Is it grouted yet? Maybe grout color can pull them together.

Yep, it was grouted this morning. I thought maybe the grout would make a diff. too but it didn't lighten it up.

sher nc, I like it! You are going to have a very classy kitchen! What color will your walls be? Maybe that will help you feel that it is more visually tied together.

It's beautiful but I see what you mean. What's the texture of the tile like? Is it rough or smooth? I want to know because, and this may sound a bit off the wall, but I used to do this white wash technique on wood sometimes and I wonder if it would work on a rougher tile. Do you have any you could play around with a bit? I don't know what sort of paint you would use but I used to use just a white or cream colored craft paint but with LOTS of water, like thinner than skim milk even and then lightly brush it on and then wipe most of off with a wet cloth. I'm sure it sounds totally crazy and I'm sure LOTS of people will say don't do it for very good reasons, but maybe play around with a spare tile and see what happens? I don't even know if you'd be able to seal it like that or not. Sorry I know I'm not much help but it would be really expensive to rip it all out and start over and if it bothers you a lot it might be worth a try.

Good luck, your kitchen is so beautiful, I love your cabinet color!!

Robin

Your kitchen is beautiful. I do see what you mean about the backsplash color. I l love it in and of itself and I LOVE the design you chose. It does read a little beige on my monitor. Hopefully Bill will weigh in on whether or not what rmlanza suggested would work. You should still be proud of all your beautiful work.

Since you can't lighten it, what about adding an enhancer to at brighten it up a bit?

Jodi-

Thanks everyone. I'll see how it looks once it's painted. I was planning on a neutral SW Kilim Beige, but now I'm leaning towards SW Accessible Beige which is more taupe like. But there won't be much paint in the kitchen. Only around the frig. in the corner & around the pantry (neither is pictured). Since the kitchen is small most of the walls are covered w/tile.

The tiles are the rough texture so I might try that white wash technique. I have some extra tile to try it with.

DH happens to love it the way it is...

I think its going to be fine - it's one of those ones that needs "your stuff".

It is a nice background, but it needs a family in front of it.

ok. i'm honest. so maybe sit down. I LOVE LOVE LOVE gthe cabinets (I'm kicking myself for not picking that style BTW)....LOVE the granite. As the the tile...oye....it just doesn't go mama. I'm really sorry. I would DEFINITELTY try to paint it or white wash it and seal it. I mean it COULD be the monitor, but the gold tone and texture in the tile doesn't really go with the rest of it. I can see a white or gray in there there. Oye. SORRY :( But I really try to be honest since I hope people are the same with me....

just to clarify, imo, it goes with the cabinets...just not the granite...with all the $ that you're probably spending, rip that stuff out before it cures and buy new tile....maybe compromise and pick a cheaper tile...even a plain white subway tile or more modern mosaic would look HOT and it so cheap... I mean you're doing a lot of work and if you can swing it, make it the way you love...

We had the same exact issue with our floor tile. All of our samples were significantly lighter than the those contained in the full order. We hemmed and hawed over it - we had to either accept the tiles or start over with new choices, as we would not be able to get that lighter color. We ended up sticking with them, got used to the darker beige, and now we love how the floor turned out. We were able to cut the sample tiles, and use them as accent pieces.
I do think your backsplash looks great - but, you have to feel good about it. Good luck, and let us know if enhancing/whitewashing makes any difference.

Thank you moremoremore. Maybe it will be ok, maybe not, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't think it matches ;) DH can't believe I'm not 100% happy with it. If I try to lighten/whitewash it, can I do it even after the vent hood is installed?

This is the tile laying on the counter before the install

and at the warehouse (doesn't look beige!)

Going on what more3x said, if you wanted to rip it out and put in something all white...well I KNOW there is tile paint. I DON'T know how well it holds up though. Maybe Bill can answer that. But just yesterday I was watching one of those "get it sold" or "designed to sell" or whatever shows and they painted a bathroom full of pink tile. It was so great looking! They used white and, although I don't know how reliable the info was, they said that it was really durable and scrubbable (is that a word?) and that goes even for the grout. So, although I think your tile is gorgeous, I agree that it doesn't go well with your granite and if you just couldn't rip it out now and shell out the money for new tile, painting it (with tile paint, not just white washing it) might be an option also. I sure hope Bill sees this thread!

