Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you! First of all I want to say that I'm not sure, but it seems a few of you may have the idea that my kitchen/house is from the 1930's but it's 1913. I may have misunderstood your comments but someone may have confused 1913 for 1931 - not sure! ;) Thank you for the link! Prill - yes I'm considering soapstone as I *think* my first choice as far as something dark grey/black goes. Thanks! rjr220, artemis78 and the others, YUP I totally hear you about starting w/ needing just a dishwasher. Ha! First it was dishwasher, then it was oops we need a new electrical service/box, then it was well since they're tearing up the drawers and half a cupboard to install the sink, we might as well FINALLY give ourselves the excuse to replace the god-awful countertop...and we can't put in something nice and then just leave in the god-awful backsplash (which needs new outlets put in anyway)...and so it goes! rjr220: I've always loved hexagonal tile. My parents' bathroom had it and our current upstairs bathroom has it too (with the occasional blue one thrown in). Are you sure that would be appropriate for a kitchen countertop of 1913? I thought those were seen more in the '20's? It's tempting, and I've seen how tight they are - at least the original ones - but still, I think I want to avoid so much white on the countertop. That said, you've got me intrigued so darn you - I might have to do some googling for nice examples. Feel free to share pics! Cute little kids are a bonus! :) Oh and btw, I live in the NW - not the NE. bmorepanic - thanks for the info on metal. From some googling I see that there was some metal used at that time but not usually stainless steel itself quite yet, as it was invented the same year. Still, in the metal family...not too bad a stretch it would seem. Caesarstone is indeed one of the materials I've considered because - while it looks less natural to me - their dark grey color is perfect. Not too close to black, and not as light as unoiled soapstone. What I'm wondering now is what the price is - or how much less it is than things like honed granite, soapstone and stainless steel. The reason I ask is that it would be great if it were significantly less, cause I've fallen in love with some VERY EXPENSIVE subway tile and could only pull off getting it if I downgraded in the countertop material. I would never have considered slate, but now from googling I see there are some very nice, not necessarily modern looking options there! Thank you. As for your comment that my kitchen is nice?! Really?? Are you sure? I think it's pretty horrid! I mean there is definitely some charm there, from the original things still being in place...but the wood floor is pretty badly damaged and probably can't take another sand, and the lower cabinets aren't original and are just plain...the drawers are awful (one won't even close) and the countertop/backsplash is painful. Oddly, very oddly, I'm feeling a sense of loss over getting rid of the warm tone of the backsplash. I'm fighting the white thing because of all the other whites around. The backsplash I can't really afford but love is actually a similar color but more muted and beige than pinkish. But there is a hint of peach or pink, and they are 2x6 tiles which is the way the kitchen's subway tile would have been. I just don't think it would have been anything but white, unfortunately. I don't mind going off the beaten path but if I ever want to get my home registered on the historic list, I wonder if they'd accept a colored backsplash (?). As for the lower cupboards, I'm assuming that originally the kitchen had wooden counters on lets with curtains or something like that. I think the reason they put only new lower ones in and not upper is cause the upper ones are original (at least I'm guessing they are - I should show you the West wall which is ALL cupboards including an ironing board cupboard and spice cupboard. On that wall they are very big and fat and deep - but they all have the same solid wood faces w/ same molding. I do like how the upper cupboards go all the way up to the ceiling. I love your sink cab idea, thank you! I like the look right now of lower cupboards being a darker color than the upper ones. So I could always just paint the lower ones something interesting...maybe a farmhouse kitchen green type color? Or someday if more money comes in, I'd of course love to replace them with something like real wood with the proper furniture-style legs for the period. Circuspeanut - when you suggested colorful tile for the backsplash, did you think the house was from the '30's? It seems people here were assuming that which is why I ask; I don't think they did that back in 1913. That said, I'd love to see pics if you have any examples. Thanks for the positive feedback about stainless steel, and no I wouldn't do a shiny surface for the countertop! ;) cheril27 - you love my kitchen too? What's going on here??! :) I appreciate your comment about soapstone turning a charcoal color after some neglect. I REALLY don't want black, and I REALLY don't like the lightness of the unoiled soapstone. And hey - I'm really, really good at neglect - haha. lazygardens - I just don't think I have it in me to do too much white/light, but that may also be cause i have a history of being unadventurous and I want to try something different. I'll be doing splashes of color regardless, as I've always loved that look in a kitchen (as long as not over the top silly). That's basically all my kitchen is now (a bunch of white), with the exception of the horrid pink backsplash. And already it feels too white. But I see your point about how kitchens were back then. Except that I've seen a LOT of 1913 homes w/ original wood countertops which are pretty dark. Also, our kitchen is small and dark and I'm in the camp of going with dark when in dark and wowing with light when in brightness (sunlight). To a point, that is. Thank you for your suggestions! honeychurch - your kitchen sounds beautiful! I have to see pics! As for having light colored wall paint, which I currently have, I think I'm going to get a little weird this time and do either bright or dark paint on the walls! That's because there is very little wall space, and also cause with all the light on the cupboards it needs more contrast. There is no molding to separate the walls from the ceiling, and I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it looked to paint right onto the ceiling the same color as the walls. Sometimes that works in a house and sometimes it doesn't, but in ours, it offered a cozy cave feeling while also feeling less cluttered somehow, if that makes sense. Or just...I'm not great at describing things here but it gave a feeling of continuity (?). farmhousebound - I'm having a hard time doing searches on this website but i"ll try again in a bit here. I want to see your pics! I agree that one should just do what one wants. I struggle with wanting to impress others since I've always had awful, outdated kitchens (!) but also, if the home becomes historic (registered), I'm sure there will be a few rules. In the end I'm sure I'll go with my gut and happiness over the historic home thing, if they put too many rules on me! sweeby - charming kitchen! Again, 1913 though - not the '30's. I would love to do wood, but between the upkeep and the fact that when looking from the dining room you see the room-length dining room real-wood buffet which leads straight into the kitchen's countertop... It's almost like one really long countertop that starts in the dining room and ends at the far end of the kitchen! So too much wood is maybe not a bad thing but...I don't know if the color would need to match or would need to be in great contrast in order to be gotten away with! Allison 0704 - That link was great, thanks! I like the cottage look best, much to my surprise. Either that or it just reminds me of my grandmother's house (also 1913). Her house was/is a 9-bedroom farmhouse and was big. The kitchen was huge and yet was totally cottage style, it seemed. I thought I liked the Shaws sink - and I do - but the sink in the cottage pic from your link is very nice. Also, I have two windows just above my sink that look just like those windows. Holligator - thank you for the encouraging words about soapstone! Artemis78 - I very much relate to everything you wrote. I want a period kitchen with a hint of eclecticism and my own style. Thanks again everyone! More questions to come but for now I need to go to SLEEP as it's 2:24 a.m. here! p.s. is there no way to respond to each individual more easily having to go back and forth so much? Not "quote" option to respond to?

