I'm not against white, it will probably be better choice with speckled counters..but the next owner would be the last of my worries..you go with strong decorative style in a house that obviously allows it/begs for it..the potential next owner will either love it and come to look at your place in a run, or won't come from the very beginning after seeing the pics. The color itself won't matter as much as the concept itself.

We move on indeed! It's also a much brighter space now. I'll be honest, murals are not my thing. If they're your thing, go for it. I far prefer the deco tiles on steroids (i.e. lots of them and not as a border, among the field tiles). As for the outlets and switches... you should take a look at oldbat2be's solution. She photocopied her tile and decoupaged the pattern onto her switch plates.

..are you anywhere near San Diego? I have a store to share..))))

(wow, that's smart. the decoupage thing.)

" I'll be honest, murals are not my thing. If they're your thing, go for it. I far prefer the deco tiles on steroids (i.e. lots of them and not as a border, among the field tiles)"-yes! me too

my husband loves the accent tiles among the field tiles, for example.

I'm more like "go bold or go home"

I love murals but then (in some ideal world) I'd go for a really huge one..like a rug on the floor

One of our local store has it. Oh wow. It even has fringe..))

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread..it's just an exciting topic, and exciting backsplash:)

OK here is my latest rendering, not perfect, but it gets the idea. I lost the border on the mural, I added the rope border, I changed the deco tile. I have used the Mexican Tile White for backsplash, I like the 3x6" tile look, the mural, and the deco border tile with the yellow rope border on top. The back wall above the backsplash looks almost grey, but I assure you, it is white. It was just shadows on the picture.

I feel like the tile and counter are competing for attention. Have you considered using the border tiles along the top?

Thanks for the comment, something like this??

I also tried it without the yellow border on the bottom...

I agree I think when the colorful tile is directly against the countertops there is a bit of a war going on but when you separate them from each other with a break between the two we have a much better cohesive look. I like bringing back the beautiful yellow in the little trim around the edges great detail. I personally think that the mural as sized is too big for the space. If it was smaller and centered on the range with the same yellow rope trim it might be less in your face. Can it come in a size that doesn't take up the entire space above the range? I really love this look these tiles are like little pieces of art.

Are there any other murals you like that we could see and consider? This one to me almost looks like a fire is happening on the wall right about the range. It is beautiful and might be better not over the range. But if it was sized smaller and centered with a row of the white and the yellow rope it might not look as much like a fire.

I missed some of the stuff in the middle and wondered what happened to the yellow, but do love the white. And after all, why choose such a lovely tile if you're going to hide it in plain sight. The white Really helps you see the accent tile. I do like the look of the tile higher up. I don't care for the yellow border at the bottom. But I also think the tiles stand out more if they're not right next to each other. Maybe find another that coordinates and alternate? When I look at your sample photos on my phone or iPad, and the pics are small, it gives an impression. And I get an impression of a greenish stripe rather than having my eye drawn to an individual tile. Obviously the ba splash behind the cooktop is the real star here, but the accent tiles need some attention too! I'll see if I can find a pic to show you what I mean.

One more thing....I like the yellow border but it should accent your decorative tiles, not the shape of your backsplash

A huge assortment if you love them all and can't decide on one. Who says you need to?

I really like how they did that range backslash on the red tile picture it's nicely sized and bordered .

trying this.....

I think the problem with lining them all up in a row is that you have all those curves on that wall - the straight line doesn't flow well with those curves. It might be better to embed the deco tiles instead of lining them up like soldiers.

Smaller mural... Hmmmm..What do you mean eam44? Can you give an example?

So happy eam44A mentioned the photocopy/decoupage trick. I remembered how effective that was in oldbat2be's kitchen.

I'm also a little sad to see the white replacing the yellow. Though I like the last combo you posted, it feels watered down from your original vision. I don't think the yellow of the original post would play well with the counter, now that I've seen them, but a bule or terra cotta field would work.

YES!! Except more. And throw some yellow ones in too. If you don't put very many you'll definitely want to lay them out regularly. If you put lots you have the option of making them more random.

cawaps I agree About the yellow but there's so much in ye mural she found it would be lost. I think that with enough tiles in the field it will give it a more vibrant look.

Much, much better.

Thanks again for all comments and ideas. Hehe, My "right brain" is definitely dominated by the left, n'est pas? I will get the counter top installed tomorrow, and hopefully when the weekend comes, I can take some more pics and make some more designs. I found some great murals, so there's lots to be seen......

Here's something to think about with respect to resale: when someone is looking at your house, they'll either love Mexican tile and won't care that it's vivid yellow, or they'll look at the backsplash with a view to tearing out and replacing it with travertine or white subway tile, regardless of whether you use white field tile or the yellow you started with. I mean really, you're considering a mural that looks like your stove is on fire. The rest of it wont make a lick of difference. Also, *eapecially* if you plan to be in your house 5 years or more, get what makes you happy and forget about resale value. You can replace a backsplash with something from a local discount tile supplier that will make it neutral enough for the market.

Personally, I love bright colors and I'm not afraid to use them. For the last 7 years, my formal DR has been a coral so bright I needed sunglasses until it got loaded with furniture to tone it down. I'm putting cobalt blue linoleum on my floor when we do our kitchen next year. And I'm planning on putting the HD ceramic version of this on my backsplash:

No kidding. It's coming. Not trying to hijack your post. Just do what makes you love your kitchen. Don't spend tens of thousands of dollars and have regrets.

