yep that's my kitchen. Sorry it's not in your budget, but gpraceman does have a good idea about granite tiles. I have seen these used in place of granite slabs for the counter, when a budget dictated it. "To Me", they did not look that bad. I had to redo the area of the granite where the cook top is, due to a bad choice I made about cooktops, a 36" semi-circle Caldera. It died in about a year and the company went broke, so I had to replace it with a rectangular induction cooktop, Hence the granite rework. Well I could find Granite remnants (Arandis Gold) for next to nothing, (I paid about $75 for a little less than a half slab. So you may be able to do that too, and then have it cut to sizes you want for the tile, myself, the bigger the better, and the less grout lines. Thanks for your kind words about my kitchen, it is pretty unique, and as we tell folks here, Do what makes you happy, after all, it's your kitchen. For those of you that do like tiles and grout, that's great, as long as it's what you want, and you're not following others or doing what you "Think", might help sell the house later. Gary

We did tile floor, then cabinets, then countertop...still waiting to put in a backsplash. If you put the flooring in first, then it goes under the cabinets, making it easier to change things later. While the product cost might be somewhat higher (the cost of the materials under the cabinets), installation will be less b/c there are far less cuts, etc. Additionally, everything is at the same level for installation...cabinets & appliances. Whatever you do, be sure the flooring materials are even & level across the entire room. If you do not put your flooring material under the cabinets, then at least put plywood under the cabinets & appliances to bring them up to your planned finished floor height. This is to (1) ensure appliances will fit, (2) make it easier to install/remove appliances (no having to raise/lower them to get them in/out), and (3) avoid the "surprise" when your toekicks end up being shorter than normal as well as lowering your counter height. (If you want a lower counter height then plan for it, don't "end up" with it b/c of an "oops!") I also suggest you run the finished floor under your appliance alcoves a least a few inches so there's no raw plywood visible when looking from across the room. This includes refrigerators, DWs, ranges, etc. ...anything that sits directly on the floor. Oh, and don't install the final quarter round or furniture molding until your floor has been installed...this way the molding will hide any uneven/rough edges.

Ooooh, you have me a little worried. I am planning a white on white kitchen...but back to the topic at hand. No I definitely don't think a lip of a backsplash is at all unfinished. In fact, i think most houses just have a lip? I wonder if the wall of a BS is a new thing. In fact i just took a quick look at property listings (no I am not a realtor, haha) and the 3 houses I clicked on (close to a million$) all had a lip of a backsplash. I think it is personal preference. And your right it is a dust catcher=). but better to have dust than me rub off my wall every time I wipe my counters down. (good paint may well solve that dilemma) but I do think that it looks naked with nothing. We cook alot ( and I am messy) so I have to have something behind my stove...and personally i do like the full wall of backsplash. If you have soapstone, that may break up the white enough to not make it so stark. You could possibly consider the lip of soapstone and then tile above that....? Best of luck

I went through this as well (before I changed the whole blasted thing) and the consensus I got was to vary--if you have diagonal on one, do straight or running bond on the other. But if diagonal makes you happy, do what makes you happy.