I'd tile around it all if I could afford it but I am not a fan of tile with grout on horizontal surfaces. I'd use another surface for the flat part of your window. Either your counter material or wood (painted or not) would look fine.

I was faced with a similar decision, and decide to just tile up a bit on the side of the window. I don't have the nice wood framed windows like you do.

My question is, which tile are you going to use? You are showing three shapes of the tile. You mentioned subway, but the way the picture looks, a subway length tile would need to be cut. I am not sure if this will look good, so I would tile halfway and paint.
I also agree that if you do tile, don't tile the sill.

I agree that tiling all the way around the window would look best (and you don't have to worry about the paint color). We are planning to do the same thing with our's. I've also debated the question of whether or not to use the tile trim pieces around the window. Right now I'm leaning against doing that. I think the regular wood trim pieces complete the look of the window, and sort of set it off from the backsplash. That way the trim around that window will be the same as the trim around any other windows in the kitchen. Also - those tile trim pieces are very expensive. Will be interested to see what you decide. Good Luck!

I prefer the look of casing and paint but I have seen some do tile all the way around and have it look great. What kind of countertops are you doing?

dianalo, Thanks for that vote of confidence. Soapstone is the counter. Paint or wood worries me, as this will be used for a functional herb garden. In the NE in the winter, good, fresh herbs are hard to come by, that's not ridiculously expensive. We don't know how paint or stain will hold up with the watering.
remodelfla, no wood frame as yet. Just bare bones from the install. But we can do that option.
ellendi, the BS will be subway, but since it is back ordered we can do whatever⦠up the sides. By halfway are you meaning to the bottom of the cabs, and painting the sides of the window and up and over? Thanks for clarifying. We can cut the pieces but that said, you may be right that it might not look good.
Thanks, abbeys. I'll run all this by the GC tomorrow. I do think the wood trim would offset it nicely as well.

I tiled all the way up and into the window. Not the base, but I wanted a soapstone sill.

My inspiration for tiling all the way into the window was oofasis's kitchen window.

I LOVE that second pic supermom! Putting it in my "inspirations" file! Thanks!

Wow... that soapstone sill looks fabulous! I like how you worked black tiles into the pattern to coordinate.

I was stuck for the word "sill" earlier, and then had to smack my forehead when I read the later posts. Duh!

I'd do a tile frame for the window in trim pieces and have the field tiles come up to the frame that way. Lax's worked out better her way because of the type of tile she used. With your tile, I'd use a nice bullnose to make it more of a feature around the window.

laxsupermom, I love the look of the tile all the way up and around. And I really love the idea of the SS sill. Thanks for posting the pic so I can see it. How did you do the SS sill?

Sorry, dianalo...I'm having a stuck moment here. But are you saying the bullnose to the left and right side of the window? Or just use it along the outside edges with tile pieces going up? Having trouble visualizing it :(

laxsupermom, I love the look of the tile all the way up and around. And I really love the idea of the SS sill. Thanks for posting the pic so I can see it. How did you do the SS sill?

Sorry, dianalo...I'm having a stuck moment here. But are you saying the bullnose to the left and right side of the window? Or just use it along the outside edges with tile pieces going up? Having trouble visualizing it :(

Celt - I meant that there are bullnose trim pieces you can use all around the window opening that will look more polished than just using subways. They will form a frame going in the direction of the opening and not all the same horizontal direction that the field tiles would be. The sides of the opening would have tiles going vertically, while they'd go across at the top. Even if you do not get special bullnose pieces, you can run your tile that way to make a specific frame around the window.

Like you said, and then had to smack my forehead when I read the later posts. Duh!

I clearly see what you are saying now. And agree about the vertical going up the sides.

Thanks for being patient with my Duh! moment :)

browsing through this old discussion as i need to make this decision as well. Sounds like wood trim will make the window stand out OR tiling all the way up and around gives a great look - but would wood hold up to water splashes? no problem there ?