hi there late chiming in, but we formerly had a butler's pantry with a hutch in it. our pet peeve was the shallow counter in front of the upper doors. we just couldn't resist putting things on it which had to be moved every time we wanted something from the cabinet. it was so annoying that we stopped using the top cabinet of the hutch. now it's gone completely. i notice your cabinet is near a doorway...is this a place where people are likely to set things? if so, you're better off keeping the cabinet the way it is to prevent that...you know your needs best. the short counters of the inspiration pic also remind me of those short counters that "banjo" from the vanity over the toilet tank in some bathrooms. some people love em, some hate em. can you use the skinny counter? i think your cabinets look pretty and also traditional. many traditional kitchens had glass doors but no moulding which would have been much too fancy for a kitchen in that era. but moulding can also look good. one final thought...are deeper cabinets more easily lit from inside (more room for the lighting?) i would put plain white dishes in the back and then the pretty things up front. best of luck to you!! kren

My first glance didn't see the border as "too much", until it was focused on. Then it did seem a bit large. I would live with this for a while and add details as others mentioned. You could play with the tile using contact paper to change tile size, add black trim ect. But even the inspiration pics, there are things I would change. Final thoughts are the pattern is is a bit large and yes to wider black trim. A half round black on top of the upper tiles would work as a detail and easy to install. Not sure painting tiles is the answer. Love the BW ticking shower curtain shown. I just finished my kitchen with BW tile and bead board to bring back the feeling of my little 50s house. It is great to know others are around that have some comfort with this style.

Thanks bbstx, I would never have found that image. It does look cool on that chair too; more what it is probably designed for, but I love it on Grandma's chair too. So much fun! We famous!! And 1929, I think I was the one who goofed by not making the scale more clear when I posted....it was hard to make the leap without knowing that. Thanks for your kind words, and no worries, your secret is safe here :) kitty, thank you so much, I do have the needlepoint, and I must say it was kind of neat to see the back of it, and how much care had gone into stitching it so neatly. I will take good care of it. And I don't doubt that it could be reunited with the chair someday. Who knows, maybe one of my kids will buy an old house with a proper parlor where it could really shine, like the LR in my Grandma's old house.

A lot of time, basic 6x6's will come with tile lugs that create a predetermined spacing for the tile. You need to find out if the tile you are interested in has that. If not, then remember that the thinner the grout lines, the less wavy your wall has to be or else you will have problems. If you are doing this from the studs out as new construction, then be sure that you use a long enough level to check to be sure that all of the studs are plumb and they are all perfectly in line. If one is off, it will throw off your whole tile spacing if you are planning on thin grout lines. Thicker grout lines are always more forgiving for a novice tiler.