How outside of your budget is the tile you love? If it is a matter of saving for a year and then being able to get it would that be possible? Just a thought. That said think a classic subway tile will give you the timeless feel you want as well.

Can you wait until you have the cabinets and counters in before you make your decision? Most tile shouldn't take too long to get once it's ordered and that way you can see samples in your new kitchen and really pin down the ones that give you the feel you're after.

I love fireclay tile, and I love even more that they list their prices now. I think you should consider a similar color in their 3" x 6" ceramic tile line. You'll save $8/sf, and ceramic is a classic choice, less likely to become dated than glass, and less expensive to install.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for your feedback!

BeanPiele, I could probably afford the expensive stuff ($60-77/sf), but I have a modest house that had never been updated before I moved in. I want the dream kitchen, but there are still a lot of projects to tackle in the future and, while I plan to be here for a number of years, a question about return of investment.

EAM44, Fireclay seems like a fab company - they're the only ones that offered free(!) samples. And you have a very good point about the savings. I've got ~35 sf to cover, not huge, I suppose, but it all adds up.

I'm realizing that I think I need to adjust my expectations to better plan for future projects. Any thoughts about color, quality and value between Fireclay, Heath, Ann Sacks and, say, Home Depot?

Quality? It's not like tile from HD won't wear as well as Ann Sacks tile. It's about the look. You're paying a premium for designer tile. Choosing materials is a process of elimination, and defining your budget can actually help you with this.

That said, you can approximate a high end look with more ordinary materials and doing so will give you the best bang for your buck. Heath tile didn't invent the look below, but they show it so well, they might as well have. They combine glossy and matte tile in the same color to create visual texture. The image below is of tile laid in an argyle pattern. I think it's amazing, and it can definitely be done with inexpensive tile too.

We looked at a lot of Fireclay Tile options and they have wonderful staff and delicious, unique tiles. We ended up going with another company (McIntyre) because we just didn't find a color that worked super well and there was no one locally that carried their tiles. Though they are not cheap, they seem more reasonably priced than some and similar in cost to what we ended up with.

I agree with the above poster that what you get with a custom tile company like Fireclay or Ann Sacks is a unique design, a greater range of colors and a designer look. My 2 cents is that glass tile will also look dated in the years to come, but everything will date so just buy what you love that you think you won't tire of. Jasmine is a very pretty color.

Good luck!