Definitely no to travertine in my opinion! I think it would compete in a very bad way with carrara marble counters. Carrara is cool white and gray with more linear veining. Travertine is warm beige/yellow/brown/pink with completely different stone texture.

I like travertine, but NOT with marble. Totally, totally wrong -- and, in your case, it would be too "matchy" with the floor and would not provide any contrast. If you went with travertine, your kitchen would be rather blah . . . and the marble would look like odd-man out, the piece that would match nothing.

No, let your husband have some lovely travertine in another room, but not in this space!

One more vote against travertine, especially with the sexy Carrara. Sorry, DH!

DH should lose this war! Travertine is fine as a material, but not with that counter.

I like travertine in some rooms, but not mixed with Carrara.

same here - would be a huge clash with the countertops

Depending on how much contrast you want, either of these glass mosaics could work well with your floor, cabs and marble.

Im in agreement with the others? What is it about the travertine that your husband likes? Maybe we could find something with these qualities that will look much better with the carrara.

Oh hell no to travertine!
Not with that beautiful marble.
Hubby should be forced to scrub those travertine floors on his hands and knees for the rest of his days for even suggesting it! :>)

@EAM44 - I think those are great options!

Aww... thanks dash.

LOL I'm glad to hear votes for my side! DH loves the 'rustic' look of scabos travertine and wants to put it somewhere but I just don't see it fitting in as my backsplash.

EAM44 love your idea, please give me details on where I can find this..

Further details, wall color in kitchen area is BM Sea Haze, (pic attached isn't that great) I was considering something that would complement, but not too 'green'... DH and I do agree on traditional look so what can you all suggest to us?

I found them at Glass Tile Oasis, and I'm sure you can find them at other sites as well. The live link below is to the top tile called "Blue Sparkle", and the link pasted below is to the browner tile, "Woody."

http://www.glasstileoasis.com/p-17699-Woody-Brown-Glossy-Glass

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Sparkle

I'm not a fan of EAM44 choices either, sorry. I think they will compete with your awesome countertop. What about a white glass subway or mosaic? Somebody had a mini brick mosaic with white sparkly tiles the other day.

A few more pics might help? Apologies, they were taken in the evening. I should post some in daytime I know!

Maybe something like this, or a mini brick. Between your counters, floors and cabinets you already have three different colors & movement going on. I think the backsplash shouldn't interduce a new color or even more color.

Beautiful kitchen! Add me to the list of "say no to travertine" for your backsplash. Perhaps DH can travertine his man-cave.

(island - thanx for the chuckle)

I agree with everyone else. No way to travertine! Loved @EAM44's choices!

Price a bit too high for my budget though, 29.00
a sheet....

With a nod to your husbands affinity for something rustic; how about a lagos gray mosaic? This is from Glass Tile Store but is around $15.

Here is a link that might be useful: lagos gray

What is your budget in $/sf?

I LOVE remodelfla mosaic!! That would add texture without introducing a new color.

We're trying to keep it under 15 sq ft.
I do like the color but the size/ shape might be
too contemporary I think.
And there's a second 'war' brewing as DH thinks
solid wall of straight tile for BS is too blah.. He'd
like to do some type of pattern with tile,
different sizes maybe. I would like something
of interest to the area behind oven but I want
it simple!! Uggggh..

You can find lagos azul tiles in many different shapes, surfaces and even color. Search the web for "lagos azul".

Here's what DH wants.....

Do some analysis on why your DH likes this in particular. Does he like the colors? The low level of contrast? The shape? the traditional nature of the design? Dive deep!

Doesn't your husband know he is supposed to cave in by now? (just kidding)

I hope he's moved off of travertine.

Similar to what remodelfla has offered, I've seen any number of mosaics (both random sizes, squares like the mosaic above, and mini brick) that mix glass and Carrara together. This might address you husband's desires while blending together better than his choice above.

He wants the mosaic too? Oh no, that's bad, like 20 years ago bad. Maybe there's a spot for it in the garage?? :>)

I was hoping he'd given it up by now!

These are around $15/sf.

Glass and stone

Porcelain

Price is important, but I always start by choosing a look I love. Then I try to find something in my price range that approximates that look. Until you know what you want your kitchen to look like, it's going to be hard to find the right tile. Do you want to bring in some color, or do you want your bs to be white/grey like your counter? Browse the finished kitchens blog or houzz for a while.

Someone on here recently posted a pic of there backsplash that would look great in your kitchen. It was something like 2x6 glass tiles all in the same cream color, but some were glossy finish, and others were matte finish. It looked great & would look great in your kitchen too. Anyone remember seeing that one?

