akl it's Walker Zanger Gramercy Park in the color Pipe Smoke. It has a crackle glaze. Quest is a good word for it!

Thank you.. Now to see if accessible and/or affordable!

Agree, the light grout! Otherwise the tile pattern is lost and it looks like a solid. Beautiful CT. The windows appear nice & deep. Looks great, very professional and not overdone.

Thx for the color name; figures Seattle Mist, this Chicagoan loves Seattle!

Did you use the double-sided sticky tape, after all? If you're up for it, leave the white 'thicker' grout and finish that board, let dry, take pictures. Then, chip off and start again with thinner grout. Just fun to have options and to see how each turns out:)

akl-oh it's accessible but it's also pricey but that all depends on budget which is totally individual. I had to save up for it. I tried to find something more economical but none of them blended as well and/or they weren't any cheaper. It seems I have an expensive eye, ha! I have quite the collection of samples from the start of my search til now. Good luck to you.

mdln-that is quite a compliment thank you. I studied up on here as much as possible before I laid it out. It's not perfect but I'd like to think it meets most of the functional criteria. I definitely don't want it to be a solid, it's too pretty for that. I have never been to Seattle but I hear it's gorgeous. I have been to Chicago many times though, I am just on the other side of the lake from you.

oldbat- I did but I had 2 kinds. I figured I'd need options even with the tape, hehehe. I had the clear thin 3m sticky and this other one that had a lot of flex but I didn't realize it when I bought it. I started with the white grout sample using the flexy tape and it's spongy. The darker grout sample I switched out to the thin clear and it doesn't flex and was easier to grout quick.

Okay so I just did another sample section with a different brand of white but butted the tiles up to one another and the grout lines are a bit smaller but they cannot be 1/16". The tile is beveled and I can't see me sanding them down to fit them tighter. They are much closer to 1/8". I am letting the grout dry. I'll post pics tomorrow after work. Hoping for a sunny day. Thanks to all.

I don't usually like contrasting grout but in your picture above I did. I think that I liked that it echoes the contrasts in your island counter but not in a too busy way IYKWIM.

raee-I don't normally either but this is my inspiration pic and I really like it!

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Okay oldbat2be - it's picture heavy but I'm not sure what you need!

There are 2 different whites - the thin line and the thick line. The lighting just isn't great at this time of day on a 100% cloudy day and I can't possibly wait until Saturday to get a mid-day picture! I took them with my good camera. I hope that helps.

Here goes, please tell me if there is something else you need.

Thin:

Less glare:

Far side of kitchen and no the counters are normally this 'bare':

Thick with a helping hand:

On the island counter:

Side by side:

Thank you!!!

Girl you rock tiling this yourself! I like the thin grout line with the white grout. I'll wait for the mock ups to vote on how high to take it. My safe side says just under hood, yet I like your inspiration pics that take it above too.

Well I twisted dh's arm to do the measuring and cutting - that is not my thing by a long shot. I can handle a trowel and a float though and I am slow as molasses in January - precise with a tendency to be a little bit OCD with the perfectionist part. I am starting my self talk now. Say it with me "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".

I am ready for voting - after all it's almost November so it will be good practice for everyone. ;) ;)

I love your inspiration photo. I'd use the thinner grout lines to minimize staining.

I early voted but I'll go ahead and say I like the thin white grout.

I like both. But if I had to choose, I'd choose the thin white grout.

Here goes. I think this would be better with more than 3 rows of tile (I need to create a pattern to repeat), so please forgive the irregularity. I have to say, I like versions 1, 2 and 3 of the wide tile! (Height is the only factor to change). This will be much richer in real life (due to lighting) - this tile is gorgeous!!

I need a larger sample to photoshop, of the thinner grout tile. 5+ rows would be optimal.

I could do 1 or 2. I like seeing some paint around the window frame so I don't like 3. I might even prefer 2 but I'd want to be sure I could stop the tile below the joint of the chimney and the hood, like oldbat has it.

Forgive the irregularity? You rock oldbat2be. It looks fantastic! Thank you so so much. I really like this tile, even more so now that I see it installed, lol. I stopped at that many rows just in case I had trouble getting the grout off without breaking any - it kind of scared me a bit to sample so many.

You like them all?

I think the whiter grout (which is the thinner grout line) looks better to me. Side by side it makes the other white look dingy although I realize they won't ever be side by side in real life.

Does this make a difference to anyone:?

