didn't have time to read all the answers. I have no backsplash and have never regretted it...been over 6 yrs. It is painted with BM matte...which has ceramic in it. It is as beautiful now as it was when first painted. I love the fact that I can showcase other things ...art etc in my kitchen and no competition. Also if I ever want to change it is as quick as a paint brush...expense is minimal..paint only ! All in all I think it is serene as you point out . Here is one pick. Since I have a lot of high heat cooking in my kitchen..built in deep fat fryer as well as gas cook top I can definitely speak to the longevity of paint only. c ( more at this album )

Lukki is right about boards; they help you think, and I have been doing them since I was a teenager. I've even saved my late mother's house boards from a college project. However, the ends to which we use them are soooo different. I think the easiest to work with are big form boards with faint lines at the half-inch. For my current house, I cut strips of blue painters tape for walls, which need to move, and taped on pretty scrap book paper for furniture, applicances, etc. I have so many paint chips over the years that I may well owe SW and BM money! Fabric is my biggest weakness--I rub the between my fingers, move them to different lights. (looking at your stuff, you may want to look at the marrimekko site). And I have executed exactly one of them. It was a 6" x8" kitchen. To me, "done" means, "I perfected it all in 2004 !!!" Furthermore, some perfectly decorated houses are very hostile to visit, as my clothes don't coordinate or something. "Grandma's kitchen"? It was "done" --all fresh and stylish once. Definately have fun with design boards. Then the next time you are looking for shoes and spot a crazy light fixture, you can say, "wow! The the black works with my surround, thing-a-ma-jigs are the same shape as those lanterns in my backsplash, and look! That not gold, it's yellow! I could hang it ____!" Or you love it and know it won't work as it, but if you change.... Since you asked, neutrals for resale make me tired. Live with the blue you like and paint it only if you want to. The mirror? So dated it is practically retro and I would absolutely keep it. The little part around the corner doesn't reflect your water, but probably cannot be removed with damaging the corner, my first thought would be a tall, skinny metal palm tree with green and white Christmas tree lights on it. You can do better. Can you raid your gandma's? For the main mirror, I can think of a whole bunch of things I would try out --most would not work my first attemp (if ever!), but when I got it right It would be fresh again and I would smile. You cannot ever work out your reflective or light-related stuff on a board--but this is about your backsplash and I digress. sounds like you are going with the wavy stainless. I never get to perfect, but you are close with that one!

I don't know what your client has in mind completely. It might be worth asking the client for some inspiration pictures for what she has in mind. I think some glass mosaics might be overpowering for that granite. But there are some glass mosaics that might work as long as they are very plain. Super white glass tile Maybe something like this with a tiny bit of pattern: Silver planks glass tile Or maybe this one which might work with the colour in the counter: glass mosaic - raw silk

I personally like the paint around the windows and I would not care for tile all the way around ... think it would be too busy and I have a beautiful backyard to look at and would prefer that to be the focal point. This backsplash certainly makes a statement in my mind