Uh oh, the votes are going against glass. :-( Is glass not Mr. Right because it's cool and the wood is warm? I think I agree that the mosaic (even if same color) wouldn't be the right choice. Too small for the scale of the room? The accent tile on the tub wall also runs through the shower about 5' up from the floor. Would a third band over the sink make the room a bit too matchy-matchy? Plus it's matte stone, which, like travertine, doesn't go with polished granite in my mind. I'm not sure if I could get thinner tiles in the granite (Autumn Leaf), and if so, whether they'd match or look different. It's a pretty consistent pattern, so it might not be too bad. I'll see what I can find out in that regard. Maybe our fabricator can make tiles out of our removed backsplash?

I agree with wascolette, and was thinking that a decorative grate of some kind might be pretty. Or you could put a shelf there (if it won't interfere with your range) and put some pretty kitchen things on it. If you pull out tile for a mosaic, you may have to cut tile near the mosaic to make it fit.

ellendi and A2gemini - both of your designs you created with the Grazia Rixi tiles are stunning! I need do some google searching tonight and this weekend for simple backsplash ideas. That's what I want - simple and classic. I can embellish with the nick nacks and change those out as they get old and boring. ellendi, I love yours that it doesn't have any accents, just the brick tile. I am drawn to that shape, as it's the similar to the subway I have now. I am leaning more toward that at this point than the square as I feel it fits my kitchen and overall decorating style better. A2gemini - I am drawn to yours because it does have the accent tiles that bring the colors of the granite subtly into the backsplash. After some thinking, I am afraid that if I just use the accent tiles that I posted yesterday (ellendi, I agree, nix the ORB pencil liner) and not anything else that draws the granite colors in it will look, what word am I looking for, too contrast-y? Too sharp and not subdued? If I use the brick shape only, is it even possible to incorporate accent tiles? Gosh, I do sound like such a newb and high maintenance. But please don't give up on me yet! What about if I did a row of bricks, then a matching pencil liner, and then more bricks all the way up? What is the consensus of the the artistic folks reading my plight think would look best with my granite? Which, by the way I have fallen in love with again now that I have found the Rixi tiles...I had been cursing it for the past month or so as it, IMO, has been so hard to find something compatible! Also, there are two areas that do no have cabinets above them. Just to keep things simple (especially to the DH as I know he would never go for a 'no' backsplash idea in those areas) I intend to replace the existing footprint the same way. Do I end those two areas with the matching small end piece or go for the more grand and elaborate end cap? (forgive me, I don't know the technical names...) And, just to complicate matters, one of those areas has a cabinet door that will open up touch the area, so perhaps I do need to just do a flush end cap...

Jeffrey court riverwash is very similar to fireclay foggy morning. My local tile store had both on hand, and they were *very* close. Fireclay comes in a wide range of sizes. It's pricey, but absolutely gorgeous. I was also shopping for a tile like this. My short list included Senio Newport in Alabaster Craquele or Transparent White. And my very favorite was an italian tile I hadnt heard of before... I cant remeber the manuf name, and my quote just says Aspen Loft Bianco in White. It was a white tile, but with an interesting finish, almost metallic. Looked so nice with my marble-esque quartz counters. All of these were in the $11/sqft range. Here is the aspen loft bianco -