Oh, those are just stunning--understated elegance IMO. FWIW, our Artistic Tile glass tile (Opera Glass) is holding up very nicely. Don't know anything about the quality/sturdiness of Vetro Lux tile vs the Opera Glass tile, but can tell you that some glass tile can and does hold up well against staining and chipping. Only place it has discolored somewhat is just above the vent along the back of the range, which I think any light colored tile might.

I used premixed and it didn't fall off in the time I lived there...I think premixed has a real advantage for DIYers who are not as quick as professionals. It's nice to be able to close the package to do that cut you didn't think you'd need, or just because you're laying out things slowly. And grout! I wouldn't have been able to handle mixing grout as many times as I would have had to if I hadn't used premixed. That stuff sets pretty quickly (and I don't really like inhaling it dry, either). The pros may laugh and say don't do it, but premixed gives you the luxury of going at your own pace that can make or break an installation.

What a great kitchen, jeanteach - I love the red accents! My backsplash is a subway tile with a very slight bezel. I was hesitant about that aspect of it, but it turned out really nice - the bezel gives it a slight bit of dimension and highlights the grout. (I wish I'd chosen a slightly darker grout color - I wanted a grout color that would disappear, which it does, but I actually liked it better before it dried and it was darker.) I don't know if you can really see the bezel in this photo:

Thanks everyone. I need to look at the sample we have where I work. I thought what we have on display is actually a metal. The reason I thought about using something like this is to brighten the counter area, because when we had our tile floor installed, deep red, brown brick with black grout, I also wanted it put on the wall for the backsplash. Now I feel I chose wrong because the counter area is very dark, even with undercounter lighting, although I do like the brick behind the range. We do not want to have it removed, and I don't want to paint it because I would not like painted bricks and the b &r bricks on the floor. The counter tops will be the HD laminate from Wilsonart in Crystalline Onyx. We are refacing our cabinets and they will be white in color with slab doors with grooves, and satin nickel cup pulls on the drawers and SN round knobs on the doors. I ordered a SS sink also. The appliances are white. Thanks again. Jane