There is a lip under my hood - about 5/8" of an inch. If I were to stop there then do I stop under the hood on the exterior perimeter but then place a piece of tile underneath it on the inside to make it flush with the interior dimension? Does that make sense? Or do I stop at the flair there so it goes to the top of the left circle instead of the bottom? I do have a thin pencil liner on order but that hasn't arrived yet.

Thanks again you are so kind to do this for me.

So what do you all say?

Mayflowers there is a good 10" between the hood joint and the top of the window trim.

Oldbat is that the thicker grout sample? Just making sure I am following you.

Yes, the one DS helped with. Try chipping one tile off now - you'll see how easy it is. Then, if you're up to it, please make a nice large sample board with the thin grout.

It looks fabulous! I like #2. Your window casings are very pretty & I think that height looks great with the hood & nicely compliments the window casings.

Okay okay. I'll chip away but it will probably not be until tomorrow now! Thanks again. :)

Oh my gosh - that first white sample was still 'gummy'. It wasn't hard to get off at all. The darker one was a little more challenging but still not awful. I am going to grout a couple more rows of thin white and then take a pic tomorrow after it has dried.

I was thinking that it could end right at the joint because of the tile size, which I wouldn't like. In the mock-up another row would put it at the joint.

I'm going to go firmly in the 2 camp with romy.

I'm a definite vote for #1 - ending the tile at the bottom of the hood.

Okay here we go, 6 rows. It is more than gray today - it's raining.

With flash:

Without flash and with my helping hand again - color is more true here:

Shameless bump.

Well, the grout lines are a little wavy so the results are too. I had to carry out the repeat manually (due to lighting/dark spots/flash). I also used the same picture I'd used before, as the 'kitchen' backdrop.

I estimated a little over 3 tiles to the window frame, can adjust easily if you like.

All thin white grout, with flash.

Low:

Medium:

Tall:

All thin white grout, without flash.

Low:

Medium:

Tall:

Anybody see the helping hand?

Here's the exact tile section, which probably shows the grout, best.

I can't find my little man's hand - oh wait there it is! Ha!

Sorry about that wave, they are quite irregular in thickness as well as size. I am going to need to be vigilant while tiling. I did it last night so it could dry and it was past my bed time. ;)

It's actually 30" for the window including casing so about 4 3/4 tiles across. Could you adjust that - but just do the under short and medium please?

I like the white with the thinner grout lines much better.

I have used Flexcolor CQ, and it was very nice. Fusion is the same kind of fancy stain resistant acrylic product. I haven't used it but I've heard that it is also a very good product but that flexcolor might be slightly easier to use. I think Laticrete also has a competitor product now, but I don't remember what it's called.

"Simple grout" and premixed grouts like that aren't the same as the new products. They are basically mastic mixed with sand and color, and are aimed at DIYers who are too lazy to mix powdered grout and don't realize it won't cure hard or wear well.

I used the "white" Flexcolor and it dried the same color as the plastic color chip. If white is too bright and alabaster is too dark maybe try biscuit? You could also call mapei customer support and ask them how the actual flexcolor shades compare to keracolor or whatever you are using for your sample board.

Oh I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help with my vote. I cannot decide which layout I like better between 1 and 2. I'm leaning toward 2. I don't think you can go wrong with either way. And honestly I even thought 3 looked good! Well, at least I'm sure that I like the thin white grout still. :-)

oh and great mock ups OB2B!

ETA: Oooops sorry Autumn I called you Amber!

Oldbat - you are the best! The color of the tile looks fabulous. I prefer the thin grout, #2 & the hand.

I guess once again I'm the odd man -- don't care for #2, doesn't seem balanced to me. I like #1 and #3.

Low, to the bottom of the hood. The rest look like you just ran out of tile to me.

oldbat many thanks again for all of your photoshop trickery! I don't know how you do that so precisely but it really helps and I appreciate you taking the time to help! Also, thanks for the tips on making sample boards and the encouragement. :D

Thanks everyone for the voting - I like the thinner grout line also. I have to say at this point - I don't see an option besides low or #1 stopping at the hood. While I like the medium one too, I can't figure out how to compensate for the gap it would create between the wall and the stack once the chimney is up against the tile. I have looked here and on johnbridge and haven't found a solution. I am happy with the way it looks to the hood though so I don't feel I am giving something up or settling'. The 'medium' is just not meant to be - it's beyond my skill level to make it right I guess.

rebunky-no problemo. ;)

fishcow-that so-called "simple grout" by Custom is not consistent with any other grout I have used thus far in multiple tile jobs. When I took the sample board apart it was not really hard and didn't feel cured and was kind of spongy. Weird. I didn't like the way it spread or the way it cleaned up as far as working with the joints. I am going for the CQ in white. I am so glad the color works so I can stop looking!

romy-I can't believe it - my very own crackle glazed tile. Eek.

