Thanks! I am glad that other people agree about the gray. Bill, thank you especially for the specific suggestion - it gives me a starting point to ask about when I go back to the showroom. I can't believe but forgot to mention that we are also using rectangular strips - I think 4" x 12" of the darker color stone in the mix (the lagos) as a border around the perimeter of the floor. The reason for this is to tie the bathroom in from the adjoining hallway, which will have lagos on the floor. That is the reason why I wanted to have one wall with the mix, to carry the color up, instead of going all white. We already picked the grout for the lagos for the hallway, so I think that same color grout should be used on the perimeter lagos in the bathroom too. Is it weird to change grout colors like that on a floor? The brown grout we picked for the perimeter fades away in between the brown tiles, so I hope it will seem natural, especially as a carry-over from the next room.

I understand what you are saying about the scale of the tile and in theory it makes sense. However, all of the larger tiles I've had in the kitchen (and there have been many!) make the room look like a tile store. As I said I had thought I really wanted a subway tile, but they just don't work when I get them in the space. It's that darn 8x8 floor tile that it seems to fight with. Unfortunately the floor tile isn't going anywhere. Most kitchens I've seen (and like) that have floor tile and a tile backsplash the floor tiles are much larger than mine. I want my backsplash to be very soft & subtle. Does any of this make sense??

I am getting Mannington Adura in 16" square tile and having it grouted too. (For those of you who aren't familiar with this tile, it is not ceramic, but looks like ceramic and has the feel of vinyl--we didn't want cold floors here in Wisconsin.) Thank you for all your comments; it will be installed tomorrow diagonally. Today they preped the floor and established that I do have enough which is a good thing since this particular color is no longer available. I am excited to have this phase done. Where in this website does it explain how to download photos? My kitchen won't look that great until cabinets and counter are installed, but if you want to see the floor I will be excited to share. Again thanks for all the help. Cindy

I just came across this thread, and don't know if anyone is still reading, but wanted to write, because I just put up my backsplash (in a new white shaker style kitchen). Everyone who sold the white subways said to use white for the grout. But most people in Gardenweb were saying to use gray? I didn't end up buying at home depot, but a guy there said it best. He said that the "authentic" color of grout used with subway tiles at the beginning of the century was always white. I told him mine looked creamy to me, and he said "If the tile reads white, at all, when you look at them, use "bright white". When you see subway tiles in a movie and the grout looks gray, that is done to make them look very old and that the grout has gotten dirty/discolored after many years. He said it is was in the 1980's that gray or black grout started to be used with a white tile. The brick pattern doesn't dissapear with white grout. You can still see the brick pattern under lighting because the tiles aren't totally flat. It's a cleaner look with white and authentic to the early century rather than the 80's. The original subway tile did not have beveled edges. This allowed a smooth surface as opposed to the modern tile which really defines separation in the installation.