I don't like the 4" backsplash for the following reasons: - if you are doing a decorative tile for the rest of the backsplash, you are now decreasing and cutting off your design area by 4". - the 4" creates a little "shelf" that gets dusty, just one more thing to clean. - added expense to install the 4" piece of granite along your countertop. - people who say you "need it" to cover a gap between the countertop and the tiled wall just don't have good installers. My kitchen walls are extremely out-of-plumb, but my tile backsplash meets my granite countertop with no gaps cause I had experienced installers. - IMHO it looks dated, since the 4" idea was popular with formica in the '70's. I would only do a 4" backsplash if I were doing no other backsplash at all and just leaving drywall on the rest of the wall. And even in that case, I'd try to make it a little higher, like 5" or 6".

I'd skip it because it is easier, cheaper and not needed. There are too many other places you can spend your money on when redoing a kitchen! This is more of a furniture area, so it is not needed. If you did want tile there, I think it would look best to do the whole wall under the cabs, all the way to the corner and down to the floor on the left side.

To me, which ever will have the different 'thing' will be what stands out from the rest. You need to ask yourself which is it that you want to be the visual focal point. I would think that you would want the desk surface to be the same as the rest of the counter tops so it blends in while leaving the backsplash to be what is different. We wanted the quartz counter tops and Expresso Jatoba hardwood floor to be the visual focal point of our new kitch so we went with light / off white cabinetry and matching sinks with light brown backsplash. The colors I think are reversed from what you described within the pic's in the article linked below, but it should I hope help get my point across. Cheers, Dan Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Color Coordination

Thanks for all of the replies! I agree that waiting on the backsplash is probably advisable. I just received some sample tiles and was really liking the lightest one but have to see how the cabinets look painted. Perhaps we'll demo the current backsplash and have it prepped for the new before painting so as not to cause more mess after we have newly finished cabinets. Lots of response on the desk and yet I'm most struggling with the window shelves. Perhaps I can start a dedicated thread to those. I had one a while back but it was without the option to remove the backsplash. However, I cannot find that thread through search now? I love the turned desk idea but do not want to add more wall as that wall was all just redone and opened up to create site lines to the TV and family room. I do like enclosing the desk top space to hide the clutter. We entertained on Christmas, the first time entertaining since re-doing the half wall in the family room and having the enlarged island. I ended up setting up a long thin table in front of the half wall for food and used the desk for desserts. It worked really well as a buffet and left the island open for seating. If I enclose the desk, I could lose that option. I think closing the knee hole area with something is a definite. I usually don't struggle so much with design decisions yet this kitchen has dragged on for what seems like forever. We are moving at a snails pace and I still can't find a solution that I love and feel confident in for any of my trouble areas. It makes me hesitant to spend any money for 'fixes' when I'm worried I'll feel like I just want to demo and start from scratch in a few years. Even doing that, I'm not sure I'd change the layout all that much.