double post This post was edited by golfer57 on Sun, Jul 7, 13 at 1:11

I think I prefer a very light gray to a white- not sure I am able to pick the 'right' shade of white. DH prefers a darker gray. I do realize that my choices here are not very 'light gray' and perhaps is part of the problem. rantontoo- yes, it is a shade... poor picture taking skills :) I have to agree that the shade of the white marble does not look good... after your comments I went back to look at it and it does seem like it is a lot whiter than my cabinets (and countertop of course). saints08 - I believe they are Rococo. Based on the comments I should focus on 2 or 3 or something else... but what could that something else be? Any suggestions? My budget is up to $20 per square feet. #2 sometimes looks good to me... like a light gray but sometimes it turns beige and I do not like that...it is a chameleon. It is supposed to be light gray: http://www.discountglasstilestore.com/3x12-glass-subway-series-light-gray-sale-price-6-89-sq-ft/ #3 is Highland Park Crackle tile in dove gray: http://www.discountglasstilestore.com/handcrafted-dove-gray-3-x-6-highland-park-crackle-finish-porcelain-tile-7-99-sq-ft/ I love the pic mayflowers posted! Is that glass or ceramic tile? Would something like that go with my kitchen or should I steer clear since I have an exposed type of hood?

Just to clarify, matte tiles are as easy to keep clean as glossy. The glaze (liquified glass) is not shiny but the tile is still glazed. I mixed glazed and matte as per an inspiration photo I saw. Again, there is no difference in cleanability or feel. I don't really have an opinion on which glaze you choose, looks wise.

Oh, I am just noticing your red mixer. Do you leave it out? Do you want red to be your accent color? A few bits of red judiciously placed would be marvelous without giving anyone a headache. Le Creuset makes all kinds of spatulas, scoops, etc with red silicone ends, and several in a crock with your other tools would look great. A floor mat in front of the sink a modern swirl of black, gray, white and a touch of red with dish towels and place mats with the same colors would be great, too. But not everything all the same pattern, that's too matchy-matchy. Or if the red all over is too intense, you could still do green as your accent color, that is very calming, and you still get to keep your mixer:) I do think the room need a live plant somewhere .Decide first what you want as your accent color and what you want to do in the corner. If you are going to do a wall unit like IKEA's you can put a plant in there. I wouldn't put a live plant on top of your cabinets, it will be too hard to water, and you run the risk of water damage, too. I was initially thinking of doing some sort of fabric valance on top of the window, but another thought was to have two big bushy hanging plants. They can be all green like swedish ivy or pothos, or have some color, such as coleus or tradescantia. The top of the pot should be at the top of the window or the top third of the pot should be at the top third of the pot should be above the window. Depending on how high that is, you can either reach them to water them, or you can get a special mechanism that lowers them to water them. I think should hang them low enough to be able to reach them, but not obstruct your view, and this way, you don't need a window treatment., and they bring life and color and oxygen to your room. You should lower the clock then closer to the window approximately 6 inches over the window so it relates to it, the way you hang art over a piece of furniture, and the plants on either side. You can purchase or make yourself sturdy but beautiful white macrame hangers, yes they are back. Keep in mind that you want the focus to be the plant, not the hanger. If you don't want to do the hanging plant, then think about a large floor plant if you can, or something in the wall unit if you get one, or a plant for the counter, or even some lucky bamboo (mix straight and curly stems) in a cylindrical vase with pebbles in the base on the counter.