Billlllll...OHHHHH BILLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!;o)

I hate to do this, but I agree with moremoremore also. It does look very different in the photo laying down than when it is installed. To me, it doesn't work with the granite. I'm not sure what the overall "look" is that you're going for, but the granite and cabs read elegant, modern and the backsplash reads more rustic. It's also coming up with pink tones on my monitor, but that might not be real. If you are unable to whitewash or paint over, I would be inclined to start all over again. I know it's not what you want to hear, but there have been more than a few on this forum that have done that and are so happy they have. The backsplash will be something you will see every time you walk in the kitchen. I would want it to be right. I also think you would want to wait on installing the hood until you decide what you are doing. Good luck!!! Keep us posted.

I actually think I would be happier with plain old white tile :( sigh...

Bill, where are you??! :)

I actually think plain ol white tile would be major. I think your kitchen is really stunning and to just "settle" at this point would be such a bummer. So if it can be done without food stamps or divorce, I'd try to paint (but is that something you really want to do with a NEW kitchen?) or start over...

I agree it just does not go with the granite. At least from the pictures. First thing I would do is look at your backsplash with lights in the kitchen. The GE reveal bulbs I have on one side of my kitchen make my gold granite look beige. They filter out the yellow. The regular incandesent bulbs make it look gold. I kid you not the kind of bulbs you use can make a huge difference in the color you see. Might be worth a try, any way it's whole lot cheaper than taking the tile down.

I agree that you need something to pick up on the white/gray in the granite. You've got several good suggestions. Another thing, that is not as good as changing the entire tile wall color, would be if you could add sub in some accent tiles--if I did that I would probably focus on the gray color. See, in your photo, the holes for the outlets "read" gray, and that alone provides some link to the granite. Or even something within your backsplash square--something stainless or silvery. I wonder if that could be an option if you could not paint all the tiles or change them.

That backsplash is great--for someone else's kitchen. For this kitchen, it doesn't do it justice, and will be that little detail that always feel "off".

I can see a simple mini subway tile, or a glass tile mosaic with mostly white iridescent (the iridescence picking up the greys in the granite) with a few black or green one thrown in. Or maybe a pewter metal tile backsplash. Or even aluminum "tin" panels in a deco design. But the color of the stone is all wrong, and the texture isn't right either. You either need something smooth and sleek like the glass, or something really rustic and rough like dry stacked slate.

Sher, on my monitor the backsplash is coming across as the same brightness/intensity as the granite, but it has strong brown tones so that it reads as taupe, while the granite reads gray. If one were a little darker or there were some other contrast, it could work, but when you have two very-similar-but-different colors they come across as a mismatch. I also agree with mahlgold on rustic vs. elegant -- JMO. However, the important thing here is not my opinion! The important thing is whether you're seriously looking at options other than "I guess I'll get used to it," and if so, what are they, e.g., tile paint, ripping it all out and starting again, etc.

The sample tiles look very different than what's up on the wall. Is it possible that you ended up with a radically different dye lot and that the tile mfr might be willing to look at the material and possibly do something? Or is it just my monitor?

The granite and cabinets are beautiful together. Hope that helps.

Ok so here's my question? Can you afford to rip it out and replace it? Because that's the best option.

It really does not go well with the granite. But sadly, both are gorgeous, just not together.

Ok so second option if you can't afford to rip it out...I would try adding grey ceramic (shiny) plate covers. I would also paint the walls gray. If that isn't enough, I'd pull out a few tiles and add a gray metal accent tile (those metal look ones that cost too much but look wonderful).

What you're missing is that the two surfaces have nothing in common. Painting the walls any shade of beige will make that worse, not better. Look at machine...e gads what was his user name? Great guy in Seattle...something machine (in the FKB). His kitchen uses a soft beige colored cabinet (wood tones but beige in tone) against gray walls. His backsplash incorporates both and it works wonderfully. You might be able to save the job by trying that first.

Personally I'd have done white subways in that kitchen :o) Or rip out the granite and use beige marble :o) I can think of other rediculously expensive options if you'd like :oP

Thanks everyone. It's interesting that someone mentioned the backsplash looks rustic... DH said earlier he likes the rustic look of it. He's usually pretty laid back, but in this case he's not bending on me wanting to start over
:( He thinks I'm too "involved" & over analyzing (eventhough I know that's not the case :) And we're already way over budget so I can't say we can afford it...I just had to have this exotic granite but this backsplash makes me wish I would have gone average. I'm definitely going to have to explore the tile paint option.

igloochic, I didn't see any user names in the FKB with machine so please let me know if you figure out the name.

As far as the tile manuf. I went w/my contractors guy. He only had light antique & antique. When they came to install & I told him it looked more beige he ensured me that he sent the lightest he had available. The orig. glossy tile I found in a taupe color would have been perfect, but it cost much more.

Please let know know where I can find more info about tile painting/whitewashing! Has anyone actually done it & has photos?

I love the backsplash, it's so warm and pretty. But I agree with others that it is a major mismatch with the granite.

