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Christine: What kind of a sink did you choose? I don't like SS but it may be the only one I can afford.
I got a 60/40 stainless steel sink (provided for free from the installer because I had over a certain amount of square feet). I have no idea what brand it is or anything. Seems fine.
The sink I had before was a white granite sink. I was going to do a farmhouse sink in white but then I just couldn't be bothered!
I started my search for tile yesterday and came back with this. The one on the left is Heirloom Pewter and the one on the right is Heirloom Clay.
Neither of these is a dark as this photo looks. The Pewter is really greige in color (not nearly as gray as it looks here) and lighter and the Clay is very close to white.
I think the Clay is pretty but I wonder if between the very white cabinets, the Manchester Tan walls that it's just another white/cream and I'll have too many shades going on. It's lighter than the Manchester Tan although it's not real evident in this photo. To the eye, it is. Almost a creamy white.
The Pewter seems to be what everyone likes just as a standalone, but I do worry it might be gloomy. The undercabinet lighting will help with that. It also perfectly matches one of the colors in the granite.
I agree with Robino. Both are very very attractive. Can I copy that also?? My walls are a similar color as yours. And if I can find the granite like yours, I will be very happy. Both tiles would work. Are they expensive? Are you going to DIY?
Copy away!
The Heirloom Clay actually matches the Manchester Tan pretty well depending on what time of day it is.
I believe the tiles were $1.29 each and are 3x9.
As you will note in the picture, the tile has this lighter border around it that is really nice on the darker tile. Also, it has a crackled glaze finish versus being smooth.
The plumber who came (who happens to be co-owner of the granite place) said that he has a countertop very similar to mine and he used Dove Gray tiles (sold at Home Depot either in an Arabesque or subway tile shape). He said his wife didn't want it but they went with it and he said he gets so many compliments on it year after year. I think he said it was about 99 cents per tile. I went to Home Depot to find it and my store only had the Arabesque (which I'm very nervous about). I couldn't get any samples there. They had another color called Fog which was pretty nice.
As for DIY, no we will hire someone. I just want it done at this point.
Is this the tile? At least on my monitor, it looks a lot more brown toned on the website vs. your photo, but not really any lighter. I like it but because of the border effect, I would not go with my earlier suggestion of a herringbone or other pattern. I'd do a standard brickwork as I think that border effect will be busy enough (not the best word because not exactly busy but just not super plain, if that makes sense?)
Is this the tile? At least on my monitor, it looks a lot more brown toned on the website vs. your photo, but not really any lighter. I like it but because of the border effect, I would not go with my earlier suggestion of a herringbone or other pattern. I'd do a standard brickwork as I think that border effect will be busy enough (not the best word because not exactly busy but just not super plain, if that makes sense?)
You could get a plain tile but then use a herringbone or other more interesting pattern to give it a little bit more pizzazz but not have something that fights the movement and color in the granite
Yeah, The last thing she needs is more pattern. A herringbone pattern would have read as pattern-upon-pattern with the granite.
OP, stick with plain tiles in a plain pattern. Granite needs to be the star of the show. The back splash needs to fade into the background as much as possible. You don't need an accent.
The darker tile will create a busier look because the contrast is too sharp for such a narrow strip of tile.
The lighter tile that blends with the Manchester Tan is best. Or you could find a tile that is the lightest shade in the granite. Either/Or.
You have done so well with the project so far. I'd hate to see bad advice ruin it.
The guys who install tile, pushed for the darker tile because they were not looking at the overall effect. They are only looking at the granite and dark tile up close and they like it. But if you back away and look at the overall picture, that dark tile will create a busy narrow strip of darkness around the kitchen. It won't relate to anything and will look like an amateur did it.
Typically, if you choose a back splash to be the eye-catching element, it works best when there are few upper cabinets and the back splash takes up a lot of wall space. With lots of uppers, a dramatic back splash looks like a disruptive stripe.
Any designer will advise to only have one eye-catching element per kitchen. The dark tiles will compete for attention because they will be sandwiched in between light upper cabinets and patterned granite. That would give the eye THREE very different things to look at all bunched together.
Not to mention that kitchens already look busy by nature with all the appliances and stuff on counters.
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Or you could find a tile that is the lightest shade in the granite. Either/Or.
