Can you post pix of both the granite and the kitchen? There are several granites with that name.

Don't have a photo of our kitchen..still in building phase...right now cabinets are creamy white. I will post photo of cabinet later ...not at right location right now...Here is the granite...I did see a backsplash in slate that didn't look bad, but there are very few photos of red dragon in a finished kitchen.....thanks!

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I did a search to see what Red Dragon looked like. Several sites seemed to indicate it has some grey running through it. I think if you picked up that color in a subway tile it would look great with white cabs. Either a large size like this
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or small size like this

Here is a link that might be useful: susan jablon Tile

I was thinking along the same lines as Remodlefla, something gray, white or off white.

You didn't ask about this, and I know a lot of people do it, but a concern I'd have about using a stone with such a defined coloring (in that it's not in the neutrals family) is you may tire of it more quickly and then what would you do? Just food for thought.

That is one beautiful stone! I would never get tired of it! I would definitely go for something light -- white, gray, cream -- and neutral, such as subway tile or plain 4 x 4 tile. If you want to, you could add an accent such as a row of pencil tile or a row of mixed red glass tiles about 2/3 of the way up (not next to the granite).

blue - those are about my thoughts. Only thing is that I'd use the accent tile to pick out another color in the granite or maybe play with a metallic. I think adding another red would be very tricky and might make it overwhelming.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

I'd have to put them together to be sure, but my instinct is to go with honey onyx with small 1x1's set in a pattern on the backsplash out of the red. Red and honey flow so fabulously together. An ivory onyx would also look nice, but if it were my kitchen, without a doubt, honey onyx.

I took your slab photo, grabbed three other Red Dragon samples off the internet and brought them all together with my backsplash, Fire & Ice. It has the grays that others are suggesting plus a dash of red (rust and ambers)

Fire and ice and dragons sounded like they should go together. :-)

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Jodi-

Sort of depends upon the "feel" you want your kitchen to have, too. High contrast? Warm? Earthy? Edgy? You have a lot of very impressive possibilities. You could even do creamy stone with dots of your granite (or dots of a rosso or rojo marble--yes you can choose them so they will match your granite closely enough). That would transition between your counters and your cabs. But then, I love reds.

I'm going in a different direction. I'd be thinking about something like a medium colored travertine in a subway tile format. This is the closest I could come to what I'm thinking:

What style are you going for in your kitchen? More modern? Traditional? What style are your cabs? I think a soft grey would be very nice.

this may be a bit dark but would be dramatic--Oceanside tile shadow matte

also think this would be dark and maybe too busy as well--oceanside tile caldera
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This is more what I had in mind--Ann Sacks sandstone

This might be interesting to see how it looks
Ann Sacks Wildfire

Thanks for all of the great ideas...style...well our style...let me tell you...it's a bit of an odd situation..we're building a weekend living space in a pole barn! What turned out to be a temporary situation is now evolving into something a bit more long term and a bit nicer than planned. We may just keep this and not build a home..at least not for awhile.

We want something comfortable, warm, cottage like...but are willing to do something a bit different (like the Red Dragon) since it is a weekend place.

Re: the backsplash suggestions....I want to do something that doesn't compete with the granite, but that also doesn't blend in too much or wash out and disappear against the cabinets...we got in late tonight so I'll post cabinet door photo tomorrow.

Jodi, I actually thought of your backspash first! I just love yours. I did something similar in my current home, but did mine before I saw yours or I would have done fire and ice! I just don't know if two eye catching works of art such as the granite and your backsplash would be too much for the eyes to handle!

I too was thinking of glass...but thanks Bill, I will now consider the travertine as well.

In the glass I was thinking of a grey (although for some reason DH hates grey but him hating grey and liking Red Dragon really doesn't mean much...he's color blind!) but also of a "sandstone" or something with a brown tint..then with a creamy white grout...that would pick up on the brown veining in the stone and the groute would bring in the cabinets...Just the thought of a "brown" backsplash seeems a bit odd to consider...but then so is the Red Dragon granite!

I forgot who the good photoshopper is here..but anyone who can marry the photo I provided a couple of the glass options, I'd love to see...but at least now if we go this route I'm a bit more comfortable that I can find something to match...we're only considering spending the extra $$ on this because we're only out $300 on our cabinets (bought them off of someone who was remodeling and sanded, primed and painted them. They came with copper hinges and handles, which would tie great into the granite...not sure about a sink..I think there's a brown silgranit isn't there? I may even keep the cooper hardware on cabs but go with brushed nickel faucet!! Any other ideas on sink color as well?

Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! I know I can "wait" on the backsplash until last, but you almost need to know early on so that you can make these other choices!!

Thanks and any more ideas, please keep them coming!

Yes, there's a brown silgranit - it's called cafe brown I believe. There's also a gray (what we have) that would possibly look good with that granite and would echo the gray tiles should you go that route.

From the picture, I love the fire and ice with the granite. But that would be something you'd have to see together in person to decide.

Here is the cabinet door...slab door and we added the groove...not my dream cabinet door by any means, but there was just no need whatsoever to buy new cabs...

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Blukitobsessed, I agree it's a gorgeous stone and will no doubt look beautiful especially with some of the suggestions you have all made in here, but lets be realistic too, it's a rosey reddish color and something someone could easily tire of fairly quickly.