We got a faux stone "carved" liner for our previous kitchen, and when it all arrived it was a different color than the sample. It was not exactly tile, but made of something partly stone. Anyway, I took it to the paint store and they showed me exactly how to paint it so that it was the perfect color. It held up perfectly, and it was around the whole border of the kitchen sitting right above the granite, even behind the stove. I think you should try to whitewash it first, then if that doesn't work, remove it if you can afford to do so.

That is a gorgeous kitchen you have.

i-chic is thinking of mysterymachine

I agree. While very nice, the tile just doesn't go. Sorry :(.

Here's a link to a thread where mysterymachine posted some pics. Most of his threads must have fallen off.

Here is a link that might be useful: mysterymachine pics.

sher nc, I found a few articles about painting tile, if that helps. What is the tile anyway? Tumbled marble?
http://www.grahampaint.com/tile.htm
http://www.refinishingonline.com/ceramic%20tile.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: How to paint ceramic tile.

bigdoglover, Do you remember which type of paint it was? (epoxy, oil based, latex?)

I definitely can't start over now, thanks!

i agree with those who say the tile just doesn't go with the granite. the competing neutral colors are part of the problem. the textural clash is another part of it.

some of the easier fixes that were suggested--experiment with lighting (especially your under-cab lighting, which might make a difference in how the BS 'reads') and painting the walls gray to make the tiles appear more white-ish. an enhancer might help as well.

good luck.

I like the tile a lot but I don't think it matches well with the granite. It gives off a warmish vibe which doesn't go that well with the cool grey of the granite (which is also lovely). A pure white tile of some kind may have matched better. Of course it is very hard to tell the color of tumbled stone tiles before they are installed - they looked much whiter in your picture on the counter than on your wall so I can see why you thought they'd work.

I think if you bring out some purer white tones in the tile, it will meld much better with your stone.

Rather than painting the BS tiles, try this on a spare. Spray some bleach on the tile (even use the bathroom mildew remover type), and stipple (an up and down type motion) with a large, round brush while the bleach solution is wet. Let sit until lightened and rinse well.

The bleach may lighten & brighten the tile and it's a more permanent & durable treatment than painting.

Another alternative would be to remove some of the tile, here & there, and replace with *white* tumbled marble. Enough so it pulls the white of your stone up into the BS.

Ok, I'm going to wait until the paint (btw, the accessible beige is a warm gray, eventhough the name is deceiving) & lighting is in, then try some of these techniques. I have some extra tiles to experiment with. I'll keep you guys posted! thanks so much.

The first thing I would do is bring in a _good_ interior decorator to see if introducing yet another color/finish/whatever could pull things together. We're looking at bare counters and walls and I'm not convinced that the right accessories couldn't make sense of the whole thing.

".I just had to have this exotic granite but this backsplash makes me wish I would have gone average."

So funny that you said that....I sometimes think the same thing. I have exotic granite too, and figuring out my back splash has been a HUGE challange!! You have to get a nice balance between boring and attention-getting. I am so sorry your tile did not work out as you had hoped. It is really beautiful and is in fact very similar to the tile I will be using. My granite is also very similar to yours (delicatus) but it has more earth tones than yours does. I do think white or gray would look much better with the tones in your granite.

I agree that the backsplash should be smoother tile or just a granite slab in a solid color that coordinates with your counters. The cabinets and countertop granite look great together. What's the name of your granite? It looks similar to what we are planning.

Do these tiles get sealed? If so, maybe you could introduce a grey tint that way... We had a similar problem, with tiles looking more "yellow" than we expected. Grouting didn't solve the problem at all. I considered staining the grout (some good threads on that topic last year). I changed the lightbulbs, but that didn't help much either. We tested several different whites next to the tile:

Chose Dover (SW) but it didn't work. Decided to go dark; chose a color to work with our huge chimney wall and, voila!

I personally think that some sort of paint could really work for you. You won't get the result you want by plucking out some of the tiles and replacing them...and I don't think there is any reason to go thru the hassle, mess, and cost of ripping it all out to start again.

I think there is so much movement in your granite that what you need is solid color, not a stippled effect. there is texture in the brick/tile, which is great, but one white (or greyish white or grey) color could look stunning. anyway, that's my opinion.

Sorry I can't tell you what kind of paint to use, but I know if it were me, I would experiment on some scrap peices and then go for it.

good luck and keep us posted!

I have the same granite as you (Bianco Antico aka Brazilian or White Diamond) and know the granite has an overall cooler tone. My granite actually appears to have more warm bronzey tones than yours, which is quite cool and gray, which goes beautifully with your cabinets but not with the backsplash.

