In my experience, "small cracks and off-coloring" are inherent in stone products, especially in small tiles like those used for back splashes. I returned an entire order of marble subway tiles because so many of them were like that. According to the supplier, those things are to be expected, and I was charged a fairly hefty re-stocking fee for the privilege of returning them. IMHO, a disclaimer should be included in every tile contract that spells out the qualities of natural stone products so that customers aren't surprised after their installations are in. Going through the tiles before the installer arrives and getting rid of any that you don't like is a lot easier than removing them after they have been installed and grouted, especially with a material like marble where removing one can easily chip the one next to it. Some people LIKE the variation in natural stone tiles and wouldn't want the "off-color" tiles to be tossed, so I am wondering if it is fair to blame the installer here? No disrespect intended here, just food for thought.

We got our backsplash tile at Walker Zanger in Mount Vernon. (They have a store in the city, but the service was atrocious there, as opposed to Mount Vernon, where it was excellent). We picked the backsplash before we picked the cabinets. Since I wanted 2 color painted cabinets, I thought it would be easier to find the tile I liked first and then get the exact shades of cabinet I wanted based on the tile. But for our bath I did the opposite and brought in samples of the vanity wood and flooring, and we chose our vanity backsplash tile from there. So I think it could work fine either way. Anyway, the people at Walker Zanger were really helpful and showed me a lot of good options that I wouldn't otherwise have considered.

Thanks everyone! You've give me some food for thought and some good online places to look at. My husband was home this afternoon and could watch the youngest kiddo and supervise the painters while I slipped out to the closest tile store. It's not the best tile store and they don't have any of the more feminine glazed tiles I would prefer. But I did find this option I'll attach. It would be the travertine subway everywhere with some sort of decorative spot above my cooktop out of the darker tiles. Probably put them on a diagonal or something. They also sell those in a smaller size. They coordinate nicely with the darker spots in the granite. It's still more masculine than I would like but at least I have one option. Any opinions? Momto3kiddos I looked at Pratt and Larson online and they have some beautiful tiles! Really up my alley with the floral stuff. I see they have a dealer downtown so I might try and swing by at some point if I can. I'll look more online too. Can I ask what their price point is though? I know some people on here spend a ton on their backsplash but I'm not in a position to do that.

There is a lot of marble out there that comes with poor spacing on mesh. There is a lot of marble out there that has a high iron content and that will rust when exposed to the moisture in thinset and cleaning up the installation with water. I'd urge you to visit some local brick and mortars, and order full sample sheets, even if you have to pay for them. Having a local contact in your corner is invaluable if you have any issues such as shipping damage or quality issues.