Love the second one.

The first one looks a bit like my backsplash, which I love. I also like it because it is more traditional. I have the glass tiles in my bathroom, and although they are very pretty, they are also very trendy and will look dated soon, I think. That didn't occur to me in advance. I vote for the tile in the first picture.

Cute kitchen!

With the pattern in your floor coverings, I vote for backsplash #1. Will look very nice & I'm glad you found an appropriate range.

/tricia

It is a cute kitchen and I vote for number 1.

jude

My concern with number 1 was that with the corner shelf, the outlets and the back of the stove, not much of that pattern would show. Actually the pattern I chose has the diamond shape in the middle of every set of four tiles, not every other set, but still, the diamond falls right where the plug, shelf and stove back are. There's a plug on the wall on the other side of the stove too. It's a short stretch of backsplash.

My concern with number 2 was maybe a little too "modern" for my house, which is a simple row house build in 1929. Also maybe a little too linear given the wallpaper border along the ceiling, although that's traditional floral. I love the concentrated yet understated color of it though.

I often find it comforting to know my house and neighborhood survived the first Great Depression, and oddly, my style is traditional from that period because most of my stuff is a hand me down from someone from that generation or the one before, lol! I know styles were all over the map during the 1930's, but my stuff is very low key, and traditional because none of it I can afford to replace due to trends and styles, nor would I want to actually, due to my conservative nature. I find I am best off when I follow the sensibilities of the original era of the house, lol!

Although I am stymied to figure out why and elaborate FAKE brick fireplace was installed in the living room, taking up most of the limited wall space in that tiny room. There isn't even a possibility of putting a chimney there, due to it being in between the walls of the other houses in the row. So the impulse to do thing "just for show" is strong in every generation, but I try to resist it, lol! It's lovely and makes a nice initial impression, but ultimately useless and all you end up doing is wishing you had a REAL fireplace. Most of the homes in the rows have removed them, and the only thing that keeps me from doing it is money, priorities and sentiment. I also can't see spending money on installing a fake electric "fire" although I guess that would be an option. If I ever hit the lottery I would split the chimney coming up from the furnace in the corner on the other side of the living room and install a small parlor stove there, using the old bricks salvaged from tearing out the fireplace to line the wall behind it.

I vote for number one.

I find the tiny tiles in Number Two "busy". At least for my liking.

Ann

I think the first will be better.
Both designs, though, have more vertical space than you will. Your counter already has a short integral backsplash, and I assume you aren't removing that. The first design also has a tiny one, but not as high as yours. The second goes all the way to the counter, and takes much more room. This means that the proportions of both designs will will have to be different, but you've probably worked all that out. So for that reason as well as the style of the house, I prefer the first.

This brings back memories, as I'm sure it does for Pam. We were obsessing on the kitchen forum at the same time. I made lots of graph paper designs for my backsplash, and then printed out images of the tiles and taped them up in the kitchen to try out various arrangements. Eventually DH said, "I just can't look at any more tile patterns!"

Yes, it's quite the math problem because my space between kitchen cabinets and counter is not standard, its shorter than the norm. BF says kitchen cabinets were installed improperly, which would have happened before I bought the house, it was the PO's who did that. Well those horses have left the barn, so I have to deal with what I have. Yes, the proportions and colors/finishes would be different, I'm just mulling over the general concept of the two patterns. One is a rectangular/linear pattern with subway tiles mixed with the glass tiles, and the other is a square-ish pattern which I would use ceramic tiles for too, mixed with the glass ones for the line and diamonds. I need something plain due to not wanting to spend a lot on fancy tiles and yet I wanted a little color/pizzaz since my kitchen is so "subdued".

CC, you have the situation at our house pegged abour right. BF is in a total state, he also does NOT want to hear anymore about tile patterns, lol!

Ooooh, I'm originally from the Kitchen Forum from the same era as Dedtired and Cloudy Christine (2002-2004), and I remember agonizing over the tiles in my backsplash for, literally, months. And my house dates from 1929, too, so I know what you mean about respecting the period and character of the house. Here's my take:

As CC pointed out, you have a shorter-than-normal distance between the upper cabinets and the counter backsplash. So, if you chose #2, you really could have only one band of tiles, not two. I understand what you mean about the diamonds of #1 falling behind the outlets and shelf, but you could avoid some of that, by either 1) changing the interval (i.e., putting the diamonds at every 3rd or 5th column instead of every 4th) or 2) shifting the "starting point" of the design over a column or two to maximize the number of diamonds.

If your new stove has a high back panel, like your current one does, that will also block the view of the diamonds, but the double line above them nicely carries the motif across the wall and connects the left and right sides.

OTOH, if you omit the double line, you could stagger the diamonds at different intervals and heights. I did something like that myself; here's a photo from 7 years ago:

I think that you really need only a *few* diamonds to give the effect you want; most of the time, you won't see them as a totality, you'll just see the one(s) directly in your line of sight as you move around the kitchen. So a few more or less won't be crucial.

Sue

I agree with Sue's reasoning and backsplash #1. #2 is too modern looking (IMO) for your style of kitchen and the age of your house.

Teresa

Another vote for #1.

#2 looks busy to me and I prefer a calmer design.
I can always add "busy" (and you should see my clutter...).

L, have you thought of putting a candlabra in the fireplace? Five or seven candles, beautiful!

Deanna

Although I like both designs, and #2 is my favorite, I agree with the others that #1 would work better with your kitchen flooring and countertops.

Is there a reason you would only do the diamonds every four tiles rather than every two?

