What about a creamy white subway? I know some people think it's overdone but I love it! This article may be helpful. http://www.mariakillam.com/which-backsplash-tile-goes-with-granite/

The black appliances suck light like crazy and you need a counter depth fridge for sure . I hope you are not thinking of doing the cabinets yourself . They need to done by a pro in a spray booth off site . A warm white as opposed to a stark white will work all stainless appliances with a stainless hood

I like crackle and fireclay tile. They have subtle color variations that are a little more interesting than plain subways. But they won't grab a lot of attention in the room.

It is definitely smarter to use plainer tile than to use a strong pattern. You can always add interest to your kitchen with more easily changeable accessories, area rugs, dish towels, etc.

Make sure you test your choices (paint, tile, etc,) together in your space to make sure they work together. Undertones, lighting and other room elements can impact how light colors look in a space. Right now your beiges and wood tones and browns are fighting a bit.

If you're on the fence at all about painting your beautiful cabinets, consider putting subway tile in the very lightest tint you can pull from your granite countertops. Also consider changing out a couple doors to glass to open up the cabinets and keep beautiful dishes in there. Notice how both the kitchens below have lights over the sink in front of the window. Do drop pendants as shown in the second photo so the light goes out into the space as well as over the sink.

French Country Kitchen Cabinet Restoration · More Info

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Search Giallo Veneziano for inspiration photos. This appears to be your granite.

Also, when you paint your cabinets, your oak trim and window above the sink will stick out like a sore thumb. Be prepared to open a can of worms...

Cream or griege subway tile that matches one of the tones in the granite. Something light with no texture so easy to clean. Done. Or leave as is, it is not that bad. Life's too short, save your money for retirement.

You're going to spend a lot of money on this kitchen and it's still not going to look the way you want it to look. The black appliances make it dark and heavy, the cabinets are dated, regardless of color, and the granite is very ordinary stuff that also looks dated.

Start saving your money and do a full remodel when you can afford it.

Adnan, Sure, you might spend some money and still not have the kitchen you want but I wouldn’t let that stop you unless it’s, thousands and thousands we are talking about here. In our case, we are looking at doing the same thing....new backsplash and a few other very minor updates. At most, we will spend a couple thousand dollars (probably a generous number) and likely get 10 years out of it while we save for a potential full scale remodel or until we move out of this home. I don’t feel too bad about that.

d_gw, where does one find a crackle glaze subway tile? I have been looking all over for one. I used one in our previous home in 2010 that I just loved, but it’s no longer being made. I have an oak kitchen similar to the original poster and currently have travertine backsplash and Cambria Buckingham quartz, and my old tile would have been perfect!

I would check into the cost of a vent hood installation before I ripped out that micro/cabinet. It could run into serious money if your home is two story.

Bluebell..I think most good brands will carry crackle tile..Fireclay, Sonoma Tiilemakers, Ann Saks's lines..I'm sure many more, the names escape right now. Speciality tile shops are best-they'll have different lines to show you..some will have many companies they work with, and you'll see samples, and all. The amount of colors and shades can be very impressive. Leaving alone patterns etc..:)

I would pull the tile out and paint the wall. YES. Check out DeVol kitchen site (UK)