I mean, did you try searching the photo section of this very website? A zillion examples!

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Can we see a better picture of your countertops? What are they called?

They are sure pretty! It kind of looks like they have some teal green swirls in there? If so, I would match that light teal color for the backsplash. That would look beautiful!

I have white cabs with dark pulls similar to yours. I did a sage green backplash.

My perimeter counter is a leathered dark grey with tiny sage green specks, but read black in photos. My island is multicolored, but also has the sage green in it.

Miranda Glaeser, I'm so glad you posted this--we're in the same boat!

rebunky, what is the sage green tile you used? My kitchen is nearly at the ABB stage, and while I think I want a white tile with contrasting corner inserts, I am agonizing over the decision. My island is BM Oil Cloth, a grayed-down green (appliances should arrive this week):

I've been planning on adding pops of color with accessories that are easy to change out, with just a small amount of color and some shine on the backsplash. I'd love this look, but it's $44.10 *per tile*:

So I've been leaning toward Quemere Designs, which has tile with clipped corners as well as button inserts:

I'm just worried that pillow tile might be too trendy/attention-grabbing for my mostly understated kitchen, and that I should go for a flat field tile--but that's still quite expensive for white tile. Hence the agonizing!

I don't think that style of tile melds with your kitchen. It has a sort of pretty-princess vibe, while you have a dark, masculine colored island, dark counters, and simple cabinetry. I love the kitchen, so that's meant as a compliment.

I agree with ^^^ I also like your choices so far…go slow with backsplash and get samples to put up and decide after all lighting is in. Work with colors that are no brighter white than your cabinets so stay in the off white/bone/slightly cream range to work with your floors. Then post back with pics

Thank you rebunky. We love our counters, they are a quartzite called mercury. The are a cooler grey, with black veining. We’d love to do a deep bluish grey tile, but worried it would clash since there is no real blue in the countertop.

For reference….

I think the dark tile is too dark. That counter is gorgeous (I'd love to see it in real life and stroke it it's that pretty) I would do everything to make sure that nothing detracts from it and allow it to shine so it needs to be a supporting tile.

Maybe the lightest grey as long as it doesn't make the cabinets look dingy.

HU-918119203 and thinkdesignlive, thank you so much! That's exactly the kind of objective opinion I've been hoping to get. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, you know? I've been living with the kitchen through every step of the remodel, so seeing it as a whole instead of as individual decisions is not easy.

Before demo even started, my original thought was to use brick to add some warmth to that backsplash wall--something lighter and with quite a bit of variation, including some gray and some of the limestone color, as opposed to something strongly red or uniformly dark. I was thinking along the lines of McNear Limehouse Thin Standard.

@Alyssa Fernandez, you might want to start your own thread or it might get confusing with you and @Miranda Glaeser getting recommendations for different kitchens on the same thread.

chispaGood advice--though I was hoping Miranda might also find the Quemere and brick pictures useful, since they would also work with her kitchen colors, and certainly represent two very different directions.

That deep blue grey tile is super pretty! However, I think it would be such a bold statement and such a contrast with the countertop that it would out shadow the quartzite.

What about a lighter blue grey? I found this tile below on the tilebar website just as an example. I like how they have a visualizer where you can ”see it in your room”.

The green reflection on the island keeps throwing me off though. Where is the green coming from?

I painted your cream shelves in a white to match your cabinets too. Maybe you planned that already?

Here is a close up against the photo that seems to show the true colors of the stone. I must admit, I am a big crackle tile fan because I love the handmade look. The color has depth with slight pooling that reminds me of a watercolor painting.

You can order 5 samples for $5 from tilebar. Or bring home a few you like from stores in your area. Then if you can post back the new tile samples, we can go from there.

I am not saying to completely rule out a darker tile, if you really want that. I just think the one you showed above will steal the show being a color that is not really in the stone as you mentioned.

Thanks blfenton! The stone is actually way prettier in person, but I can’t get it to photograph well and you’re probably right about not competing with the countertops, I’m just a sucker for deep blues. BTW how do you tag people on here, I can’t seem to figure it out 🙄.

Rebunky, thank you, that does look nice. I’m definitely leaning towards cleaner lines and a more modern look (like glass, or polished porcelain but I too am always attracted to watercolor looking things). As for the random green reflection- no idea! I hadn’t even noticed it until you pointed it out haha.