Amy, I like the window as is. The sill will still get some gunk on it because of it being low. (sill will still? lol)

Keep a microfiber dish cloth on hand at all times. When it's damp from your hands, give the bottom of the sill a good wipe.

Thanks for the opinion Oakley. I agree that it looks nice now. And I am wiping constantly. But you can see in the pic how the gook builds up in the crevasse. I so wish I could be done with that!

If you decide to use the 2 layers of tile, be sure they fit across the length of window. IOW's make sure the distance between the counter-top and the window sill is the same the full length of the windows.

amysrq-

I am late to the party, but wanted to say I think the two courses of tile will be perfect, so rip away, my friend. Also love the subtleness of the tile with your quartz, it's a perfect foil for painting your uppers in a different color. Of course, since this is me talking, I cannot recommend a calm, sedate color, I would go for the contrast with your wall color and use something unexpected, a dusky teal or a grassy green with just a little gray (taupe?). Right now I am grooving on the FPOE Susan Sargent colors, Sea Crest is the blue, Tap Dance is the green.

This winter I am going to recoat some of our cabs in Sea Crest, in the highest gloss they make (which I understand is pretty glossy). I want to try the contrast of a dusky color in a high gloss.

Have fun choosing-

sandyponder

Annz, I had to read that twice! :-) But then I got it. And indeed, the sills slope, just like seemingly every other thing in this house. :-(

The good news is that there is clearance for two full courses of tile. I will be sure to talk to the tile guy about how to grace the slope.

Sandy, you color-enabler you! My kitchen is full of girls baking cookies right now, but I suspect we'll have at it when they are done. If I do any fun colors, it will be inside the cabinets most likely. Or maybe on the little divider bookcase. One step at a time.

I wanna see that Fine Paints Susan Sargent project when it's done. Promise me.... :-)

Is that Pratt & Larson tile, Amy?

Sure is, Fly! Good call. :-)

I fell in love with this stuff way back when I still had the first counters and it was not even a possibility. Once the counters had to be replaced, and I chose a simpler pattern, suddenly the Intaglio came into focus.

Interesting issue, however...I've sorted the tile for glaze issues and warping and seem to have three distinct colors. It is subtle but certain. I have quizzed everyone who has been in the house for the last two or three days and it is unanimous. (big sigh)

Today, I plan to do a drawing on paper to see if I can isolate each slightly different color in a different plane. Not so easy since I am only tiling two walls. But, there is a dark corner with the espresso machine that might get the worst of the problem and there are plenty of the "perfect" tiles to cover my range wall, I believe.

Why-oh-why does this kind of thing always happen? It was the last thing I expected from P&L.

Amy, you sure that the best way to use this tile is to use these three distinct types in groups rather than mix them randomly?
Can you post photos of each separately and next to each other? Subtle but distinct can add a layer of depth to the whole.

amysrq-

Oh, P&L tile, that stuff is so beautifully made and seems durable and sturdy (from the samples I was able to fondle at a showroom). I agree with punamytsike, depending on the level of variation between the tiles, it may be worth considering dropping the ones that have the highest contrast in randomly instead of grouping them. But, that depends on both the level of variation and your tolerance for tileative dissonance.

Our upstairs bath is tiled in 4" white marble, all different kinds. Of course it was such a steal that I had to buy it, and I carefully culled out ones I wanted to use under the towel racks, where the towels would cover them. Our old school tile guy just as carefully put them in randomly, he explained that the best way to hide variation is in plain sight. After seeing the end result, I agreed.

This is a highly personal decision, and one that only you can make after some contemplation, my real advice is to keep your mind open and play with tile placement often till you find what pleases your eye.

Good luck-

sandyponder

p.s. Guilty as charged on the color enabler remark, sorry, it's a lifelong affliction.

Hi punamy. The pictures don't really show the problem very well. It's subtle. But, not so subtle that I think I can butt the colors next to each other without it looking like I ordered three different colors, IMO.

Gray, beige and pink, in that order.

I am thinking I need to make transitions behind things like countertop appliances. I just did all the math and I can do it, though I am not happy about it.

Sandyponder, I think I have a low tolerance for tileative dissonance. I wanted this backsplash to whisper. It still does, but it would probably nag a bit, in a whispering tone, if I dropped the gray ones in. I dunno. I guess I need to get them on a piece of wall board with duct tape and see if I can mock-up a mix.

I have to say, I am just so freaking annoyed that I have to deal with this. I really want this to be over, but I also really want my backsplash to be right...no compromises. If this were for a client, I would reject it.

I should probably put off the installation for at least a week and drive the two hours each way to the tile store on Thursday. Yippee....Boston suburbs two days before Christmas. Can't wait...

What a bummer! I would be so annoyed. That would really bug me though. :( I don't think I could live with it.

Amy, I recognized it because it's part of my daughter's bath mosaic (the mosaic that ate Beaverton)--cut up by me, of course!

Now re the color: actually P&L is famous for their handmade/handglazedness, so IMO complete computer-evenness of color is not to be expected. The slight variation in tone is what is so great about it. I agree w/sandyponder that you should mix them in with the others--or at least try doing it on the floor somewhere, a good few sf, not just one of each-- and start seeing whether your eye learns to love the mottledness. Think of it as intentional rather than as a flaw, and see what happens...