Now focusing on either completely white marble or pale marble body color with pale streaking. Any suggestions? (All my samples of marble have medium to dark toned streaks.) One idea is pillowed thassos like Mindimoo, but I dont have a picture. Is it my imagination or did my thread about choosing the finish of the Modernaire hood crown disappear?

Hello Bbabers, I've posted this elsewhere, but I don't mind repeating it. For very tight-set tiles, I like to use mason's string in long lengths laid into the horizontal joint as a spacer. The string is then carefully pulled out, like a rip chord, before the thinset has gotten hard. This method allows me to lay flat edges on the face of the tile, to assure that everything is "in plane" and to wash things up without disrupting the spacers. I've liked some of the very faint gray grouts (non-sanded of course) but there are too many variables to suggest a specific color now. Investigate which grout manufacturers are available to you and then get sample chits for the colors you are considering. I carry color boxes for five grout manufacturers and will often pull them all out when I am working with a client on color choices. I've got my preferred brands, but they each have unique color palettes so I show them all. More important than brand is the expiration date of the grout and whether the supplier adequately rotates their inventory. When you find the color you want, confirm with the supplier that the dates stamped on the package indicate a "fresh" grout. Cementitious products aren't generally reliable past 1 year after manufacture. Best of luck, Shaughnn

You could, but it's a checkerboard for lack of a better word... I don't see it in your space at all. Your kitchen floor/cabinets are warm, your counter is cool even though beautiful. You don't need grout, "jumping" out from the tile.... "popping" out from the tile color. Too busy in my opinion for what I think you want. Herringbone in that size would take a TON of cuts and you would need a person to install that is STELLAR and well versed in doing herringbone with such a large tile. You may want to look for, "herringbone" there is a lot at tile bar. Not going to be as large in scale though. Given the width of the space between your counters and cupboards that size would be a ton of waste going with 12" even if you found a stellar well versed tile person. If you lean herringbone you might look at their samples at tile bar or even a chevron which is not to terribly different. Not just tile bar, but fire clay is another site or Zanger. This is from the Zanger website... it's chevron. Remember, your cupboards and floors are warm and you chose a cool tone counter. I don't know their sample program at Zanger as well. http://www.walkerzanger.com/collections/products.php?view=style&mat=Zen&coll=Shift

@Michele Bennett I was/am unaware of any edging tile to match this, so I didn't have any. The edge pieces were showing around an archway to the shower and they were pale blue. I didn't like that, especially after being told they would use a Schluter edge. I chose a paint to match the grout and had the edge painted. It's ok but not elegant. I would find a solution to this before committing to this tile. The tile setter used Schluter around the shower niche and It looks nice. Pictures to follow...