ok. we shuffled a little after we went back to the tile store but stayed in the same grouping we thought we wanted. but here's the rub: i am ok at picking the tile, the floor, the counters, but lousy at actual design and it seems what we need is a design for the backsplash and hoping someone (a few) will help me.

here's the setup:

1925 house

offwhite cabinets (medallion divinity)

toffee maple double-stained floors

soapstone counters

white frames around the windows

we don't want to go over the top but want to make it pop a little.

we will tile part up but bullnose the top of the cream crackle tile to the painted upper wall.

we will use the 'fleece' (cream) crackle tiles from sonoma tile. and the decorative will be the 2x2 tiles - called 'Della Vigna" and we will use the "Venezia" color group which goes to the darker of the 4 color groups. There are 8 different tile designs and they are ordered separately. We could just do a random amount of each style.

here's what i understand from the (ever-frowning) tile salesguy at home and stone:

2x2 tiles used as 'buttons' need a square crackle tile - to accomodate the placement.

2x2 tiles used in a 'band' mean that we can use either a square crackle tile or a rectangular subway tile. i'm inclined toward the band idea.

but lost lost lost on how to do it.

here are the visual plans. please note that there will be no tile on the wall that has the little window (the short end of the L with the stove and hood). that wall will just be painted.

had an idea that we could just do a high band under the cabinets between the windows here or would you run the band low and one tile above the countertop? (a low band would look awful where the stove is...but my husband thought a low band on the double window side and a high band just below hood height on the stove side).

and

please note that there will be no tile on the wall that has the little window (the short end of the L with the stove and hood). that wall will just be painted.

and here are the tile photos...we borrowed the board for an hour and took some photos with the soapstone sample also.

and, lastly:

omg...i'm exhausted just working out how to post this! below is the link to all the photos if that helps more.

PLEASE...i need design advice here. THANKS THANKS AND MEGA-THANKS.

Here is a link that might be useful: our kitchen reno