(Already reposted on the Discussions side)

I haven't seen that granite in person, but wow yours is so glossy and beautiful. Love the way it looks with your cabinets; the peninsula looks soooo pretty. Don't like the marble BS with your granite. Agree with palimpsest that the scale and pattern of the movement is too similar to that in your granite. They'll end up fighting rather than complementing each other. Of the glass I like the one in the middle. More neutral than the others and looks to go very well with the color of the floors. I don't think it's stark. The subway is a great shape that melds with the traditional ( transitional?) style of your cabs, but the glass has a modern feel and goes well with your fabulously glossly granite which is the star in that kitchen. Keep it simple. BTW, no matter what the backsplash or what the GC says, no No NO to the 4" granite BS! If you have more of the glass tile, yes please post a picture with several in place so we can see how it looks and please show us whatever else you find!

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.

didn't have time to read all the answers. I have no backsplash and have never regretted it...been over 6 yrs. It is painted with BM matte...which has ceramic in it. It is as beautiful now as it was when first painted. I love the fact that I can showcase other things ...art etc in my kitchen and no competition. Also if I ever want to change it is as quick as a paint brush...expense is minimal..paint only ! All in all I think it is serene as you point out . Here is one pick. Since I have a lot of high heat cooking in my kitchen..built in deep fat fryer as well as gas cook top I can definitely speak to the longevity of paint only. c ( more at this album )