Testimonials aside, there is no doubt that white shows dirt/grime/whatever more than gray. Beyond that, it is just a personal preference of what you want it to look like. Gray grout is a much more traditional choice than white. If you are going for a vintage look, that would be my choice. On the flip side, if you are going to more a more "clean line" modern style, then I'd go with white.

For me, if it was my floor, in the large scheme of things, the floor tile size would probably not matter. I think it is wise to use porcelain for the floor, the resent revival of Pipdogs old tread, with her white marble bathroom, is telling. Pipdog responded to recent posts and reported she found the marble on the floor very hard to maintain. Are you doing the tile? If it was me doing my tile I'd vote for 12x12" or smaller, LOL. I have a lot of lipage on my 12x24 shower wall because it was too big (I am assuming that is the reason) for me to handle. I did a floor and a wall. On the floor I used a leveling system. People have liked and disliked them. The system I had was a hassle, so I free handed the walls. I did have more lipage on the walls but then the tile was rectified, whereas the floor had a very rustic bevel at the edges. This might have helped hide the lipage. There is a reasonably priced system at HD that is doable for a smaller project like a bathroom. I have heard people like it. It is simple to use, but the wedge system can hurt your hands if the project is very large. Here is a link that might be useful: Pipdogs marble bathroom, august 2012.

Laurie, sorry for so many pictures but I downloaded the pictures from the camera and just had it download all to Photobucket and I was too tired to delete pictures. Next time I share, I will send in less so people will want to view. But I appreciate your nice comments. That is why I sent the way before picture to show that my kitchen is a big improvement from when I bought my home and the mini blinds broke from raising and lowering them. The wall color was also too white for the appliances back then. Since the wall color looks nice in the foyers with my other tile called Akoya Bone that is a little darker, I feel once the tiles are down, it will look nice also. I am not sure how the blinds go yet but I will worry about that next. But I really am liking the tiles and feel they will enhance my kitchen with that outdated in bad shape Linoleum floor gone. I also love that little table. I was dating a guy when I moved into my home and we were looking for a small kitchen table for my kitchen and he kept trying to push me to go with cheap tables at stores that I hated. He finally told me that the deal for the table that was too big for the kitchen was a great deal and he will take me to Ethan Allen to show me what expensive prices are like so I will see that the table and chairs he is showing me were a good deal. The minute I saw this table and chairs, I fell in love and despite how expensive the set was even with the great sale this store was having at the time. I bought all four chairs and the insert to enlarge the table. I am able to add two more chairs from other rooms if I have 6 people at the table with the insert in the middle of the table and it fits in the middle of the kitchen. But I am glad I can then make the table small again for room to walk and cook. The table is so well made and is solid wood with even the side rails for lowering the sides made of solid wood. I went back the next day to bring one of my drawers to see how it matched and bought it. I have always been happy with my decision. I always wished my cabinets were made out of the wood that the table is made out of. Not sure what it(forgot since I did not know much about wood almost 14 years ago but remember it being a nice wood and it was solid wood and not oak so I was happy it went with my cabinets despite not being the same wood). I love the Wheatback chairs so much. I am so glad I did not try to save money and get the table that did not match my cabinets and was too big for the kitchen. Some things are worth investing in. Like you invested in the cabinets and put other purchases on hold. I feel that was a wide decision. I also love your tile floors backsplash, wood floors and baseboard trim in the other room. Again, thank you for being there for me and making me not feel alone during my home renovations. I can't wait to post new pictures when the tile floor is down and then to work on other parts of my kitchen project.

Hi Theresse, so glad to hear your kitchen is coming along. (Did I miss it, what color combo did you end up choosing for your cabinets/wall?) RE: grout color, I think you need to wait until you see your actual marble. We're also doing marble and there is so. much. variation. and all that matters is the actual lot you end up with. (As a major control freak, this is freaking me out!) I have to make these exact same decisions, but it's easy to look at someone else's choices and tell THEM what to do ;) Personally, I'd either choose a white/off white that coordinated best with the overall background color of your lot of tile so that the pretty veins of the natural material can shine and the shape would recede a bit. Or, I'd try to pull a tone from the veins in your lot of marble (a very very light shade of that basic tone, if that makes sense) if you want to also emphasize the shape of the subway tile. I really think any way you choose, you honestly can't go wrong because you have beautifully simple counters so to me there's less of a worry that you'd choose something that didn't "go" as well. Anything you choose, your beautiful marble subways (and your awesome faucet!) are going to pop and be your stars. Can't wait to see. :)