wow, thanks bill vincent. You see so many photos of flat countertops with flat stoves, I forget it doesn't HAVE to be that way. I actually like both looks. I kinda feel the granite back splash is more old school and so is my stove!!! But that's no reason I suppose to do that. My counters now (formica from the 50s like the rest of the kitchen doesn't have a counter back splash and there's a HUUUUGE gap between the counter and the tiled back splash which makes me crazy. I think that's why I'm considering the granite back splash. I don't want to see that in the future. melanie1422, my luck: the dishwasher died within 6 months of buying this cottage. The sink faucet's sprayer is cracked and now leaking so I have a bowl under the sink. what are my odds on the stove??? LOL the flat stoves I looked at also come with their own back splash panel, so I think when this stove kicks the bucket, I'll get a flat one and the counters should work. thanks.

BEAUTIFUL! You have to enjoy working in your garden, because it is really well tended and planned also. Love it. I see your high chain link fence is like my back fence....7 foot tall and 100 feet long. I've planted Confederate jasmine...or trachelospermum jasminoides....or something sounds like that? It is evergreen here, and makes a gorgeous privacy fence withing a few years. Maybe in 4 years but by 5 it is very effective....they use it in Italy everywhere, including to climb over arbors, up old stairways, and covering fences to create a living privacy fence. Let me recommend it to you for that purpose. If you like, I'll create a Flickr album about the use of this jasmine in Italian gardens (the ones I saw anyway) in Umbria. Etc. Here the cabana was covered in blooming jasmine, the short fence covered in the jasmine is kept trimmed as a short hedge, no hint of the chainlink frame holding it up inside.

earn44 - I am very impressed w Fireclay. Not only is the tile beautiful, but their customer service has been great so far, cheap samples, fast shipping, and personal emails to ask about my project. I am adjusting my pricing expectations and thinking that $35/sq ft isn't so bad! Thanks everyone for talking me out of the shapes, that saves $10/sq ft! Speaking of Fireclay, I'm back on board w Kelp potentially, I've been reading through many of the Craftsman kitchen threads on here and lunarlab's kitchen thread. The Kelp pic she posted on this thread is one of the many in her reveal thread, and shows the color quite differently. Hope you don't mind me posting this lunarlab, it is gorgeous! pippiep - I read through your threads on tile, I feel like you've saved me so much work and samples! I like the Leaf Peeper tile, but the Basil is just so much more vibrant and appealing to me. Checked out the Vermeere at Complete Tile, but paying for shipping is stopping me from ordering samples. Does anyone else balk at these silly expenses, that are so small in the scheme of things! More thoughts later ... thanks everyone for your ideas and feedback!

Devans I think it looks really nice too even if the tiles need to be cut down to fill it in I think it gives a nice consistent clean look. Kitchen guys are suppose to start with my kitchen demo in 3 weeks but they have been slow moving in the process thus far so we'll see! Also, just found out that the Quartz I'm looking at is only available in 2cm not 3cm like I wanted :( they are telling me they won't know if I can get the 3 cm for another 2 weeks. Which means backsplash after that! Ugh! It's like a waiting game. If all goes as planned I would hope it's all done in the next 4-6 weeks, but I'm not holding my breath. Lol. Regarding grout I am undecided ...I like white because it's such a nice clean look but I also really like a little darker color to make the tiles pop with a little contrast. I love lisar789's warm grey grout with white tiles her kitchen is beautiful! She did sample boards to see color differences which is a great idea! Here's the link when she was deciding that I found very helpful :) https://www.houzz.com/discussions/help-need-grout-color-advice-asap-dsvw-vd~4006050?n=77 Let me know what you think ? I'd be happy to post pics when done but I bet you'll beat me to it! When are you thinking to have it done?