I think if your backsplash space is limited it would be better to do the diamonds more often than every four tiles so you would see more of them.

Linda

Minority here, I love Number 2

I'll add my vote to the minority, I like #2 also. Of course, I like the plain white wall best but I know it's a beast to keep cleaned, I have a white painted wall behind my stove too.

This discussion and the thought of spending months looking at tile is why it's staying white, I'm NEVER redoing my kitchen and when we build, it's Elery's problem....um... project. I'll design the barn instead.

Annie

I am thinking minimalist retro for your kitchen. Especially if you intend to sell soonish. I'd do either white penny tiles or white hexagonal in either white ceramic tiles or white marble tiles. Or some kind of relief design tile in white on white. The space is small. Color is easy to add in other changeable decor items or paint.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13135726@N05/3732989580/

http://montreal.lowprice.ca/_images/montreal/656607_s.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RuB-MyU_O4/TBZLOc1wjzI/AAAAAAAAIGo/a4HF_gTqhss/s800/kitchen+close+up+backsplash+white+subway+tiles+dark+grey+grout+open+shelving+shelves+marble+countertops+white+cabinets.JPG

http://st.houzz.com/simages/143473_0_3-1843-traditional-bathroom-tile.jpg

http://74.220.215.88/~anderse2/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/68-635pix.jpg

http://www.thesandiegotilecontractor.com/images/730_kitchen_tile_backsplash.JPG

I am html handicapped. Sorry.

#2 is my pick. I find #1 kind of dull.

Well, I'm going with number 1 for a couple of reasons. I actually like #2 better but with the dimensions I have to work with in my kitchen I just don't think I could make it work. As CC pointed out, I already have a 3 or so inch formica backsplash which is glued to the wall and I'm not about to remove it. I want this to be a simple, low key project. So that gives me the awkward space of 13 inches, so the most I could do would be one row of 1" glass tiles followed by one row of white tiles then 3" of glass, which is not the same proportion as the picture. Also the top tiles might have to be cut, which will throw the look off even further. I'll save that design for redoing my shower surround, which is the next project on the line. It would look great as the top border. Also, BF doesn't have the best cutting tool for this job so I want to keep it as simple as possible--not a lot of tile cutting.

Initially I did want to go with just all one color, a very light muted sky blue like the color of my kitchen walls. Just plain tile, all one size. But there is surprisingly little selection in ceramic tiles, at least the more inexpensive ones, and I could not find a color I liked at all, even online. So I was going to go with all white, but just couldn't do it when I saw some of the pretty glass tiles. But I did realize that they make too much of a statement and I wanted something timeless due to economics. So some small hints of color was my compromise.

So I went with number one because since I am going to have to cut the top tile to fit, I think that design lends itself better to a imprecise size for that top tile. As I mentioned, I'm doing the diamond in the middle of every group of four, so it will show up a bit at least, although my stretch of counter is remarkably SHORT. And my color scheme will be very basic--off white and the glass tiles will be a very muted blue/plum swirl. So it will end up looking something like the photo Barnmom linked to, at least color scheme wise. I'll be sure and post before and after, although my camera is in the shop and we'll have to make do with BF's phone camera.

Yes, doing the diamond requires a lot of cutting. I can recall my contractor grumbling about it. I think you're making the right choice.

MTnester, wasn't that just painful to make that backsplash choice? I ended up having mine designed by a too-expensive tile place because I just could not decide.

Here's pic of some loot I got at a CF get-together. You can see some of my backsplash in the back, very similar to your choice #1. The small tiles at the bottom come on a sheet and can be cut to fill the space you have. That could work for you, but you would still have to cut all those tiles around the diamond tile.

Here's a shot of my bathroom tile, which has glass tiles just like your #2. I love the way it looks now but I think it will look dated as time goes on.

Oh, I love the bathroom tile, Pam! Are the subway tiles marble?

Lpink, you know what else I'd do if I were you? I would not use the horizontal line of thin liner tile in design #1. It will only emphasize the shortness of the space. Maybe add a few more diamond insets instead. I also like the idea of setting all the tiles in a diamond pattern, as in Pam's kitchen and in the photo in your last post.

Also, BF doesn't have the best cutting tool for this job so I want to keep it as simple as possible--not a lot of tile cutting.

You can rent a tile saw pretty reasonably. Worth doing to get the right tool. Home Depot and Lowes will have them.

CC, the subways are just porcelain tiles. Marble was definitely not in the budget!

Before you decide on a pattern, go look for a tile saw at Harborfreight.com, it's about $50 to $70. It comes with a diamond blade. You can cut tiles and stone squares like butter.

Don't let the problem of cutting tiles stop you from deciding what you want.

dcarch

DC, how about coming over and having a little chat with BF? :) In all fairness, he's the one who's going to be doing the cutting. He said today we are going to rent a saw.

Got the tiles yesterday. Here's a photo of the glass tiles we are going to use to make the diamonds. We'll cut out sets of four squares. The main tiles are 4" off white ceramic ones. Very basic, but that's what I wanted.

The tiles are beautiful. Nice choice.

Love the colors. Your backsplash is going to be gorgeous. Hope the BF gets to enjoy it with all 10 fingers intact.

Lovely!

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Sue

MT I just wanted to add that I love the decorative tiles in your photo! I love art nouveau and art deco!

Thanks, L! In 7 years, the countertop decor has changed a bit, but I still haven't gotten tired of the irises. I know they might be more suitable for a bathroom rather than a kitchen, but they make me feel good when I'm doing the dishes. I'm glad you chose those glass tiles; if they make your heart sing, you'll enjoy them for years to come.

Sue