Ugh..can't figure out to get the pictures to actually show up in the post instead of just the links. Will keep trying to fix....

I like the gray tile. I think a pic from farther back with the mocked up tile would help. Try not putting your pics into photo bucket. Just link to a pic on your phone or computer. That is how i do it.

I love things light and bright and airy and I love that tile with your kitchen. Its glossiness and colour variation keep it from being too dark IMHO. However, if you think it is too dark, keep looking. You have a vision of what you want the feel/look of your kitchen to be - does this fit?

What grout would you do? Light? Dark?

I agree with kelleg69 that a backed up view with mocked up tile would help us to visualize.

T

And here are the first photons I tried to show in original post.

Kelleg- the manufacturer suggested using grout in Oyster Gray. It looks lighter than the tile but still gray. Do you think it would be better to use a lighter grout? Maybe closer to cabinet color?

Ah, the backed-up photos helped a lot. I do think this is too dark. I like those tiles though. Can you find the same a shade or two lighter?

This looks like a day time shot. How does it look at night? Do you have UCL? I really like it but it would be good to see it in different time of day conditions. The colour tone in the photos seems to work well with the counters.

You are going to get 100 different opinions based on how each person relates to what "they" like vs what you like. If you feel it is too dark, then it's too dark. I personally think it's a nice contrast to all the white, but that's my opinion. Since everything is white with touches of gray you could do almost anything for the backsplash and have it look great, but again, it's what you like.

From the pics it looks like your cabs are a slightly creamier colour than your door and trim. That may just be the lighting and/or my monitor. to me, the grey tile is not only too dark, but it's too cool with your cabs. Have you thought about doing a colour the same colour as your cabs or countertop and then doing a dark grout? Sort of the inverse of the floor. Did they have other colours in that style of tile that you could try?

It's a nice contrast to the white BUT it's too dark because my eyes keep going there and ignore the rest of the kitchen.

Beautiful cabinets. I love your floors! Have you considered white grouting? Have you considered a white tile with dark grey grouting?

Here I am again touting Walker Zanger Gramercy Park Pipe Smoke field tiles AGAIN - but you might want to take a gander at that. It has grey tones, but less dark than what you have up there if you decide that is too dark. Warning though - it isn't cheap. 21-35/sf depending on how you get it.

Would you post a photo from even farther back, so we can get an even better sense of what the tile looks like in your overall kitchen?

I also have to mention that what we can see of your kitchen is absolutely to die for. I can see why you want to take your time and get the backsplash just right.

I think it's too dark. I like gray backsplashes but I would call that battleship gray. It's a bit somber. Let your floor be the darkest element.

I think it is beautiful. But if you are worried it is too dark then maybe you should keep looking. I just picked gray backsplash myself. GWers gave me a lot of suggestions, maybe you'd find them helpful. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3670129/help-me-decide-on-backsplash-please 

As cpartist said, it's difficult for us to give you a valid opinion because what you see may not be what we are seeing on our computer screens. I like the backsplash from a distance but I don't care for how it looks in the close-ups next to your countertop. Something in the color with the countertop is off. There are lots of gray crackles out there. The countertop & cabinets are lovely.

I immediately thought of nightowl's beautiful backsplash when I saw your kitchen. Your kitchen looks great and shows good taste, so I know you'll choose a beautiful backsplash too.

Beautiful kitchen. Not loving the tile with your kitchen.

Thank you, everyone! I've been on the fence and your comments made me realize that I should not settle if I'm already having doubts. I've had a few others in mind although the special orders lead time would just add time to completing the kitchen. In any event, I think that's the better option since waiting 2-3wks more won't be much if I choose something I'm 100% happy with. Thanks again!

You are smart to wait, even if you end up with what you have shown here. You will be seeing this for, hopefully, a long time. A few weeks waiting for the perfect fit is time well spent IMO. There is good reason people get stuck in ABB for a long time.

My personal preference would be a little lighter, as well as a little more variance if that's possible.

The MSI crackle tile is available at the local Orange BB store in white. They are very reasonable in cost. I do think your tile makes your counter look washed out. I do like the tile, but believe it is too dark, sorry.

"although the special orders lead time would just add time to completing
the kitchen....2-3wk..."

I wish our special order wait was only 2-3 weeks! The folks who make our chosen accent tile are building a new kiln for crying out loud. The estimate is April. :(

I love your kitchen !!! I love the subway tile also! Just gorgeous! How do you like your quartz? I'm considering the same! I found a pic of some subway tile that's a little lighter than in your photo. I think gray subway tile makes a statement in your kitchen!

I don't really have an opinion on the tile, as that is a personal taste thing. But, wanted to say, your kitchen looks great.

Kayca - I'm really loving the counters. For some reason, I found it hard to find images of this in use, so I was incredibly happy when everything was installed. I'll post more pictures later once I get to a final reveal....backsplash and all :)

You might want to grout your choice and see if that makes a difference. We are grouting today and -whoa. We like it better than we already did. We went back and forth between gray, tan, and white grout. We went with white. White grout really lightens it up.

mamazc, I also think the tile is lovely, but too dark. Your eye will be drawn to it. Keep looking. Do you have The Tile Shop near you? I don't know anything about their work, but they have a great selection.

Sorry to hijack but nightowl, where did you get your door pulls? Those are the ones I have been looking for!

I found two sources for the look. Mine are Mockett SS. The other source is Linnea. Mockett was considerably less expensive. We are super happy with the choice. They come with 1" SS screws, but we needed longer ones for the drawers because there was the drawer box wood and the the drawer front - so much thicker. So if you order, specify longer screws if you will need them. The doors were fine. The screws are SS and metric, so kinda pricey if you have to buy them yourself.

Night owl- your backsplash/grout combo look beautiful. I think I'll def consider light grout if I keep to the gray tile. I'm planning on shopping around tomorrow again and WZ is on my list to look at too.

How about a white hexagon tile with grey grout...?

http://www.wayfair.com/EliteTile-Retro-2-x-2-Porcelain-Mosaic-Tile-in-Glossy-White-FXLM2HGW-L2970-K~OVS1354.html?refid=GX50899275900-OVS1354&device=c&ptid=75693957900&gclid=CNWoq7jo-MoCFZKCaQodpgoFmQ