I should have posted this here.... instead of responding to you in the thread that I posted about my backsplash redo. Reposted: Lissa - I have started to respond to your two threads numerous times, but I can never seem to get my wording right. I want to say "If you don't like it rip it out," but I am one of the unfortunate few who know what that means. The problem is this: I would only be saying that because you don't care for it, and really, that is all that matters right? However, from the pictures you have posted here, you have a GORGEOUS kitchen. Personally, I LOVE your tile. But again.... does that matter? It's not my kitchen! (Just an FYI - this forum hated my tile backsplash for various reasons, so I was not in the same boat as you.) So what do I say... I think you are figuring out what is best for you. I like your idea of changing only part of it because that can change the whole complexion and most importantly, your feelings regarding the backsplash. I wish you the best on your very tough decision. (Just remember one itty bitty thing... even if you do nothing at all....a lot of us here think that you have a beautifully stunning kitchen!)

Well, I went to the tile stores again yesterday. I brought home a few more samples. I also found a blog called tile tramp (tiletramp@gmail.com). She does free on-line consultations. All you do is send her a picture and what your looking for. Anyway, I included what she thought would look good in my kitchen. (They did not have that particular sample at my store-its kind of swirly). She also suggested the one that I have already had at home (Walker Zanger Hollywood). So, I brought that home again ungrouted. I think the dark grout in the first sample was really throwing me. (It is the tile in the middle). The tile on the left would have to be a different marble but I thought I might as well try it. Lastly, the one on the right is called interlocking circles from mission stone tile. My concern with that is that the circles are going to be 18 inches in diameter when it is all done. (My dimensions are about 32 x 60). The picture with one sample in it is marble with clear glass by artistic. Any thoughts? Monday is decision day. I feel like I have seen it all at this point. Here is a link that might be useful: New tile pictures

I am back, having gone into "radio silence" for a while to digest this, play with sample boards, and repair some other parts of my house. This thread is almost at 150 entries!! That is represents some extreme generosity of the GW community on my behalf! I am really humbled and honored. However, as a practical matter, the thread is out of room and I still haven't decided! I am going to start a new thread, and link to it in the next post of this thread. I will use the rest of this thread to get caught back up, to recapitulate the most promising ideas and show you what I have been up to! Catching up: OB2B (11/12@7:52). Oh, those are pretty. I wonder just how $pendy they are. Your photoshop job is so nice. Do you think it looks too busy, or is it small enough a pattern to become just a texture? BellaJ: the walls are SW 6676 Butterfield. If anyone is interested, here is how I arrived at that color. Interesting observation on the tile size. Hmmm, Complete Tile does offer all of their tile in 3x3... I continue to like your "diamonds with decos" concept, as you will see below. And thanks for the Houzz info and images. I also like that decorative band. Veevs, thanks for the vote. EAM: Re: kitchens from the 20's having plain walls/wild floors: Yes, you are correct. I had been made aware of that during a thread trying to choose my floor. Also, I have a book from 1935 called "C.B. Smith's Home Owner's Handbook" that I rely upon for some period-appropriate information, and that confirmed what you say. Also, here are a few good GW threads: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1110391922585.html http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1120450213517.html So, yes, I am committed to not having too wild a wall. (I originally was going to do a two-color hopscotch pattern! Fortunately, I got talked down from the ledge.) raee: I pretty much agree with you. I am fairly well resigned to painting the walls. And those tiles need to be warmer, I agree. EAM: Re: the hex mosaics. Oooh, pretty! I like that, although I am worried about the busy-ness. I am going to put that in my second-tier list of options. (Casey, aka sombreuil mongrel, used Rojo Alicante on HIS red/tan checkerboard floor!)