Thank you! Cooperbailey and amcofar, your kitchens are beautiful -- mine is, I hope, going in the same cottagey direction. When I looked at the backsplash slideshow I realized that I needed to worry less about the white and offwhite as long as the overall mood/feel stays the same (e.g., don't mix cottagey stuff with high tech).

We have walnut cabinets, a dark grey floor and stainless steel counters - very similar to your setup, but we have white painted boxes. We went with a handmade recycled tile, the debris series from fireclay. It was a fight to the death between a pale blue and a pale sage green, and a lot of discussion was had about format - 2x8 versus 4x4, etc. They have a lot of colors and formats to choose from. I was inclined toward white until it was all installed, and I realized that was too boring and the room needed color.

the molding between wall and ceiling throws everything off, due to the super glossy white paint used for that row, all around ,and the very white ceiling. I like the paint color Cornforth white-shown above ..I would use that color with 20-30% less intensity and paint all walls, ceiling molding and ceiling with it. With no plans to redo the kitchen, let the nice cabinets have their presence, and reduce the conflict with the glaring ceiling molding with a subtle paint job. Then get some soft and textural mats on floor in the right locations for yourselves, and some sort of area rug in living/seating zones.Removal of stripe valances is probably a good move... but can wait if you want....I personally like something at windows..could just do a cellular shade in neutral at kitchen window and leave shades in dinette, remove valances. Neutral walls and ceiling ,and some rugs would do wonders and I think surprise you pleasantly..

Flemish bond is great for a floor or patio, not for a backsplash. Both SW 6155 Rice Grain (bottom) and SW 6154 Nacre (top) are yellows, although Nacre is classed as a pastel shade, so the tile color you're looking for is a cream that pairs well with your stone which is largely brown - shouldn't be hard to find. The tile below is Fireclay Tile in Ivory but you can approximate this glaze in almost any other tile. If you have the budget for it, consider a pretty shape. Your space reads young and joy filled. Consider something fun like a mini star and cross, or an ogee drop.