Cheers!

Town, that's one view. The other is that if you choose a tasteful, beautiful backsplash that is in harmony with the materials in the space and the feel of the house, you can enjoy it yourself and not have to tear it down in order to sell your house later on.

To that end china, consider replacing the mural concept with more deco tiles.

How do you feel about something like this? You needn't choose seven different tiles, but it's nice to have three or four if you like the look.

I like that a lot. And I have been so focused on the backsplash I didn't even realize those were archways, which would look gorgeous accented with tile

I would agree tiling the arch would be pretty, BUT a small arch with a significant curve like China's would require curved tile, or very small tiles.

Good point. Didn't think about that. :(

I've hesitated to bring it up.... but there is another option to murals or deco tiles. One of my favorite tiles is a sheet mosaic made up of strips of Mexican deco tiles. It's a more modern look, but really, really beautiful when used properly.

The strips are really pretty. Someone used them here a few years ago. Do you remember, eam?

Were the strips vertical? I loved that one!

That was mamasheshe. She used in the vertical orientation with the Mexican White.

We may have worn you out, China - either that, or we're telling/showing you things you don't want to hear/see. If you like murals, get a mural. Try to keep it tasteful. Best of luck!

That last kitchen is so beautiful and original! She certainly got plenty of advice from both sides of the fence. I can't wait to see the result regardless.

I want cement tiles for my own kitchen but trying to find alternatives that don't cost as much. Thanks to this thread I even checked out talavera tile. I would look further but we're looking for black and white. My husband doesn't want "color" in the backsplash and there are very few black and white options.

Town, Talavera isn't the only beautiful, patterned tile out there. This is Moderno ceramic tile available on the Tierra y Fuego website. It is spectacular and runs $3.85 for a 4 3/8" tile.

Gorgeous but pricy. I'll have 45-50 sqft to cover. Trying to keep the cost under $12/sqft. I keep coming back to this ceramic tile at overstock. It comes in around $8 and I love it. My husband thinks he would like something with more white, which is why I'm still looking, but I think he's just gonna have to deal with it unless we triple the cost. He's not so good at picturing the finished product but is always happy with my choices when we get there. The black and white vintage look is pretty central to my overall design.

Town, It's pretty! It also looks pretty glossy. Be sure that's the look you want, and be familiar with Overstocks return policy too, because you really want to get a look at the tile in your space before you commit.

If you want cement tiles, though, you can find them in budget. The tile below is in limited stock, measures 8" square, and costs $5/tile. To envision the pattern, you have to align four of these together. Just keep looking!

Keep in mind, with any patterned tile you must buy more overage than with plain tile, because you can't just use any properly sized piece to fill in difficult spots, it has to be the correct bit. Also, if you choose to go with cement tiles, make sure you choose an experienced installer and you are up for the required maintenance. They are gorgeous. There's really nothing else like them.

eam44.. hehehe I'm back! Nope, not worn out, I was away and not able to "engage"....I'm pretty sure this one is NOT working for me/us, but I like the center pattern...... The strips look like a waterfall, not sure I'm seeing that one either, altho I can see where it MAY work. the all black look looks like a spider web to me, not gonna happen.

I like this pattern, maybe a center piece, maybe with 4x4, not 6x6 tho..Too big! It could work. I am gonna try to get pictures of the new (yay!!) counter top installed, and I will morph the oven/range in. Then I can try some of the suggestions and maybe come up with others too.Just haven't got the time now, work duties! But no. I haven't got worn out, just busy! I do appreciate the ideas, suggestions, and opinions, and yes, ultimately it will be something we like and can use.

Love the blue and orange here. China, whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be beautiful. Eam, you sure know your tile! I love the cement tile but we are DIYing the backsplash, along with a lot of the kitchen. I've read all about the prep and maintenance and if I recall, there are issues with cutting the tiles too. That, coupled with the higher cost, will *probably* mean we stick with ceramic. I found the same tile at Home Depot so I will be ordering a case ($35 for 10 sqft) to check them out in person. The finish is kind of a satin. A little more shine than the encaustic cement but not glossy like a porcelain bathroom tile.

I saw this and wondered if something like this might work for me, with the arch thing and all, what say you Houzz??

Mediterranean Kitchen Santa Fe, NM · More Info

The arch is pretty, and of course, you have two on that wall already. You do realize that the more complex the layout, the more expensive the installation will be. If that's not an issue, and you have artisans in your area that know how to work with Mexican tile, you should go for it.

That is gorgeous !

Love!

I happen to like your first version or this last version you posted.

eam44?

Very nice! I think the deco strips should go up a bit, not right on the counter, but that looks great.

Love it, China!

Roger that eam44, I agree....

After almost 2 YEARS (yeah 2 years) here is what on which I decided.. The workers finished just last Wednesday, I need more tiles for the window wall...... It has everything we wanted, and in talavera tile too! We LOVE it.

Mexican white 'field tile" and accent tiles from http://www.finecraftsimports.com/ fine Crafts and Imports out of Camarillo, CA. GREAT company to work with BTW! We got the mural here https://mexican-tile.net/Kitchen-Tile-Mural-Mexican-Kitchen--P2317632.aspx , also a good company; albeit a bit slow, but the mural comes from Mexico. BTW, Suggest you have a pro install the mural, because if you break one of the mural tiles you are SOL........