I think we are going to make a go of it this weekend since my assistant (dh) is not working. I'll be sure to post back the finished product but it would be a week or so depending on how far we get with lifes other activities!

Oh and I want to add a plug in for making a sample board for DIY. Not only does it help with grout coloring and size - it really helps in determining your layout and what your actual sizing is which hopefully will help in planning the start point for even cuts on the perimeters. That is helpful for me anyway but I have already disclosed that I am not the best with the tape measure.

agree w/ autumn, sample board made picking grout color SO much easier.

I haven't done my BS yet, but it's either going all the way to the ceiling or to the bottom of the hood. Some of my favorite example photos have it partway up the wall behind the hood, but I have the same problem as you that I have no idea how to deal with the gap that would be left above the BS. The one photo I have that shows that area close enough it appears they closed the gap with some kind of filler piece painted to match the wall. That just seems like it would take too much work to make it look nice.

One tip with the flexcolor cq - the directions call for a white 3M scouring pad to clean up any residue left on the tiles, and the big box stores and most normal hardware stores don't sell them in store - you need to go to a contractors supply or paint store. So plan ahead ;) But if you are like me and forget to stop by the paint store and suddenly it's 5pm on a Saturday, a Dobie pad, which target does sell, turns out to work just fine.

Also, mask off everything really well. Because it has a lighter consistency than cement grout I had a hard time keeping it on the float at first and ended up having to wipe it off the floor and wall like 3 feet away from where I was working. Or maybe it's just that I'm a klutz ;)

Thank you for the tip! Ordered a pack of the 3M pads on amazon this morning as I would be just like you scrambling for one after I already had everything out and ready to go and I am 25 minutes from Target! My trial run with it was on the horizontal so I will be sure to cover everything since this will be a vertical install. If you ever figure out how to manage the gap well, be sure you post it! I agree that I'd not want to do all that and then hope the gap solution looked well. It's too wide to caulk it. I have no idea how they do it 'right'.

Autumn.4 - Are you still happy with the Mapei CQ flexicolor white with the pipe smoke? What spacer did you end up going with? Thank you.

Hi there. I am happy with it most definitely and I am happy with the white!

Are you using the gramercy park tile? If so they are beveled so they have their 'built in' spacer to them. I butted them right up to each other. They aren't perfectly identical so you do have to watch the slight imperfections to keep them level so they don't get away from you.

One uh oh would do that differently is I DID use a spacer where the tile met the counter (I can't remember why I though that was necessary) and it left too large of a joint. We had to caulk twice because the void was large enough that the first pass it did shrink to the point of cracking. I'd skip spacers altogether.

thank you !!! Hopefully tile goes up Saturday. Gramercy Park Pipe Smoke 2x6 was delivered yesterday. (delivery was delayed...but glad as now I have your advice.)

I hope you love it as much as I love mine! I used the keracaulk-u (unsanded) for the caulk. Be sure to share pictures. :-)

We had a false start Saturday, but 3/4 done right now and super happy! So glad ABB is almost a memory. I will post a shot without grout when they leave and another in a few days with the grout. Going with mapai white still and will use the keracaulk as advised. Thank you again.

Anyone who is considering this tile - we have no regrets. It would go well with greens, grays, whites, blacks, and tans. It wouldn't interfere with a busy countertop (IMHO) and has enough variation to give some interest to our essentially solid black counter and white cabinets. A small number of tiles have imperfections, but they are the ones being cut for ends and corners, so not really wasted much.

Oh yay it looks great! I was wondering and then I saw you post elsewhere about a false start and that gave me that pit feeling for you. I totally agree with your sentiments on the tile color, contrast, variation and subtlety (is that a word - it is now). I still need to do my reveal - but my kitchen is always a mess, like right now. :O

Looks darker/grayer here on the phone than it does to my eye. The lights are not on, which changes the look I guess. I will get the good camera out later for a better shot. There will be shelves under the hood and "something" over the sink faucet. Sealing tomorrow and grout Friday. She's almost ready for her glamour shots.

Almost? She's there!!

Aww. Thanks. Here is another for those thinking of this tile. Thank you all who pointed me in this direction. In some photos it looks more grey and/or green than to the eye. It depends on the lighting and how the camera "sees" it. The first is more representative of the true color.