(Please ignore the DW toekick, needs to be redone... and the black foot pedal - need to get something made in white).

How do I go about incorporating multiple colors into a backsplash? I see the towel as being predominantly white, with a warm yellow and some lovely silvery blue. I also like the contrast the darker colors provide.

My Ann Sacks rep recently sent me just these two tiles (out of the blue, I hadn't asked for them) and I rather like the effect of stacking them. So, potentially, that would give me two colors.

I don't know that I would want to select (say) three colors that I liked and randomly place tiles to combine them. (Think, 4x4 or 5x5 square tiles, or ogee tiles). DH suggests buying a lot of towels and tacking them up, har har.

As always, your thoughts and advice are very much appreciated. Best, oldbat2be

If you want to add those colors (and they are great) into the backsplash I would give up the fancy shape of the arabesque.

I looked at them all and still in the ABB club. Hopefully will hunt tomorrow!

Beautiful kitchen for your beautiful NE house!

PS who makes your kick plate. I need to find one for my OCD DH

If your colors are going to contrast a lot I would lean toward using the stronger accent colors only as liners or decoarative pieces within a monochromatic field tile.

Winchester tile shows a lot of multicolored tile projects - I'm linking you to a site that you can browse and see if you like the look.

I went to Michael's and got card stock that was a surprisingly good match to the tile colors I picked out and tacked it up on the wall. Plus we photoshoped to see if we liked it. Still, the grout lines were something we just weren't prepared for.

sas95 - I like how your colors turned out. They blend very nicely.

I'm wondering how the backsplash would look with 5-6 colors, in the ogee or paseo shape? So same concept sas95, just different shape. (I'm waiting for my first set of samples to come from fireclay, could send them (whomever) the towel to pick out matching colors).

Writersblock - you recommend NOT mixing colors with the more distinctive tile... I'm listening but I'm also interested in how this would look:) Maybe I'll photoshop.

Notlazysusan (great name btw) - Cabinet color is 'Crystal White.' We had BM color match it and have used the same color for all our trim work, really like it.

Javamom - Those are nice, thanks, I hadn't seen those. I've looked at some of the watercut mosaics but these have two things against them - we can't afford and they're mosaics :)

a2 - I've been looking at shaded tiles/tiles with variation too; have a nice selection from Heath and am expecting my samples Tuesday from Fireclay. (10 pounds... will I get full colorways?!) Haven't looked at Motawi tile and Jeffrey court yet. DH makes the toekick, if that's what you meant. The footpedal came with the Hafele unit; I'd love to find something in white metal, to match the register behind it.

I just spent a little time on the fireclay website; here are some ideas with multiple colors.

I've spent a fair amount of time looking at Encaustic tile and most recently, Fireclay's Cuerda Seca. I love the idea that I could select the exact colors I want. I'm not sure how I would like the finished product though and this would definitely be a very expensive choice.

Here's the cartagena motif from Fireclay, in sort of similar colors. I think it looks lovely like this:

But when I photoshop it in, it does nothing for me. (I think the edges are a little too harsh).

Or just the arabesque in yellow - maybe with cream grout. Or reverse that.

Definitely do not stack the two sizes together unless you've taken your heart medicine before looking at the estimate. That's because its one whole tile and 4 cut tiles of the arabesque per module - lot of extra tile to buy and a lot of time doing cuts. Where outlets are would be a nightmare of cuts.

Even though I had accent tiles with a design, you could just do solid color accents with the colors you like to have a simpler design.

bmorepanic-will think about your ideas. DH and I may do the tile work; so it's just our time involved. (Oh yes, and the expense for the extra tile of course).

gregincal - Thanks, I'd forgotten you used Fireclay tile, congrats on your completed project. Very helpful to see the tile combo you selected.

dekeoboe - you're right about the colors. I'll try out your suggestion for the single row.

williamsen - no, no - no tiles from architerra! I am way too impressionable :) Definitely some bling and zing there!! I really like the lower image with the interesting combination of tiles.

annsch - I don't think I want to break up the expanse; rather, want to highlight it with the right tile(s). This was the honeycomb tile, which I decided against because it doesn't pop with the counter (that, and the $$$$$$$), obviously way out of scale here, but doesn't it look fun?

From Drop Box

And more true to scale...

My point being, the same pattern across. In looking at the above two tiles, skyedog, I see what you mean about using the more monochromatic tile for the bulk and contrast for the accent.

Drawer pulls are RH Bistro.

I'm not sure what you are wanting as far as backsplash. Some of the your options look more tonal and then some look to have more pattern. Brittany & Coggs tile looks like it might fit well with your style. They were quite helpful when I came to my backsplash selection and design.

Thanks for the Brittany & Coggs link, Doonie. I hadn't yet seen their tile. I tracked down a link to your backsplash - WOW!!

Countrycottageklutz - lots of examples to explore on that site, thanks. I recognize a couple of very $$$$ ones already....

btw, how are you liking the range top?

We still have plenty on our punch list and I'm afraid we got into the bad habit of eating out during our almost year long renovation. So... when I cook on it (and don't get me wrong, I certainly use it daily), I'm very happy but only a couple times have I had the majority of the burners going. I LOVE the size of the thing; I can take two cookie trays out of the oven and use it for cooling racks and still have ample room to cook on the other end. I've only used the grill for roasting peppers so far; but it's summer and it's easy to use the grill outside.

Thanks javamom. Love that tile and had a brief fling with it :) but at around $120/SF, and needing a minimum of 35 SF (probably much more with a pattern like this), we broke up.

Off to NH today to look at fireclay tile in person... please keep your fingers crossed I find something.

I started out wanting back painted glass and meandered to ceramic tile - so going with 5 inch tiles with an accent row and maybe some medallions over the cooktop.

I hope to be out of the ABB club soon!

a2gemini - thanks for hanging in here with me. You're so right about the samples; way too many. 5 inch tiles and an accent rows sounds close to my latest plan too. Am considering 2x6's or 2x8s mounted vertically, with some sort of an accent row as well. Accent row would be around 4 inches below the bottom of the upper cabinets, probably in the same color as the tile.