Your bathroom sounds very pretty! Please don't forget to post pics when you are done.... I'm doing something similar to Steve... I am using a white 4x4 in a running bond pattern up to about 4 feet all around the room. My vanity is an antique dresser and the top is marble/quartzite (Vermont White) which is grey/white. The tile will extend about 10" above the vanity top.

Thanks so much for your comments! It's the same in real life - sometimes the marble seems to complement the cabinets perfectly & sometimes it looks off - plus that's only one piece and of course w/ marble, like any natural stone there will be variation from piece to piece... Re: proportion - I was going to do an insert (rectangle) of the mosaic with a chair-rail or pencil frame above the stove - but maybe I should put some of the "field" tile in there so it's not just a "blob" of mosaic... Re: field tile - I'm going to look at other options - I liked the marble b/c it's neutral but natural and has some movement and is of course very rich looking b/c it's marble... But I agree that looking at more pieces of it would give me a better feel. I had looked at a simple off-white ceramic that matched my cabinet color - but that seemed too blah. The house is Victorian and I've brought the molding details into the kitchen to tie it in, so I feel that glass subway tiles would be too modern, but there's so much out there, I'm taking squigs and jb1176's advice and going to look at more options. In the mean time I'm still wondering how I'm going to CLEAN those mosaic tiles when they get greasy...??? Thanks again! I'm off to look at colleges w/ DS so probably won't be on for a few days - and maybe I'll squeeze in a few side trips to tile stores and let you know what I find!

I saw a short backsplash in a kitchen design magazine a few months ago. I loved it. It was maybe 7" tall, white milk glass. The very top edge had a hobnail motif. I looked everywhere for it and couldn't find it. The paint on the wall in the pic was a gorgeous soft green (which is what I knew I wanted for my new kitchen) and the combo was stunning. The magazine said it was Jeffrey Court but I was never able to track it down. I mentioned my idea to the designer at Architectural Ceramics and he completely turned up his nose. He said the green area would look like a racing stripe on the wall and that I would hate it. I didn't have the courage to push for it and ended up going for a full backsplash. I love my new backsplash but I also feel like I wish I had a little more of the perfect green color (which my KD chose!). My cabinets go to the ceiling so from some views I barely see it at all. I'd say maybe you should investigate this more. Could you photoshop your pictures to get a sense of the proportions and how it would look? Good luck!

Just giving my 2018 take on subway tile - I am definitely bored of it, mostly because I see it absolutely everywhere in bathroom and kitchen photos. The bathrooms with subway tile from floor to ceiling are especially puzzling/irritating. Varying width/length mosaic tile has been in fashion for the last several years and there's a lot of variety there - hopefully I won't get bored of that too soon but it can indeed look too busy. My style is a European look with American practicality - simple lines and a luxury look BUT lots of drawers/cabinet space and real wood, no weird stuff like wall-hung toilets, Edison lamps, or old-timey faucets.