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.

Just in case anyone checks back I think I found what I love the most. A really nice girl at United Tile helped me out so much. I almost gave up going there because I never got much help. Anyhow, she let me take home sample boards that have been grouted. I can't believe how much this has helped my decision. My mom and dad came over, bless them as they came over ASAP, and right when they walked in they said "that's the one" pointing to the Walker Zanger polished calacatta. They said it just does so much for the kitchen and I totally agree. The 4x12 samples I have are honed which I thought I liked but much prefer the polished as it adds some warmth. I almost threw out the idea of marble. Thank goodness I had a free day to drive to this store! And the girl said if I know a contractor I'll get contractor's price-my brother is a contractor! Yeh! In these picks you will see beveled subway (my 2nd choice), thassos marble (a little too plain), glass subway (way to contemporary now that I see it grouted and too much shine), and the calacatta is the one with the most veining. I sure hope this helps anyone else out there with soapstone unsure of what to do. beveled subway (left) calacatta (next to beveled) glass far right (too glossy and more blue in person-very cold) thassos to the left

I'm shopping for subway tile now and this thread was very helpful- thanks to all! Let me apologize in advance for the following ramble... if there's anyone else doing a remodel with subway tile perhaps this will be of interest. Mine is actually for a bathroom but the color discussion in this thread is so relevant, I hope it is still on topic enough. Now to decide not only whether it's Home Depot gloss white (US Ceramic, I think... though since we started shopping I think they are transitioning to selling a cheap version of Daltile only instead - which is fine that might work for us too. They no longer carry the US Ceramic we originally sampled in the store by us... though they do online). So... HD US Cermic Gloss white vs. Arctic White Daltile vs. Arctic White Matte Daltile vs. their slightly offwhite version. This is for a bathroom, pretty much floor to ceiling on 3 walls, with polished stainless steel and chrome fixtures, and ikea plain white cabinets (Applad doors - not quire as white and shiny as their ulta-mod Abstrakt). The Daltile HD option is a good one because it is 1/3 inch deep, which means it will match the depth of the carrera marble accent tiles we are thinking of using. It's actually hard to find anything but really common/cheap (and cold/too modern even for us) glass tile to match the 1/4 inch depth of the cheapest US Ceramic 22cent tiles that we thought we would use. I welcome any opinions/thoughts/advice/experiences... Has anyone used matte subway tiles? How do they compare in looks overall to gloss? To be honest I thought the matte finish might make it look LESS cold and sterile. My dad (the tile guy) thinks using subway tile and chrome is going to make my bathroom look like a gas station... I think the marble accent tiles (3x6 carrera hampton pillow top from TileShop is what we're leaning towards) will warm it up just enough. They are just a little visual interest for a border band around the middle of the wall all around the room. Also, the accents in the room are teak wood - the shower drain grill which is the length of the shower pan floor, the shower seat, and probably the shower mat and waste bin, etc. etc. Which also warms it up! Finally, I will be installing a crystal light fixture on the wall facing you when you walk in, to warm up the light in the room, provide some sparkling and "shadow interest". I am hoping the white tile, polished finishes, marble, crystal and teak will all harmonize well! I also hope putting marble and crystal accents in our second bathroom in our 50s postwar suburban bungalow won't be too high-minded an d out of keeping with the house... We are trying to be subtle and keep things in line. The rest of the basement model uses harmonizing and quality finishes... the upstairs has basic nice elements, hardwood floors, quality furnishings --transitional style-- but nothing as high quality as the work we are doing ourselves in the basement. Hopefully the handsome but mundane subway tile will bring down the tone enough to make it in keeping with rest of the house :)... Nicole Nicole

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!