I like your cabinet color and counter-top choice, the colors work well together. We recently put together an article on backsplash options, ideas and styles which you may find useful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Cabinet Kings Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling Blog

Your granite is beautiful! I love the term "euro-lodge", I've not heard it used, and I think it fits my new house, to some extent.

I've been looking for an excuse to post some new pictures, and I think these might help you. I used glass in my kitchen: Marazzi Catwalk in Sable Slipper, but my granite isn't as dramatic as yours (although the colors are similar, I think). They do have an option in the Catwalk pattern that is much more subtle, if you like the linear look in glass.

Then in my Master Bath, the backsplash on the walls is a marble by Ann Sacks - the slab countertops and large shower tiles are also Ann Sacks, but the backsplash is a slightly different color: Athens Grey, while the rest of the marble is Athens Silver Cream. We actually didn't do that on purpose, but after we discovered we'd been shipped the wrong color for the backsplash we'd already gotten most of it up and found we like the slight contrast.

I don't think you can go wrong w/your granite and cabinetry - sounds like your house is going to be gorgeous! Please share when you can!

By the way: there's no grout yet in these pictures.

Kitchen glass backsplash:

Master Bath marble backsplash:

@riley605~ Your kitchen and bath are so gorgeous! The kitchen backsplash tile is amazing and I and kicking myself! It would be too busy in my granite, even in the other tones. I may have to do it in my shower though. That's next...lol. You are right on target! Feeling the euro-lodge. Love it! That Ann sacks tile might work... The colors look right. I will have to order samples. Oh, and I love your slab cabinets!

@KCKing- Thank you for the link!

Your granite is beautiful! What about a taupey color tile in a fun shape but with a solid color? I like the Ann sachs tile in the above photo. I think that shape would be great in a little darker of a color perhaps? Does that make sense?

Off topic- what are you planning to do with your window sill and the trim around it?

Thank you so much - this has been such a long and frustrating process (we're building ground-up, not a remodel) that it's easy to lose sight of the big picture!

I am cracking up that you mentioned the possibility of using the glass in your shower ... I almost posted this earlier, but thought it was unneccessary: we did a whole wall in our master bath in the glass Catwalk!

It does look amazing w/the marble, which has a lot of grey tones, and you may not be able to tell but this particular marble doesn't have traditional veining. It has a very sweeping, river-like movement. I would be more than happy to send you some samples, since I have plenty left-over of both colors.

Remember I mentioned that we meant to use Athens Silver Cream all over, but received Athens Grey in the backsplash (I'm guessing due to a shipping accident on their end)? We didn't notice until we ran out and needed to order more; when we received backsplash tiles in Silver Cream, we saw it didn't match what was on the wall and on then did we check the original shipping cartons! So I do have mosaic tile in Athens Grey and scraps of 16x20 tiles in Athens Silver Cream from the shower. Honestly, I'd be more than happy to help, because I believe Ann Sacks deals mostly w/trade. I'm sure your local tile and stone supplier could get them, but you might get mine faster. ;)

So just for fun, here's a wall of glass in the bathroom of marble:

in this picture, the back of the shower looks darker because it isn't the Athens Silver Cream marble that is on each end wall, it's a dark grey Emser tile:

In case you're curious, that wall was supposed to have a tub jutting out from it, but we screwed up and didn't allow enough walk-around room. So we have this dramatic look - the openings on each side of glass wall are the walk-ins to the shower, and all the shower plumbing is on the back side of the glass.

That dark slab is the black walnut mantle that hung over the fireplace in our last "forever" house ... we lost it in a tornado February 2009. But, we have great insurance and are finally about to be back in our "new and improved forever" home!

I think it might be a hoot to do something like this.
{{!gwi}}

That's porcelain tile--not wood. Not sure that's the exact right material, but you could go to a tile store and ask to see wood-patterned or textured tiles and bring some home. You obviously want to suggest a bit of lodge but not make it look like there's actual wood nailed to your walls; you want something a bit ironic. It can be cut to any shape, including subways.

You could also explore something that suggests, but is not actually, rock.

I do like the glass mosaic direction above, too; if someone in this thread had suggested "creamy, neutral subways" I would've put my head through my monitor.

I am so excited! You are so inspiring and I don't want this to sound so typical. I know it does, but I am psyched!
@ marcolo- "creamy, neutral subways" This crack actually made me bellow with laughter! I like the wood idea. especially cut subway shaped. Do you think it competes or would work with the beadboard?
You are all nudging at ideas I've been afraid to say out loud. I will post a couple of them. Chew them apart please. Be brutal!
These are pics of my walls. I HAVE NOT painted yet! The walls have a pattern to them that will be painted a stone shade. Pale gray/taupe.

Here is a link that might be useful: floor slabs for backsplash?

This is another floor tile I was kicking around as BS idea.

Here is a link that might be useful: 16x16 etched terrazzo

That floor tile reminds me of your lyncrusta above the beadboard, but I think cut up you might not be able to see the pattern.

You seem to like the viny patterns. I've always thought this would be fun as a backsplash somewhere:

{{!gwi}}

What I'd encourage you to do is not to make the mistake so many here make--let yourself get browbeaten into bland and blah right from the start. Go collect a bunch of samples from tile stores, and then let us make fun of your choices.

Yes, I scrolled vines everywhere, lol. What is that tile? Do you know. I saw etched 4x12 trav somewhere in my travels with this pattern, too. I live in the mountains and will have to either travel for samples or order online.
@briana, not sure what I am doing with window trim yet.It will be tiled around it but I don't know if the casing will stay or go.

My Mr. here wants to lodge a vote for the woodgrain porcelain tiles.
In the more traditional vein....
I too like the term Euro lodge. Would something sort of Italian work for you?

Well, I am sort of Italian too, so yes! LOL (by sort of, 1/2 Irish;) What did you have in mind? I don't want to get too traditional or "Tuscan", more modern day Italy. They are known for incorperating new and old. I love that look! Kitchy-cool.

It's not a tile, it's actually a wallpaper, made of wood veneer. Maya Romanoff, and it's eye-poppingly, throat-closingly expensive.

lol at Marcolo (as usual). Have we (I) seen your kitchen? I would LOVE to see your BS to know if you put your money where your mouth is. :)

Ptamom, countertops look great!

Since you're asking for ideas, with "a squeak of rustic old world paired with modern" -- how about a classic tumbled 4x4 backsplash paired with something funky, like a crushed glass in a diamond pattern? This is not a random suggestion.. it's what is being grouted in my kitchen as we type (pix in progress on the linked thread).

Here is a link that might be useful: My backsplash, in progress

Any BS decision yet, ptamom?

hah I love "euro-lodge"! The hunting lodge of a duke around Turin had alot of murals and faux painting such as the huge plaster support columns were faux painted to look like huge marble columns (see, even then people wanted wanted marble where they couldn't make it happen lol) but the kitchen was the typical HUGE fireplace in the pre-stove times. The only other "euro-lodge" that I've been in is Dublin castle where everything is on a huge scale, even given the huge scale of the castle rooms, but alas the kitchen is the still the fireplace type. So no modern anything in either since people aren't actively living in them. But I thought you might be interested since one's Italian and one's Irish!

Going along the modern glass idea, have you seen catmom's (any relation to ptamom lol??) fabulous glass BS? The link to it is below.

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: catmom's backsplash

Hi everyone!
We just , JUST, got back from vacation. I survived a week without internet and it was wonderful, peaceful, and recharging. Aah.
@ mtnfever. LOL! Love youe post. I will look up catmoms BS. Curiouser and curiouser. More soon!