The red diamonds in my backsplash are glass and I really like the effect. The other tiles are a bit off-white, and I think they match the cabs, I've never noticed. lol I have orb for some of the hardwared, and ruby colored pulls and knobs on the hutch which is in the kitchen. I also have an orb faucet whith white sink. White appliances. The appliances are whiter than the cabs, but its not noticeable. As far as the granite. That's a hard one to answer. Take every single thing off the countertop and I love my granite. But that color of granite is so hard to accesorize with it's driving me crazy! However, I recently discovered pale yellow, white, and light vintage green looks wonderful on the granite. My walls are a very pale yellow. Black accessories are good too, but I want more pastels in my kitchen. It only took me three years to figure out that pastels really look best with the granite and white cabs!

Thanks for the nice comments, but I'm seriously thinking of scrapping the whole idea. While it's beautiful and goes perfect with the soapstone, it's like it's too refined for my "old farmhouse" kitchen. I told my husband this morning that I'd put it in a bathroom in a heartbeat, but in my kitchen, it feels like I'm letting my fancy lingerie show under my work apron . . . It's ok for a hint, but this seems too much for me. And the other problem is that I think it makes it feel like the baking center with its wood top belongs in a different kitchen. I painted my backsplash a light green to see how I would like it, and at first I loved it, but a week later the novelty has worn off and I'm finding is kind of unsettling. But that is why I painted the backsplash first - I just wasn't sure how I'd feel about that color on the walls. For that kind of money, I really have to love this look, and though I really like it, I guess I don't like it $1,000 worth LOL!! I really like the crackle look - am going to look for subway tile with the crackle finish. My floor tiles are rectagle, so the rectagle backsplash would continue that pattern, and then I'll going to see how it would work to use the border on the floor as the border on the wall. Not sure what I'll use for the inset. On Sunday afternoon, I was all ready to purchase that tile. My husband dropped off the paperwork but the Sales Lady never called me so I had time to think about it, and the more I thought, the more I started questioning. Maybe I was dealing with "I'm tired of looking and this will work" syndrome, but after a few days I got rested and felt better about looking more. Here is my floor pattern. I put this in over a year ago - before I was planning on Soapstone so now the challenge is tying the floor and countertop together - but I think it can be done. I may go as far as to remove all the middle tiles and replace them with something a bit green - I almost chose that when we did the floor, but decided the brown would work better - If only I'd known LOL! The baking center now has a white beadboard backsplash, and will eventuall have some sort of corbel type brackets to make it look more like a hutch than wall mounted cabinets. And some day a window seat will be built under the window. Here is a picture showing the soapstone next to the floor (yes, I have this pattern in the dining room too). When I look at these pictures, I get this nagging feeling I should not have got the soapstone after all . . .I hate that feeling so I really need to find a way to salvage this. That little 5" sample looked fine next to the floor, but having several feet of it on the countertop overwhelms everything else. The good part - it's only freshly oiled that is looks so intensly green (which I do love on its own) and though I oiled the sample it's a chunk that is mostly dark so it looked like it would work with the floor. My husband is not happy that I'm even considering messing with the floor, but the good part is I can do that this summer when he's out of town and he'll not know about it until I've got it all done. We've already had to bust out and replace one tile, and it's not that hard to do. Messy, but not hard. BTW- DH is colorblind to undertones in colors - so he actually does not "see" what is bothering me about the floor/countertop issue.

Harrietomeowner, could you please tell me the name of the marble subway tiles you are installing? Are they the lansdale from the tile shop? Are they also known as "Botticino"? When I went to the tile store, they told me that there is not such a name "lansdale marble". They say that is the name the tile shop used on that particular marble color. They suggested "botticino" might of being the one that is on line because of its creamy white color. I love them!! I think they will look gorgeous on your kitchen. I have similar colors, maple medium autumn stain cabinets, and a creamy granite called Ivory fantasy. I'm considering marble subway tiles as well and the ones that you posted lying down on your counters and the mock up created look perfect. Please post pictures of your backsplash when ready...

I have to agree with the others. The first picture looks ok. The second, too peachy. I think also that it may have too much movement in it with all that is going on in your countertop. I think some color variation is fine, but more subtle would be better. If you want to notice the countertop and the diagonal backsplash, I think it would be best if the backsplash didn't have too much going on in it. You don't want to have too many visually interesting things going on. Go with your instinct and don't worry about what the designer thinks. She doesn't have to live with it!