enduring: Atlas Concorde makes a great tile. Our tile guy loved working with it. I was going to do the Atlas Concorde Seastone, which is a black tile with white little "fossils" in it. I sent my DH to take a look at it and bring home a sample and he actually swiped the idea for his bathroom remodel (his remodel had to go first because his shower was falling apart!). So now I can't use Seastone, but I thought the Marvel was interesting because it looks like Black Emperador marble and I thought it would look nice with white subway and carrara marble. Here is a picture of part of the floor. It's very reflective so even though it's black it seems lighter than the previous floor which was medium gray.

I agree with Ranton, assuming I understand that you've already decided on the cabinet choice? If you have and you've got the style and stain/paint picked out, I'd do the counters 2nd. I'd do the floors 3rd. Flooring, unless "it's in your face" attention grabbing, tends to just be the anchor and gets relegated to almost being overlooked. If you only want the blaring floor to take center stage,(that's your main objective) then highlight that and let everything else just be a supporting role for the floor. That being said, if you have a lot of movement in the graining of the wood (cabinet), you don't want to fight "movement with movement". So let's say you have a really intense movement in the wood grain that will show through the stain, I'd quiet it down on the granite and/or pick a quartz that is quieter to the degree that the cabinets are already "speaking". ** One thing, are you looking for a certain look or style? Can you tell us that if you know? The reason I ask is that depending on what look you want to achieve be it for example, sleek/modern/minimalist, Tuscan/Mediterranean, French country, Craftsman/earthy colors etc., you get the idea. So write down some basic words that you think of when people say (your) XYZ style. From that, when you are looking at each material or pattern, what is the first word that comes to mind when you see that pattern/color/style in the granite yard or flooring? If what comes to mind belongs to another style/look, you may be about to combine things that don't belong in the same "box". Something to think about...... Oh, definitely choose the granite then choose the backsplash color/pattern/material after that. Regarding flooring, ask your DH the one thing that he wants to first be noticed in your kitchen. I.E. if someone where to come for a visit after it's completed and says they love XYZ about it. What element would be choose as the strongest thing that stands out when you walk into your kitchen? I know on some of these design shows when it comes to pattern be it fabric, upholstery, wallpaper, whatever, they suggest that the "scale" of each element not be the same. Like if you had a large print on a fabric in whatever color you'd want to choose a smaller scale on the other elements in the room so they don't compete. If you've got several large (busy) 'in your face' patterns in the room, they compete with each other. The result is that the eye bounces around constantly from large pattern (i.e. movement) to the next large/busy/heavy movement pattern. What happens is a feeling of vibration and competition between all the elements that is not restful to the eye or mind. I know I'm jumping around here. All these things are coming to mind that might help you so I'm just throwing it out there before I think of something else. Question: Are your and DH's style the same or different? If they are different, there was an HGTV show that integrated the two (sorry, can't think of it or the host's name) but there were some good points in how the host did it. Good luck and let us know how it goes. I don't know if I've helped here or not, but hopefully it will spark some thought processes that might help you.

It's so hard to really know without pictures. What style are your cabinets? If they are very contemporary I think a black glass backsplash could look great (I'm actually envisioning a glass mosaic with the long skinny tiles in a variety of colors (black, white, gray, etc.). If your cabinets veer more toward traditional or transitional, I think I'd rather see something lighter that matches the cabinets.

Renee you must be overwhelmed with all of these comments. Your countertops are GORGEOUS, so I do hope you keep them. Sophie's suggestion to stain the floors is well worth looking into. For what it is worth my suggestion for your backsplash is to go with a simple solid tile in a lighter color that coordinates with the countertop. I would suggest you not go too small with the tile- 3x6 to 4x12 would be a good size to stick with. You want to avoid too much movement in the backsplash as the counter (and the floor) have quite a bit of movement and you do not want them competing. Let the countertop be the star of the show. Good luck and let us know how it all ends up for you.