 4x4 tiles as field tile.. not the floral border/accents. (and they are ceramic I think) Was thinking of the glass tile as border. I do though, like the look of a floral/embossed border.. but the ones on that board are too much for me. I think that look would be too plain for my husband.. but at this point I dont care!! haha! :)

thanks for the backsplash pic marybeth.. very nice!

anymore suggestions welcome!!!

I think the 4X4s would be nice and I also like the tile on the left in the 4th picture (the darker of the two with the accent piece). Althoug I'm not crazy about the floral boarder either, I do link the floral accent small square.

I don't think you are obssessing to much. I think this is the hardest choice and the choice most often screwed up. On the other hand, it is less costly than cabs and counter, so you can always change.

When you look at the finished kitchens, the majority seem to match the backsplash and the cabinets when doing the white kitchens. Do you like this look? There are some who have contrasted the color of the tiles, but again you have to like the over all feel of what this looks like. I think you need to decide what over all look you like.

Hi - Welcome to the "gotta figure this backspash out and make a decision" club!

My two cents: The travertine is nice (I personally would like honed not tumbled with your kitchen b/c everything else has a smooth finish) - or the "tile on the right" in your 2nd picture (probably less $$ and really looks nice - I like that the color is between the cabinets and the counter & picks up the accent color on cabinets) - either 4x4 or subway as the "field" - and I do like the 1x1 glass mosaics as an accent - maybe you could use 2 or 3 rows as an accent stripe?

Regarding the 2" difference where the microwave is over the stove - I personally don't think it's a dramatic enough difference to accent it. And if you want to accentuate the cabinets, I think that argues against having a busy backsplash with too many materials.

Can't wait to see what you pick!
TechMom

TechMom... when you say tile in the 2nd pic.. do you mean the one pictured w/ the glass in the front and the other mosaic? (i'm showing that as my first pic) What is "honed"?

In the pic after the close up of the tile board w/ little hands (my kids) holding up the glass border.. in this pic there is 2 boards... the one on the right is Jerusualem gold tumbled. do you like that.. or the the one w/ the glass border held up. I def would use the glass as an accent stripe.. not sure if I want to pop in squares of the glass as accents in the diamond pattern (above the glass border) Maybe too much. ??

I'm half tempted to do the whole thing in the glass!!! ha ha

ellendi.. i have looked at tons of pics of off white kitchens... I will look again and see what my eye goes to more!

Hi Steph - I had been looking on your snapfish and it was the 2nd one I looed at - confusing, sorry... But above it's the first picture - it looks like a ceramic tile and has the flower in the middle - the one that on snapfish you said you liked.

I'm not sure about travertine, but for marble, the honed finish is smooth but not shiny, while the tumbled finish has "holes" in it from the tumbling - and has a "distressed" look.

The "little hands" pic w/ the glass border is very nice - and I agree that putting more glass in as accents might be too much.

The idea of all glass is interesting - but would you do it all in the mosaic or pick one of the glass colors in the mosaic and do that in subway tiles as your "field" and still use the mosaic as an accent stripe?

I love your beautiful kitchen! I really like the creamy tiles with the mosaic as accents pieces. I also have a small space above my range and was able to do a small picture-framed area above it. Here's how it looks to give you an idea -

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I looked into honed Jerusualem marble. If you get more than one sample you will see that there are veins running through it. I don't think you can see this in an over all shot of the kitchens. I did not like the veining with my busy granite. So, you need to see the lot of tiles that you will be getting. Also, the brown travertine tiles could run pink or even have a gray cst to them. Just a thought.

techmom.. yes that is the tile i do like... i'm going to take the board back and just take one more look.. maybe find another sample in a similar color. i think i need a brown/gold color if i want the cabinets to pop out a bit. i was initially thinking of doing the glass above the row of horizontal 4x4s.. but wondering how a thicker row on bottom of backsplash (of the glass) would look, then a pencil liner.. then field..??

marci.. thanks for the pic! our kitchens/taste look similar. i actually had a dream about a design over the stove that was similar to what you have.. except there were just the individual 1" glass squares scattered in the penciled off design. what type of field tiles do you have?

ellendi. thanks for the tips! you all are great!!

Steph - I like your idea of the row of 4x4 field tile, then the glass, then more of the field tile - which you could do on the diagonal or not. I love what marci did over her stove, but I don't think you have enough room for that over your stove. I also like how she used a pencil over the bottom row of tile.

Steph,
My field tiles are a honed marble in almond beige.

What did you finally decide on? Can you show a picture?

Steph, pardon the off-topic question: could you tell me which quartz you have? It's what I think the one we selected will look like -- I hope!-- Cambria Branbury. We're waiting for it to be delivered this week.

I have decided on nothing! Once I think I have my mind made up.. I doubt myself. I still like the glass tiles a lot.. but unsure of the field tiles pictured with them. Not sure if they are too close to counter color. Want to go back to tile store to look at field tiles pictured in 4th pic (on board on left.. but the darker of the two)

My husband and friend that does tile both like the 2x2 slate look tiles in the last picture. I just think tht will be too busy for me as an entire backsplash.

Still open to suggestions!!!

Clergychick.. it's Zodiac quartz.. color is Chestnut. I love it. Hope you like yours!!