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Other things I have picked out. Tile will be in bathrooms and laundry only, carpet in bedrooms, and plank vinyl everywhere else.

The tumbled tile will be a very busy backsplash----too busy IMO, and it is already dated now. I would choose something quieter in pattern and color.

The tumbled tiles would not be my first choice for the backsplash. It looks too tan/ brown next to the granite sample and all the nooks and crannies along with the different sizes will make it busy.
If you want subway tile it doesn't have to be white. There are have been many postings on here of white kitchens with colored subway tile backsplashes.
If you know the name of your granite do a google search using the terms: gardenweb, ---- granite and backsplash. You should find lots of suggestions and pictures.

Thank you for your opinions. Any suggestions on what you think would work? I know the dark gray paint is kind of a trendy thing on the island, but that's something I can change on my own as I love to paint.

Backsplash is something I don't know how to do and changing it later would be a massive pain and way more expensive.

I am not opposed to some color for backsplash, I just don't know what direction to go. I think I am going to go back to the tile place when I get back in town and look around a little.

Do you need to do a backsplash right away? I am in a similar boat wrt backsplash choice. I'm leaning strongly towards not having one right away so I don't have to choose in a vacuum.

How about a simple, very light gray tile for the backsplash? Experience tells me to stick with colors that you are drawn to and it seems like the granite has the gray that you like. I would not do the tumbled tile, based on my past experience of choosing tile for my own backsplash several years ago. I fell in love with a beautiful 1" mosaic tile and although it looked great next to my granite (countertop) slab at the stone yard, it looked horrible once the counter and backsplash were installed. It was very busy and "chaotic". I Removed the backsplash tile just hours after it was installed. I ended up going with a simple tile and don't have a single regret.

My first time posting after too many years just absorbing the wisdom of these forums. Time to give back... I have the same granite, tile & wood colors and oyster white/ (not yellow) cream cabinets and wall paint. A designer friend taught me to see the blue grey cast in that granite and stopped me from that same tannish tumbled stone look. what we picked ended up fantastic. Look up Daltile, a stone called "lavastone.". It has a blue/ grey slate look and there are many versions. We choose a linear, stacked, ungrouted, stone and it is fantastic looking with that granite. Not realizing my own taste, we had already picked a bluish/ dark grey slate for our fireplace surround. I hope this helps you and I wish I could show you a pic but we are away right now.

I think the texture--the pitted surface--is too similar to the speckled granite, so that's something I would avoid in general.

We used the same granite for our backsplash. It wasn't that much more than any of the tiles we looked at and provides a cohesive, clean look...and the beauty of the granite stands out more on a BS, especially with the under cabinet lighting.

I like that clean look of the counterop granite used for the backsplash, joaniepoanie!

There are many reasons why the tumbled is no longer in favor. Depending on the lot that you get, it can run pink, or taupe.
I would go with a simple ceramic tile. (It doesn't have to be subway) What color are the cabinets?
What is your granite? Hard to tell with that small sample.

They will be white. Haven't decided on the shade yet. Alabaster, Pure White, Dover White, and Extra White are top contenders but the painters haven't done the samples on boards yet to see how they look with the lighting in the room.

It's called Ashen White granite. It's not my fav, but it's white which is what I wanted and it's within our budget.

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This is the backsplash we are doing for our little bar area that is in the family room, right around the corner from the kitchen. I really love the look of it.

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But, if you look at my kitchen layout, the only places we will actually have backsplash is around the sink. On that side you have the fridge and double oven with microwave stacked on top of the ovens. Then the dishwasher, sink, and other side of sink which will all have backsplash.

On the other side is the pantry, broom storage, and appliance garage. Don't think tile would be needed in the appliance garage since it will have doors that conceal everything. Duh, why am I just having this revelation now? Oh, because I haven't built a house before. HA!

Do you think I could get away with the blue-gray tile from the bar area in the kitchen too? It wouldn't be a whole lot.

This post was edited by aimless07 on Sat, Dec 27, 14 at 18:34

From what I can see of the glass mosaic tile that you used in the bar area I think it looks very nice with the granite. I used a mosaic of glass, stone and stainless pieces behind my cooktop and vent hood. I can honestly say that I still love it after 3 years and don't anticipate getting tired of it in the future.
Since you really like the look of the glass mosaic in your bar area then why not use it instead of something you are unsure of.

yes, use the same tile as the bar area or chose something very plain and uniform in color. don't add another busy stone.

I think it will look very busy when grouted--lots of small lines combined with the variation in the glass and speckled granite. That's a lot of pattern.

I am definitely leaning that way. There won't be a lot that needs to be bought anyway.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Well, I have to say I'm a fan of all white kitchens. Just finished one myself.

Since you don't have a lot of wall to cover and plan on a gray island, I don't think a white tile will be too much white.
If you think you might paint your island in the future, a white tile will be easier to work around.

Another vote here for a quiet, white subway tile for the kitchen. I think both the tumbled back splash and the glass one will be too busy. If you read Maria Killam's blog (colour expert in Canada) she strongly encourages only one patterned hard finish per room. You have a pattern in the granite so you pattern quota for hard finishes is used up.

Best of luck.

Carol

I think white subway tile would look really nice. I agree that the texture, pattern, and color doesn't work well with the granite choice. If not white tile, something simple and solid.

Looks too busy to me, too. They are both beautiful but they compete with each other for center stage rather than enhance each other. Since the bar area is smaller, I would do that first before committing to using it in the kitchen.

You can get subway tile in a veriaty of stones, ceramics, porcelain etc. I think that anything that is cut 3 x 6 inches is called subway.
I am getting slate stone "subway" in my new build home. It's beautiful.