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petersenico I would do something lighter to brighten up the space!

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design Second one in photo 2 or 3rd one in photo 3, in that order.

kah416 The small brick-style one :)

Susan Broze I like the one to the far right in the 4-tile pic. It is light enough in color and appears a little more rustic, or flat in shine which is a nice contrast to the shininess of the counter top.

A Kitchen That Works LLC Second one from the right gets my first vote. First on the right gets my second vote. The linear glass tile is a bit busy and the one on the far left lacks pizzaz.

decoenthusiaste Are your cabinets lighted inside and underneath? They need to be. Buy some LED puck and rope lights and install a backsplash that looks sharp in the lighting. Really needs some bling!

lynne08 I agree with petersenico... something lighter or reflective to brighten up the space. Under cabinet lighting would help. The choices all just seem to blend in too much to the wall.

lderoo Blah! All of these tiles match too well is right! Contrast is what add life and makes the space interesting. Something reflective like steel or iridescent glass would add interest. The iridescent glass could be an accent row with one of these stone options or it could fill the whole backsplash. You're spending money to dress that area up, find a tile you LOVE! Make it beautiful!

mpoulsom I like the far right one in the last 2 photos....they look like the same one, but not sure. That's my vote.

Susan Jablon Mosaics Hi kennadysmama!
Of the samples you already picked up, I think the mosaic that combines the glass and stone is the best option. However, I do agree with petersenico and think you should consider something lighter and brighter. The mosaic below combines a vanilla colored subway tile in 2 different sizes, and an iridescent dark olive green 1 inch tile. The fact that it's only two colors keeps it simple, but the design is still visually interesting. This mosaic was made on our amazing tile designer, you can create your very own custom design, too!

orangecamera I like the middle one in the last picture. (Is it the same as the one on the left in the 2nd picture?)

kennadysmama I think you are right- we did pick pretty boring things. My thinking was I didnt want anything too busy that "competed" with our slightly busy granite and the grain in our oak. I will go back to the drawing board and pick out something still simple, but with a little more personality.

@Susan Jablon Mosaics- I LOVE that design. That would be perfect!!!! We actually are really open to incorporating green and green undertones into our space- so that fact that it is a brown/olive green combo, I wouldn't change a thing! Too bad you are located in NY!

kah416 Here's a few options from Lowes :)

pjtime I like the one on the far right in the last picture. There's texture as well as color. I think the color is fine, especially if under cabinet lighting is added, which really is a must.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design kennadysmama, I don't think you selected boring things. I think your first theory was right to do something attractive that does not detract from your granite or cabinets.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Susan Jablon Mosaics We may be located in upstate New York, but we ship all over the country, and even internationally! Here's a link to that specific design: http://www.susanjablon.com/2660934.html

Lowes of Indian Land, SC The linear glass/stone does make a statement. The 3rd from also is a nice choise. Remember with the 3rd one, it is a natural stone and you will want to seal it. When you seal it you can also add an enhancer to really make the color pop. To add a little bit more interest to it try using a darker grout color. This will really pop out the pattern of the tile.

Natalie THird tile in pic #1---First tile in pic #3
I like the thin brick tile too, but the color is too warm---needs more ash undertone like the tile I think best... Good Luck!

Natalie I still think you could use a little more color and pattern to deter the eye from the grain of the oak cabinets... Just my 2¢'s... [houzz=
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kennadysmama Here is the one that the woman at the store recommended. Any thoughts? It is the one on the left (the one on the right is from the previous samples I haven't taken down yet.)

lderoo The Jablon Mosaic is beautiful. The colored iridescent glass adds a bit of sparkle and interest, which always looks great and catches the eye. If you can't get to NY to purchase, I'm sure you have a local specialty tile store in your area. They may have something you could insert/mix with your one of the Lowes tiles or you may find something you LOVE for the whole area!

collettec I don't really like the recommended ones from the store. I like the Jablon Mosaic tile as well. It has a simplicity that works well with the style and lines of your cabinets. I don't think some of the others do. Like the subway tile aspect of it for that reason. I think something simpler like that might be something to consider.

Custom Home Planning Center Given the busy nature of the granite I'd go with a 4 x 6 limestone subway tile. Here are a few looks note: the larger size helps the small tiles tend to add to the busy.

nicoleneesen Try a glass tile to add some lift to the wall- a bit more glam!

Gabberts Design Studio I love the interest of the glass piano key tile in your first picture. It is vibrant and fun. I would go with that option!

nlrbrown Too brown -- same problem in my kitchen. I finally used a crackle cermanic submway tile in ivory. It reflects light beautifully and gives the eye a breather from so much brown.

Granite Transformations I agree, go with something a little brighter to bring some life to your kitchen. How about our Amber subway tile- http://www.granitetransformations.com/southjersey/products/mosaic-tiles/colors/subway/

Something similar would work well in your kitchen.

Thanks!

kennadysmama @Nlrbrown- Do you have a picture of your kitchen? I would love to see how the crackle cermanic subway tile looks! :)

lauie07 You may want to try 1.1glass mosaic tiles. Choose the 2 lightest shades of color from your granite and use those colors to form your back splash colors. Or you can always use stainless steel little mosaic tiles to match your appliances.
I get my tile online. New glass tile dot com.

iamchickaddd How about either of these...

Cabinets 4U, Inc. You have a very traditional style here, so I would keep that in mind and go with a classic look. I also agree that lighter tones would help brighten up this enclosed area, so I would pull one of the lightest shades from your granite.

iamchickaddd I think the light gold-toned basket weave would be nice, it picks up the color from the wall.

Joni Koenig Interiors The backsplash tile options look too modern against your cabinet fronts...I would suggest a more transitional tile...

pjtime The light gold-toned basket weave presented by iamchickadd looks nice. My opinion is it is the best choice so far.

Maria Killam The problem with choosing a pink beige backsplash like the ones you are considering is that your wall colour then needs to be the same colour which will not look so good with your orange oak cabinets. I would choose a simple solid coloured tile in subway or a square tile in a gray green colour to relate to the green in your granite and then paint the walls green to match.

This post I wrote might help: http://www.mariakillam.com/2010/12/which-backsplash-tile-goes-with-granite.html

Maria

pjtime Maria--I'm with you in esthetics. I like to keep things simple, clean and uncluttered, and then the things that are really special and beautiful make a statement and pack a punch. I enjoyed your website.