sammi, we get functionality with our granite that we wouldn't get with a laminate. I don't understand raehelen's comment about needing to be more careful with granite than with laminate - at least as long as one is careful to choose a granite well suited to use in a kitchen (e.g. not one of the few that etch easily). We bake a lot and it is joy to have such a baking friendly work surface. We have a counter surface that can take the use of a dough scraper and has the smoothness for working with the dough. I don't think I would be comfortable doing that on laminate. When I had laminate many years ago, I had to be careful to not scratch it and to not put a very hot pan down that might scorch it. Our granite is a dream to clean up - we have 4 cooks in the kitchen and some are not always careful to wipe up. Even when a spill is discovered later, a quick damp wipe takes care of it. We like Indian cooking so we sometimes are using spices such as tumeric that can stain some surfaces but that hasn't been a problem with our granite. We do have one of the low porosity stones, but higher porosity stones can be dealt with by sealing. Budgets are important and laminate is a good kitchen surface - I would much prefer it over my kitchen's previous 70's bumpy tile with wide grout - I'm not knocking laminate which is a good solution that is easier on the budget than granite. But, where it fits the budget, granite can have some functionality advantages.

It's so hard to really know without pictures. What style are your cabinets? If they are very contemporary I think a black glass backsplash could look great (I'm actually envisioning a glass mosaic with the long skinny tiles in a variety of colors (black, white, gray, etc.). If your cabinets veer more toward traditional or transitional, I think I'd rather see something lighter that matches the cabinets.

@Joseph - good news! I spoke to Dani about the Axiom translucent white. I have a question about filling in the joints. There are some minor ragged edges where the fabricator cut the quartz countertop. This is where it meets the wall. Will the translucent white silicone hide these? I know it's not clear colored, but wondering if it will fill in and mask some minor cracks?

Heatheron40, very nice. I asked a question about doing a tile countertop in our guest cabin recently as I feel like the look would complement the cabin aesthetic. Also I’m dying to learn to tile and thought it would be a fun place to start as it’s not an everyday space and I could take my time. Most of the responses were against. Basically stating the grout would make me crazy. The guy at the said what you’re saying I think, he said that modern grouts are more resistant to staining and such, and also to go with a tinted grout of some sort. I love your use of pattern to give it interest and intention!