I chose a white backsplash for this very reason as I didn't want it to appear too warm against the granite.

I was disappointed with my Biscuit sink as it looks too warm/beigey/yellowy against the granite. So I know how you feel.

See what you can do. If I were you (hate to say this), I'd take down the backsplash and replace with a plain white tile. It will allows your cabs and granite to be the star. Plan B would be to whitewash the tile.

Good luck!

is it just me or are there two sections of the backsplash with a different lot of tiles?

I am talking about the upper left tiles in your first photo and the lower right strip of tiles in the second photo (by the outlet and plastic bag on the counter).

Either these are a different color all together or should have been blended in to the overall pattern (one here, one over there, etc) so that they don't stand out so much as being different in color.

My husband is also easy going and would also put his foot down on changing it out so I can understand that aspect of your dilemna.

Maybe if the place you purchased from sent you two different color lots or your tile guy wasn't observant enough you could have them chip in on the cost of replacement. To me, these colors are very off from each other and that bothers me more than the granite/tile clash situation.

I do think your kitchen is looking great and even if you can never replace the tiles, you have a very nice kitchen and once accessoried, I think your disappointment might lessen.

Talked to my contractor & told him I wasn't happy. I asked him about whitewashing, etc. to lighten it & he said he'll look into to. He understands my position. He said, "Your husband told me he really liked it though". Yeah...but it's MY kitchen :) I don't mind the texture in the tile either so I'm going to experiment w/getting it to a grayish/whitesh color.

abbeycat, thanks for the photos. paint made a huge difference for your kitchen!

It's your kitchen and your taste, but with all those tasteful subdued neutrals I really hope you are considering an interesting paint color. Abbycat's pix illustrate the point better than any of my babble. Try a medium-dark French blue, a red like hers, a dark sage green, or even a plum. Try a few! I would also avoid anything that is too close to either the granite or backsplash, i.e., no light taupe, no gray. JMO.

I love your design and the tumbled marble. I should love it because I did the same thing! However, my stones had lots of variation from gold to white to tan. I saw patches of colors I didn't like and thought about having the installer back to exchange some of the stones. Instead I painted several stones with patio paint. No one knows that I did this, not even my husband, and it looks great. I found that you really need to do it BEFORE you seal. I used a plastic bag to give it texture and I doubt anyone would be able to tell which ones were painted. Try the paint if you think you are going to start over. You don't have anything to lose. I would hate for you to go from stone to ceramic! Soon this will be a bad memory.

Why am I sitting here looking at your beautiful cabinets, your granite and your lovely backsplash thinking..........that looks really good? I see what you're all saying, that the granite has the greys and the tumbled stone has that rustic beige thing going, but really........I think when you get your lighting done, your walls painted and your flowers in a rustic jug on the counter, your kitchen is going to be beautiful.

In truth, the only thing I see that I don't love, is your granite. To me, it's just a little blah. But I love warm colors, dark woods and a rustic feel. I think your whole thing is going to be lovely. And I am NOT with the group that would advise someone to rip out a tiled wall. That's a waste of time & money that most of us cannot afford to do. Sometimes things are not just perfect but in this case, I think you will be happy when your'e done.

Red

I think the beige overwhelms the really pretty granite but I like the texture. The sample tiles do lean towards beige (to my eye) but I wonder if the deeper tone you are seeing now is because they are still damp from grouting?

Your cabinets look fabulous with the backsplash OR with the granite but I don't like the three things together. If that were my kitchen, I'd give it time to fully dry out. After that, if I still wasn't happy, I'd try whatever kind of paint you use for brick and play with the color until I got it right before tearing anything down and putting in something new. Actually, I might just paint and leave it alone until the entire project was completed, or I was ready for a new kitchen. :)

Hmmm this has given me an idea for my own kitchen since I'm all over the place with the backsplash but I know I want a brick look. Why am I spending hours a day looking for the perfect shade/gloss of white or sage green, subway tile when I could just get what I want out of a can of paint?

I really like the 3 materials together, textures and color, whiter tiles would be too stark, imo....

Once you have things on your counter and kitchen activity, you'll realize you've hit a homerun and it's an overall look that works; your countertop reads cooler toned than the backsplash, for me that's an excellent thing, it looks fresh, the countertop being transitional between the splash and the cabinets.

I would advise you to kick back and let the kitchen evolve before messing with painting tiles, removing some, etc....

There was a show on HGTV yesterday called Color Correction where they painted a green tile countertop black. I believe the name of the episode was "Going Green". YOu might want to see when it will air again. I can't remember the brand of paint they used. Might be an option, or maybe there will be some sort of whitewash paint from that line. Good luck.