You will need to decide on the counter first. Also, what material/color is the floor and decisions on the cabinet color and shelving, etc. Also, is the Chocolate Pepperstone really your first photo possible counter?

However, regardless of the counter choice and cabinet, I think the small mosaic glass tile is too busy and too small for such a large kitchen. Yes, it will look dated very soon.

@Darzy We haven't considered the flooring at all. It'll likely be a neutral tile or engineered wood that will fade into background and/or compliment everything else. The Paperstone (not Pepperstone) doesn't look nearly as rusty and splotchy as the picture implies. It's a very deep chocolate brown.. the pattern does not stand out much at all.

I'm also not sure if you're asking a question or are incredulous that someone could pick a countertop like that. Thanks for your advice on that. I was suspicious of that, but my husband thought it would be fine.

Also, I just realized that we uploaded the end grain black walnut, but if we go with the black walnut it WON'T be end grain. It'll be plank or edge grain, but I can't figure out how to edit my OP.

Samantha...I like all of your choices of counter and choices you're considering. But, I agree with your fear that the bling, small mosaic backsplash may be too busy and "too much" with the other beautiful choices.

I really wish that Jeffrey Court's metallic backsplash came in much larger mosaic print, but I think it's going to have to be eliminated. Thanks for your advice about deciding on the countertop before the backsplash. When you said that, it all came together for me. The backsplash is sort of like the jewelry for your outfit, so it makes sense to consider other things before deciding on it.

It is way too blingy. You gut was right.

Don't do knoty either if you are thinking of selling in 5 years or so.

Another thing I'd like to warn you about is that maple with a light stain can darken quite a bit in a few years. At least that was the experience of my brother. So I'd want to have a guarantee from the cabinet maker that the wood will not darken. I really like the look of light maple, so I hope they can ensure they will stay light.

Paperstone - How cool. Lots of interesting kitchens using that material on Houzz.

There is one kitchen I found on Houzz with chocolate Paperstone with bamboo cabinets.

Hiawatha · More Info

And another gorgeous kitchen with cabinets and chocolate PaperStone.

mid-century [re]modern · More Info

Kitchen · More Info

Henschel Kitchen · More Info

maybe this tile is used as an accent in your backsplash with a more simple field tile?????

No to this backsplash. As stated above, it is much too early to choose a backsplash. That is the very last step after everything else is in and you can see it in the light that is present in the room with your new finishes. You are changing everything in your remodel and the lighting will look different and affect how the different materials appear in the space. It is best to bring actual large samples to your kitchen when it is done so you can see how it will look in the new kitchen.

Thanks @drdeb1234. That's a really good point about "I've never seen an I hate my simple backsplash" We're picking everything out now on the advice of a several blogs and friends who said you'll get better quality and more precise quotes, and be able to ask specific questions of the general contractors you're considering if you know exactly what you want before you start interviewing.

One piece of advice that didn't quite ring true for us, as we later found out, was design your kitchen around your backsplash.. that resulted in WAY too many options for us. So we've started eliminating some of the 8 or so options we have for busyness or being "too trendy" etc..

Thanks for your advice! We really appreciate it!

Hmmm... @Karen Lane Designs: That's a really interesting idea that neither of us thought of. What shape of field tile would be best? Could we do subway tile or do you think it should be a similar size to better match with the mosaic? It could be a great way to get some nice "wow factor" in the kitchen without having it take over. Thanks again for your objective take on our kitchen design problem.

@bellburgmaggie I've kept the "non competition" clause in our kitchen design planning front and center. My husband also sees color differently than I do due to diagnosed moderate color blindness. Thanks for the reminder though! Those are always good, :) We won't have a bar area or butler pantry/pass through, but I'll keep an eye out for an opportunity like that.

If you're hoping to still love your kitchen and backsplash in 5-10 years (and you mention wanting to avoid too trendy stuff) , I would steer clear of "wow factor" accent tiles as well. Just my opinion. When I was choosing the tiles for some bathrooms 15 years ago, I was too overwhelmed by the choices to go for anything too exciting, which is lucky because I realize would have been tired of any of those choices 10 years later.

Thanks again everyone for your comments, suggestions, and advice. I've/we've really appreciated it. You've pointed things out that we hadn't considered and in some cases breathed new life into an idea that we'd discarded.

I think you've already resolved the backsplash question, but I wanted to say that I really like the deep brown counter. That would be fun to design around!

Thanks @raee-gw zone 5b-6a! :) We do really love the chocolate Paperstone, but I'm a bit wary that it may end up sucking a lot of light out of the space. Maybe we'll just do it on the Island, so it's still a part of the kitchen, but not the main focus.

Did you go with PaperStone? I'd love to see some pictures if so! Feel free to message us with any questions!

@paperstone No we ended up deciding to go with a butcher block countertop. Wood felt better and will give the kitchen a warmer look. :) Thanks for asking.

Warm countertops are the best! I'm sure it looks great!