BTW, I've seen and love the stone you have in your kitchen too it's gorgeous so I can easily understand why you're less fearful to use such a color specific stone.

SLC...here are mockups using your cabinets (I added the handles), Red Dragon and three suggested backsplashes. Hope it helps.

Jodi-

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i would never get tired of this stunning beauty either.

my friend has it, and she has honey onyx, just like igloochick suggested, and it looks great.

Of the three that Jodi posted above, I definitely like the dark grey. But not sure, how dark that would be overall with your dark floor. But then again, you do have white cabinets, so that is the largest surface...

I love Fire and Ice, and would Love to have slate in my kitchen somehow, but I think it seems too much in the above photo- may be different in real life though...

OMG... how will this look?

Oh nuts... I couldn't imbed it... I'll have to link it.

Here is a link that might be useful: honey onyx with red marble basketweave

I love your granite! It immediately reminded me of one of my favorite kitchens on the finished kitchen blog. Check out sue_b's kitchen. She has a red marble island and although her backsplash doesn't actually abut the marble island, it plays off the color. I think Bill V's suggestion is similar to this.

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2006/09/suebs-kitchen.html

Pole Barn? I have to ask: are you SLC from COTH?

Today my installer said the best kitchen he ever did was red dragon with a standard, maybe 4" backsplash, then stainless steel ( maybe 10" and then another layer of red dragon on top of the stainless by the upper cabinets. What do you think?

To me, the fire and ice looks best.
Jodi - excellent mockups.

Thanks Laurie. :-)

I really like the tile RemodelFla suggested...

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Jodi-

Oh jodi... I was hoping you'd mock that up since I couldn't imbed it. That looks amazing!!!!

Thanks everyone...it means a great deal that you all take the time to help! It's amazing actually....

Those mock-ups are great jodi!...I'm not sure what I like most..DH likes the Fire and Ice...I like the grey.....

japper...not from COTH (don't know what/where that is!) From cental Pennsylvania....

I need to find samples of these options now. Tomorrow I visit a large granite yard (Mont Granite) so ensure my decision on the Red Dragon is the right one....I need to look at backsplash tile as well...we don't live near a major city so options locally are very limited. I'm off to Pittsburgh tomorrow....

Jodi, by the way, I now have to get new hardware for our cabs. Some hardware came with the "preowned" cabinets we bought, which I'm fine with, but DH saw your renderings and said "I like those handles, I hope we're not using the ones we have now!"...;-)

Oh, that onyx does look great with the granite. I'd be hard-pressed to pick between that and the Fire and Ice. OTOH, that idea of bands of granite with stainless in between sounds very cool.

The Fire and Ice (which is one of my all time favorite back splash tiles) gives a darker feel (not a judgement an observation); the onyx seems brighter. It's really now a matter of personal preference. Either or would be fantastic.

What about this slate version...jodi if you could do your magic I would be indebted! Pardon my theft, but this photo was saved and now reposted here from the kitchens in action thread!

If I'm not mistaken, the backsplash is stock Home Depot stuff?? Anyone know for sure??

Also, re: the fire and ice...jodi did you order it online or purchase it locally?

Thanks.

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I love the fire and ice for a more earthy look. Also love the honey onyx with the red acccents but the basket weave seems a bit busy to me.Perhaps plain honey onyx as igloochic suggested. I also like the gray glass tile - understated elegance.

The granite's gorgeous. Can't wait to see how it all comes together.

-Margie

Beautiful granite and I think all the potential backsplashes have merit- but my vote is for the first one posted of the darker gray small square tiles.

actually, I think they all look pretty busy. I would opt for 12 inch glass tiles in light gray, but my favorite would have to be the stainless backsplash idea. That would be gorgeous! Great suggestion!

I do like the idea of the Red Dragon and stainless steel backsplash...however, we're pushing the limits on what we can afford just putting in the Red Dragon on the counters...don't know if I can spring for it on the walls as well!

Don't settle on a backsplash if it's not what you love. You can always wait and save your $$ to get what you dream of. With a spectacular granite like that; I personally would not settle on the backsplash... but then again, countertops and backsplashes are asthetically my favorite part of the kitchen remodel.

I LOVE the fire and ice with that beautiful red granite. Man I wish I could use a granite like that in my kitchen!! Whatever you pick, it will be gorgeous. The gray tile gives it more of a contemporary look, the fire and ice more of an earthy casual look.

Here is a mock up with the (Home Depot) diamond tile.

ALC, you brought up the door pulls and all of a sudden I realize I had oriented the doors wrong. I was so focused on the backsplash issues I didn't pay much attention to the cabinets once I put them in. I am so embarrassed.

This time the cabs are in the right way (I hope) and I've dropped a shadow under the cabs for a more realistic feel.

AND, you get a new toaster oven and fruit bowl! :-)

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Jodi-

When I first pulled up the Red Dragon slab online I thought it was beautiful and very bold. I think we are so conditioned to go with neutral that we often dismiss what we really like. I like the Red Dragon with the dark gray square tiles that Jodi did above. It's beautiful and classy and compliments without competing with your gorgeous countertops. The stainless also sounds gorgeous, but I definitely understand about budgets.

Whatever you decide, I'd love to see it when it's done.

I am using Jeffrey Court Chapter 7 Benevolence Midnight Marble. It looks fantastic!

Here is a link that might be useful: Midnight Marble