No rules--pick what you like! We have shiny granite and our backsplash tile is a mix of glossy and matte glass. I think either finish would have looked nice with our granite, but the mosaic we chose only came with the mix.

Nope, no rules. Just do what you like and what speaks to you. Get samples of both and hold it against your granite.

Redoze, I was just looking at your photos! You have the Ann Sach's matte subways with the shiny granite right?
Your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL!!!

The tile designer thinks that matte subway tiles are bathroomy and they look too flat. True subway tiles are shiny,but I'm afraid it will be too much shine with the polished granite.It's difficult for me to picture an entire backsplash by looking at one tile.

We have shiny and bright Vetrazzo Floating Blue countertops which are a bright turquoise in white cement matrix. Our subways are a soft white with an accent line of blue green tiles and a simple mosaic over our cooktop. All are shiny, bright and iridescent glass tiles and we love it.

The key is to keep the backsplash from being too busy with a complicated pattern that clashes with your granite. And that is where subway tiles really are great. You could pick one color tile but use a colored grout to make it look interesting but complement your granite. Or you could pick two to four complementary colors in subway tile and make your own running bond mix. Or... ;;)

You can always do a pattern with both matte and glossy if that helps with brightness and budget. go for it!

Tentatively picked out my tile yesterday and had the same issue. I have seen so many pictures of finished kitchens with shiny granite and shiny "busy" backsplashes that have absolutely given me headaches. I just don't think I could live in such a kitchen. I agree that you need to stay away from shiny tiles with a busy pattern. If you keep it simple, you should be safe. My preferance is a combination of textures for depth and interest, but that is just my personal taste. We are leaning towards a tumbled travertine with embrossed inserts for interest. We will "shine it up" over the cooktop with a waterfall effect tile treatment which will be a combination of glass and travertine. I am not very original...I need to see pictures...but I sure am good at copying ideas once I see a photograph I like. Maybe that will help you too.

I never even knew there might be a right or wrong way when I chose mine!

I've got a shiny dark brown granite counter and shiny crema marfil backsplash. The b/s has no pattern, other than the natural marble veining, so it's very simple. I really love the way it all looks.

The reflection issue never even crossed my mind until I heard about it here, but I don't think it would have changed my mind because my granite has no movement and the tiles have no pattern, so while there is shine, there's no busyness or loudness.

Also, I wanted something that looked a little "dressier" and to my eye, matte is more casual. I don't doubt lots of folks will disagree with that, but that's how my eye sees it.

What's your granite? Does it have lots of movement or is it more uniform?

To answer your question, and I'm not a designer, but I don't think there's a rule. I'd take into account how busy your granite it, how busy the tiles are, and if you're going for more casual or more formal feeling. That's a good starting point.

Can you post pics of your granite?

I am not very original either, I need to see pictures too. I do see lots of photos in the kitchen magazines that show white cabinets, white subways and black granite. I have a large center island with is a black/gray/green granite which is in the kitchen now. We are not replacing this because it is very nice. We are replacing the white corian and mexican clay tiles which are around the perimeter of the kitchen. Do you think it is ok to do a glossy granite center island and a honed granite or soapstone counter around the rest of the kitchen or should the granite be of similar texture? I am thinking of doing glossy white subways because my tile person thinks the matte subways don't look very nice in a kitchen. She is a well respected kitchen decorator, so I defer to her because she should know what's up. And, I always doubt myself anyway! If anyone here has white matte subway tiles I loved to get your take on them and maybe a picture. Since the kitchen is all black and white, it may be a little boring and I don't want to make it worse by making it too shiney as well! Thanks all for your comments

Mines brown (floor and counters) and creamy white (b/s, cabs, walls and blinds) and shiny, and I don't think it's the least bit boring. It's clean and uncluttered.

It's my little black dress, which I've dressed up with jewellery by way of art on the walls.

I'd get the colours right before I considered glossy or matte. I think WAY too many kitchens fall apart at the backaplash, and it's usually the colour or the "feel" doesn't mesh with the counter or the floor. Just my opinion.

Thanks, you make a lot of sense. I love the "little black dress" analogy. It is just simple. Sounds good, do you have any pictures posted on the site?

I haven't quite figured out how to post pics yet....still working on it...lol

My thought is polished granite is glossy enough. When you use a matte backsplash material, it tends to highlight the granite's gloss, which most folks want, since they shelled out the big bucks for that shiny slab.
Further if you have undercounter lighting, the glare from the reflection off a shiny backsplash can be too much.

Thanks Ginad! =)

We have matte tiles in one bathroom, and glossy in another, and they both look great. The traditional, classic subway tile has tended to be glossy if that's what you're doing for. I'd always loved the look of tumbled marble subway tiles but since we chose granite countertops, the colouring of tumbled marble wouldn't have worked with it and tumbled marble is higher maintenance. I looked into the Ann Sacks handmade tiles, noticed it came in matte, and presto...the matte/non-shiny look I loved, but in a colour that worked with my granite.

I agree with the others that you can get the best of both worlds with a shiny and matte tile combination. But your granite needs to be relatively quiet...not too busy...or busy counters and a busy backsplash will be too many fighting elements.

I don't find that our matte backsplash reads too "casual" at all...it all depends on the other elements in your kitchen. I think it's partially because our tiles are also handmade which give it more character and colour variation. If they were machine-made matte tiles I may think otherwise.

Yes, I think it would be okay to do a glossy granite island, honed counter for the perimeter with glossy tiles. That may just solve some of your doubts.