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Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design . White subway tile would be lovely in its simplicity. But I also like this mosaic. I can't see your granite very well, but think that the stainless in this mosaic would work nicely to call attention to your other stainless steel.
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tollyon If you want to continue the stainless steel accent, you might consider stainless steel tiles for a backsplash -- they'd fit beautifully with your diner-type stools and can be purchased with self-sticking, MDF backing. We used them on half of our kitchen and are very happy with the results. Try here -- good photo gallery and lots of choices: http://www.alloyeddecor.com/photo_gallery_1.php.

olldbobbi How about gray subway tile with white grout? [houzz=
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michigammemom I'm in love with the color of your island. How about something like this herringbone glass tile in a blue to match.

designmuse I agree with picking up that beautiful blue color! Here is another option.

Stoneshop I love olldbobbi's gray subway tile idea. I think that it would fit in great with the style of your space. Stainless steel subway tiles would also look nice. If you want a smaller size tile than the typical 3" x 6", you could also try a 2" x 6" or 1 3/4" by 3" for added interest.

Trends in Tile White subway tiles are always a classic look. Stainless steel tile makes a real statement also! Lots of different sizes to choose from....

jeanak Thank you! I love the ideas that are flowing in!

glamlux I think using a bluish- grey color and random pieces of black glass tiles would definitely add some interest to your space. I am also a fan of the stainless steel suggestion. Good luck!

picky1 if you are planning on keeping the teal-blue color accent on your island, then tie it all together with a back splash that goes from the counter top splash area to the cabinets, and all the way up in the center cabinet area as well. Using a tile that has teal-blue accents randomly, and gray and beige tones, possibly a mix of stone and glass or quartz tiles, and different sizes and shapes of squares & rectangles.
That is what we did in our kitchen, and we created it in the store with a mix of tiles and made our own custom look. We love how it turned out and it pulls the whole kitchen together from floor to cabinets. ours is all earth wood tones of beige, tan, & browns. We used travertine tiles, and quartz stone tiles (look like glass, but are mix of browns with natural cream and tan in them) our area was larger than yours, so you might want to only uses 2 shapes like long rectangles and small squares.. If you send me your email to mine at: jenman1978@yahoo.com I will send you my pictures so you can see it. We did all the work ourselves and rented a stone cutter. it took us 6 hours to do. And we bought it all from LOWES HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE!

Janet Carmichael I agree with picky1. I wish I had a picture but I did a mix of stone, stainless and quartz at my lake house and it looks great. you could easily find a quartz that picks up the blue color. I think any plain color would look just that, plain.

The color of the island is beautiful - I love that and I love that mix with the brown so I'd try to bring those two colors together.

feeny LOVE your blue island. Perfect retro shade of blue. I think the suggestions above are great (white subway, stainless mosaic, turquoise glass herringbone). Another option might be a small glass mosaic that blended both the blue of your island and the gray of your counter. But as I can't quite tell from the photo how busy your granite pattern is, or whether this would compete too much, take this suggestion as a long shot:

lulamarie I would recommend white subway tile or the stainless look. Using either one will allow you to paint your island another color in a few years (if you tire of the blue) without having to change out the backsplash.

LM Designers I agree with lulamarie. Your backsplash will be a permanet fixture that you don't want to change. The blue is beautiful but since you are so bold you might want to change to another color in the coming years. Great job and I admire your bold blue statement. To many customers play it safe and it is refreshing to see your selection.

whitsendranch the blue suggests an islandy feel, while waiting for a kitchen redo we put the bamboo place mats on wall with clear push pins. worked out ggreat in a rental that became a purchase for my daughter, sometimes you can think outside the box and save permanent for when you make your final decisions.

The Tile Gallery I think a simple white subway would look great as well. If you wanted to do something that's classic but slightly unique, here are a couple options: