I was very concerned about using a tumbled marble back splash behind my gas stove. While painting the wall above my cabinets (which are above my stove) I noticed a gas residue. Once I was that high up I noticed the residue even stained my white ceiling a bit. I do cook quite a lot so that might explain why I had so much...but I was very concerned with putting any stone behind my stove, even if I could seal it. I chose to carry my quartz countertop up behind the stove. This is smooth surface and residue, stains, etc can be wiped right off. I did use the tumbled marble on all other backsplash areas in my kitchen, just not behind my stove.

Bill - can't a tile person do it this way? Can they be set almost touching, grouted WITHOUT filling the pits in the marble?? If the marble is sealed, how would it then be a breeding ground for bacteria? You CAN NOT set tumbled marble that close without culling through alot of stone to get the proper sized ones you want. I'm about to do a wall hanging project where I bought literally three times the entire square footage for just this reason-- to be able to cull through and get the stone I want for it. That's 45 square feet for a 15 square foot project at 7.00 a foot. Tumbled marble varies so much in size that to set it tight like that would end up in misalignment of the tiles pretty quickly, and then the whole thing would end up looking like hell. appears to be mostly contractor types with will intentioned advise but laced with poor opinions of kitchen designers. Actually I'M the one with a poor opinion of MOST kitchen designers. Many of them don't think things through. So long as they can create a piece of eye candy that THEY like, they're happy. Now, NOT ALL of them are like this. I know of several good KD's. But I've also heard more than my share of horror stories about them. I feel that contractors objectives on a backsplash job may be to get in and get out as quickly as possible, and to do at least a good enough to not get called back for rework. If you'd gone through my gallery AT ALL, you'd never make that statement. They may not want to do a project with grouted joints but leaving the aesthetically desirable voids of tumbled travertine/marble unfilled because it would be hard to do and take too long. That's simply ludicrous. If someone's willing to pay for my time, I'm willing to do what they ask, no matter HOW crazy I think it is, so long as it's not detrimental to the installation. There's a project I've posted many times here and at John Bridge's forum of a roman tub, deck, and circular floor that I did years ago-- total about 150 square feet, and it tooke me three work weeks to install because of the way the homeowner wanted it installed. So don't tell me I'm not willing to put in the time. Concerning some earlier questions, the tile are spaced at about 1/16" +/- You've got two courses of the same sized stone together. Try doing an entire backsplash with that small a joint!! and are set in white mastic. This one speaks for itself.

Thanks to all so much -- annekendo -- that kitchen blog was so impressive. I'm trying to imagine a whole kitchen remodel for $12,500! Bill -- your quilt design is just another example of your work that is just incredible. Your clients are very lucky, indeed. From what you have both shown, custommade harlequins would be an option if I can't find what I want. I actually have much of my limestone tile left that I could perhaps incorporate. If I could find honed marble 4x4s to go with the WZ Dore Royal and Ligt Travertine polished marble harlequins I found, I think I would be in good shape. All along I was sure I would go with tumbled, but after my kitchen came together I thought it might be too busy with my granite, floor, etc. What do others think after looking at my pictures? Thanks!

I think it was just a tumbled copper slate. Copper slate generally runs quite a gamut colorwise, from very 'pure' copper to green tones that look like verdigris. Some pieces have a pink cast that I don't personally care for. Every box I've seen was a mix of these shades, some running more copper, others more green. Realitively few tiles have both shades together. It's also available as a honed material, and is sometimes considered a quartzite instead of a slate. Copper is the warmest color family for this slate. Ocean geen and grey green are similar but cooler, and have the same sort of irridescent sheen. I'd hit the local stone and tile yards: its always safest to buy a natural material hands on, rather than ordering from a sample that may have come from a whole different quarry [or country].