I am in the minority I know but I absolutely love full height backsplash in matching granite to the countertop. Our friends just put in Ubatuba with a full height backsplash as well as a dining bay counter and serving counter full height backsplash. It is stunning. They chose a bevel edge and the fabricator even beveled the vertical edges of the stone that rise up to the upper cabinets. She has nothing on her counters except a crystal bowl on a wrought iron frame that holds a bowl of lemons. The look is outstanding.

I think Suede Brown would have the same elegance. My vote is to go with the full height backsplash.

well, i'm not a fan, but if you're looking to add a splash of modern-feel to your design, that's certainly one way to do it. it ends up looking very sleek and clean and monotone, which lends itself to modern.

it'll be dark, but depending on what the other surfaces in your room are and how much light you get, that might not be an issue. you'll need to balance it, though.

as for the weight, many granite fabricators will offer backsplash thickness which are sliced much more thinly than the ones they use for countertops. i think it depends on your choice of stone and your vendor/fabricator, but you can at least inquire.

I have Blue Pearl granite both as a counter top and backsplash and I really like the look. For the backsplash I used tile rather than slab because it was significantly cheaper. You can see pictures on my home page or on the Finished Kitchens Blog.

I have uba tuba in my condo with the uba tuba backsplash. I
like it but it is too dark for the kitchen. Not much light
in the kitchen.

claybabe's backsplash is not a slab but it is black tile with a black countertop (dark with dark), so it could give you a great visual idea of what you're thinking about doing.

Also, check out . It's a blue granite, so not super-dark, but it's certainly got presence!

I have a slab backsplash but of white marble, and I LOVE it! Yes, it was more expensive than doing tile but the reason I love it is because I can see the marble. I chose this particular countertop marble for a reason: I think it's gorgeous and it makes my heart smile. If it were only on my counter I wouldn't be able to see it from other vistas, but with it as the backsplash, I see it when I'm in the breakfast nook, I see it from the family room, I see it every time I enter the kitchen.

Here's a picture of my kitchen from a while ago (before it was finished), but it'll give you an idea. I guess maybe it depends on the material because I totally disagree with edlakin: I don't think our marble slab backsplash makes our kitchen seem modern -- I think the modern appliances and sink do that, but not the backsplash. But who's to say a touch of modern is a bad thing? Pas moi!

Sandra,

Reading between the lines, I am guessing you don't have your counter in yet. If I'm wrong, and you do, would it be possible for your fabricator to lend you a backsplash piece to try out on an area of your counter?

I'm suggesting that, because only you will be able to decide if it's too dark for you- yes, it will reflect lots of light, particularly when your lights are on. I agree with all your pros- I may be biased as I'm waiting for my granite BS to arrive. My only concern was the darkness factor, and due to circumstances beyond our control, we are actually changing our dark granite to a lighter one, so that is no longer an issue for me. I think it will look very elegant, and of course, I am also assuming that you will have undercabinet lighting.

We had just a 4" high (8 foot long) sample against our counter, and it did lighten things up when they took it back, so as I suggested, if you can get your hands on a sample to try out, that might help answer your concerns.

My last kit had ubatuba and ubatuba tile backsplash. Hopefully this will work, it shows some of it.
a http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd274/eandhl/IMG_0282.jpg

I guess maybe it depends on the material because I totally disagree with edlakin: I don't think our marble slab backsplash makes our kitchen seem modern -- I think the modern appliances and sink do that, but not the backsplash. But who's to say a touch of modern is a bad thing? Pas moi!

sorry if i wasn't clear enough--i don't think a slab marble backsplash looks modern. the opposite, actually, it gives more of an old-timey feel, imo. a soapstone backsplash might do the same thing. but granite, especially a darker granite, to me feels like a more modern detail.

and i wasn't trying to imply there was anything wrong with modern, or even modern elements in an otherwise traditional kitchen. sometimes that kind of eclectic style mixing can be very cool.

How about blue pearl? Countertops are slab, but the backsplash is tile:

In our former home, we had white cabs and Verde Maritaca (darkest green) counters and full height backsplash. It was my MOST favorite decision I did in there...simple, understated, and a bit dramatic and sophisticated. Looked GORGEOUS at night too, esp with just undercabinet lights on.

I told my husband I wanted to be buried in my kitchen. But we moved.

Anyway, I personally am a bit weary of over-designed kitchens with so many flourishes. Same granite backsplash is one way to show restraint and set the stage for your food or countertop art.

Just my 2 cents...