First, take a deep breath. This problem comes up here a few times a month! Step back and look at how the over all color "reads"in your kitchen. The reason why Laurie's looks so good is that it not only blends with the St Cecilla but it also blends with the cream in her cabinets. What color are your cabinets? If your cabinets are white and the counters read more grey, I would try to find a white tile with a grey undertone. Or a very light grey. Can you post your kitchen? It is funny that you mentioned no backsplashes shown with your granite. When I was having difficulty finding a backsplash, I went back to see my inspiration kitchen pictures. (They were white kitchen) Not one had a backsplash! I was so involved in the style and the color of the cabinets, I did not think ahead about the vision of my backsplash. There are a few directions that you can go in, but if you post a picture it is easier for us to help you.

I should have posted under the subject: How do I deal with the back splash of the range with the "island trim kit"?

BEAUTIFUL! You have to enjoy working in your garden, because it is really well tended and planned also. Love it. I see your high chain link fence is like my back fence....7 foot tall and 100 feet long. I've planted Confederate jasmine...or trachelospermum jasminoides....or something sounds like that? It is evergreen here, and makes a gorgeous privacy fence withing a few years. Maybe in 4 years but by 5 it is very effective....they use it in Italy everywhere, including to climb over arbors, up old stairways, and covering fences to create a living privacy fence. Let me recommend it to you for that purpose. If you like, I'll create a Flickr album about the use of this jasmine in Italian gardens (the ones I saw anyway) in Umbria. Etc. Here the cabana was covered in blooming jasmine, the short fence covered in the jasmine is kept trimmed as a short hedge, no hint of the chainlink frame holding it up inside.

@A T Thanks for the recommendations! I hadn't considered Leathered granite, I do have some concerns on resale value with leathered as it is much less common, but will definitely look into it. The tile you suggested though is perfect! Thank you!! @la_la Girl I am open to making it all one level, but at this point planning to keep it different heights. My main concern is losing multiple outlets and that this opens directly into the living room. I kind of like the dual height from the perspective that it hides the mess in the kitchen (oops!), but I am definitely open to hearing reasons to take it down to one level! @acm Thanks for the input! You may be right, I could try painting the cabinets and then see how the granite looks before replacing. Since the butlers pantry is separated from the rest of the kitchen i have debated using that as my "test case" and painting the cabinets there to see how they look before getting into the rest of the kitchen.