Have you considered an onyx backsplash? Your husband might like the tones/textures but I think it would go better with your marble. I think something that ties your floor color and counter color together would be a good idea.

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Woodbridge Tile Stone And Countertop Cercan Tile Inc.

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Ann Arbor Interior Designer Laura Zender Design, Allied ASID

Can't help with your BS, but your kitchen is LOVELY! What edge did you use on your island? I would love to do something similar.

This post was edited by meyersdvm on Thu, May 2, 13 at 19:23

karen belle- thanks for the suggestion "lagos azul", still considering it...

gooster- YES, glass and carrara sounds good to me, can't sell DH on glass though!

EMM44- thanks for the additional ideas, I am leaning towards the third pic however porcelain is another consideration.. easy to clean.. honestly I was hoping for some color but I am afraid of "too busy" or "too blah". I've looked at houzz, nothing has caught my eye yet though. Everyone says "you will just know" when you find it...

kiko- yes, we have considered onyx, but the sample we chose was honey onyx I want to say? Too yellow when held up against the counter/cabinets/floor. I do like that color of the first pic you posted though.

meyersdvm- thanks! the edge is ogee however it is two slabs glued together for the 3 inch wide look.

Yay or Nay on any

I like your choices, but they will all take away from your beautiful countertops.

same as first one

second set

I like the mini-brick, but I'm partial to mini brick :) I have a very similar mini-brick and I LOVE it!! What is the material?

No to travertine for sure! I do think some of the choices are lovely, but I think a nice white subway looks best with the gorgeous carrara. I like to keep things simple and elegant. I'm definitely a less is more kind of girl. Your kitchen is lovely, enjoy!

Here's the onyx we tried

4x4 Small Sample of 2x4 Rustic White Onyx Polished Mosaic Tiles
Mnt Sample Listings

Hi teachertile
It is tumbled marble from Lowe's.
DH's front runner!

How about this... could be a bit busy but it pulls in a lot of your elements/colors. Not a very good pic so click the link to see the actual tile

Here is a link that might be useful: Artistic tile

Zeitgeist...that is awful! Sorry, but no. My mini brick is porcelain. I originally wanted a tumbled travertine, but I'm soooo glad we decided against it. I'm not sure how that compares to tumbled marble. I just wasn't comfortable with all the grout filling in the holes. I wanted stone, not grout.

Have you looked at New Ravenna tile? It is lovely and they have a ready to ship category. Check out their website, they have gorgeous mosaics that would look great in your kitchen.

Sheez teachertile relax just throwing out different option for the OP. Didn't realize this was your choice

I actually like the one Zeitgeist posted, but I know it may not be for everyone.

Haha just giving my opinion :) that is what this forum is for. Didn't mean to offend anyone. Maybe you could show the actual tile. The mock up was not appealing to me.

This post was edited by teachertile on Mon, May 6, 13 at 20:31

i don't want to be a downer to this party, but i'm already having a tough time with the travertine floor with the marble counters. i think incorporating another natural stone -any stone, would be a mistake. same goes for loud patterns and colorful glass in small mosaics. way too busy.

i would go for a very simple backsplash, in white to blend in with the counters. let it sing in the chorus -someone's got to. dare i suggest white subways?

your kitchen is lovely, and the cabinets are absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks kateskouros! sorry I didn't clarify sooner, the floor is porcelain. White subway does seem to be the safest bet and most recommended here it seems. We didn't want to go white but maybe we should reconsider.

People's tastes can differ so widely. You may never find a bs if you wait for us to reach a concensus here. For each of us our sense of style is determined by regional and generational influences, the cultures we've been exposed to, the art we like, etc...

I recommended a thassos marble mosaic for kate, and I think she chose a thassos subway tile. It was a good option for her space, and a more common choice than I would have made. I'm about twenty years younger than most people on this forum and my tastes reflect my generation - as do everyone else's. Do you have an inspiration image that can help us zero in on your aesthetic?

White subway tiles will make your kitchen look much as it does with white paint. I think you can do better. As for the images you posted - is there a reason the mosaics are covered in plastic? I can't get an idea of color or texture in those images. Perhaps you can unwrap them and post again. The Moday 13:14 post second from the left - is that blue? It could be very pretty.

There is a tile out there for you, I promise. If all that we accomplish on this post is to keep you from having to live with a travertine bs, then we have won the war. Don't be afraid to go without a bs until you find the right tile at the right price.