I can't wait to see the rest of it. I love how the backsplash ties in with the granite. Was it hard to find the perfect color?

I think it looks terrific and I love the thicker grout lines! I can't explain it, but it makes the tiles seem to have a "stronger" presence. Makes it seem like it stands up better to the granite. Great job!

It looks beautiful! What is the name of your granite? It looks lke Suturnia that we just installed.

Very pretty. What kind of wood is your cabinetry?

Wow. I love that look. Probably a good idea to use some sealer on those grout lines however. It's going to be gorgeous when finished.

I totally agree about the thick grout lines: with that tile and your cabinetry, it absolutely looks right.

Yea for you!

Pretty sweet, lady!!

if this isn't WOW, I can't wait to see what is. Looks pretty WOW to me! absolutely gorgeous... can't wait to see more.

We sealed the tiles before grouting, then will seal all of it again when finished. I'm quite in love with my tile guy today (I had to give up on my first tile guy love...Bill V who wouldn't move to alaska for me heh heh)

Let's see questions...First, it wasn't "hard" to find the matching tile because I had it made specifically for our granite...our first granite that is (which was stollen by the installer). So then we had to find granite to match the tiles (because they were ungodly expensive to have made to match my granite LOL) so we finally found this granite, called Thunder Wave. It's hard to show the colors well, but it has gold that matches the tiles, white, grey and black in it as well as these wonderful garnets scattered throughout (which I can't seem to take a picture showing). While the backsplash stands out now, it's going to be against our walls, which are being done by our artist dude (everyone should have an artist dude) in plaster in tones of gold, pumpkin, ivory and burnt umber.

THe cabinets are Cherry in a very light glaze called Autumn haze, which just evens out new cherry to what it will look like after a few months in our sunny kitchen. They'll actually darken a bit more (already have) but the tone stays more on the autumn gold than going towards red as it darkens (since the glass, walls and tile are gold that's important).

On the other side of the kitchen we'll have our chickens for the backsplash framed out in black pulling it all together:
{{gwi:1428545}}

The whole room will have jacobean walnut floors (ok color) so it will be quite dark eventully (at least on the floors...the sun never seems to go away in there). Finally it feels like things are going to be finished :)

I did my walk through punch lists today...sheesh they're LONG and have lots more to be done. And it all has to be done in a couple weeks! No pressure LOL

It coordinates beautifully with your gorgeous granite. love that the tile has color variation to it. Lovely choice!

Tile looks terrific with the granite! Almost as if it was made for....oh that's right, it was made for it (sort of)! Lookin' good i-chic!

Love the progress! Are you still going to do the plastering on the hood? I have been waiting to see yours as I am thinking about attempting the same thing.

Hey Igloo, your tiles look terrific!!! You mentioned that you didn't want the backsplash to make a strong statement but I find that it does, with the beautiful glazed handmade tiles and the thicker grout lines. They don't overwhelm your granite at all which is the star, but they don't blend in either. It seems totally you!!

You said that the thinner grout lines were hard to do with handmade tile...just curious what kind of issues you encountered? I bought the Ann Sacks Heath ceramic tile which is also handmade and want to go with thinner grout lines, probably between 1/8 to 3/16.

Your kitchen is looking amazing!!!

it's a great match with your granite. beautiful tiles.

I LOVE your tiles. They have such a warm glow! And the chickens are awesome!

I so love those chickens and can't wait to see them in their completed habitat. The hand made tiles are awesome. Where did you get them made? It never would have enven occured to me to have tiles made to match a backspalsh. That's brilliant! Everything seems to be coming togeter beautifully. Congrats. And keep posting progress pics please.

-Margie

We're still going to go ahead with the plaster, but my broken wrist won't heal fast enough for me to do it (that colored chunk of the wall was as far as I got before the ladder tossed me for a ride). But the artist is doing plaster as well, just hand made :) Verses made up in a jar by someone else. His will have more character...I like it alot. We'll do the part of the hood that is colored as well and then it will be trimmed out with wood on the flat part that matches the cabinets, and black granite in the middle of the wood trims. It should be started soon :)

The tiles were made by Statements. It's their Status Hand made Crackle tile line, and a variation on the color Honey. I hadn't thought of having any made either, but when I sent for samples they asked if we wanted a custom mix and I said yes (without asking the price...DON'T DO THAT!!!) Ya know it was just tile...how bad could it be LOL (That line always gets me in trouble).

The issue on a tight line with the grout wasn't horrible, its just that while they are basically 3x6, they have a bit of variation (really a 16th of an inch here or there) but when you butt them right up to each other with a tiny line, you actually do notice the bit here and there. I suppose it would have been ok, but I just didn't care for it.

Tomorrow I meet with the floor guy, (wood and stairs) and the tile dude I so love will be back to do the two laundry rooms and the cat room (a 4' tall nook under the stairs...they're getting left over travertine to go with their pretty chandelier). I can't wait for the cat room...I"m having the artist's wife (another artist) do a variation on "Dogs playing poker" on the door to the room, with our two orange cats playing poker and the new puppy dealing :) I have to think of a funny phrase for the room name to go above it. :)

I meet with her towards the end of the week to see her concept boards on the room for DS (1930's safari tent). She's been having fun drawing monkeys for us!

It looks GREAT IglooChic! Despite all your problems (!!) it seems to be really coming together wonderfully...a tribute to your patience and determination to get it right!

Keep those pictures coming! And hey, I want to see those moneys!!

It looks wonderful, Igloochick. I love handmade tile, and it's going to be an excellent support for your delightful cast of chickens. It's already clear how it's going to all pull together, but I'm really looking forward to seeing more.

Artist dude, floor guy, tile dude...you sure have a lot going on now!

It looks awesome too...love the colors...and the cabs are beautiful!

So the Autumn haze keeps the natural cherry from getting too red? I
love your color and had been considering Natural cherry.

Keep us posted!

That is WOW tile, to me. Love the color variation and the wide grout lines. Agree with Malhgold that it gives it a strength it wouldn't have otherwise. It suits the lines of your cabinetry as well as the color suits the granite.

Love it Igloo! It looks like those tiles were made for this granite! I remember the search for new slabs and think the Thunder is beautiful!

Keep the photos and progress coming!

So glad to see this thread on here. Ichic it looks beee-uuuu-tttttt-ful! Simply gorgeous! Love the cabs (so rich looking and pretty), the tile and the granite. Chickens look great too. Can't wait to see it all done but you probably can't either. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel yet?

Love the tile, and I think the width of the grout lines looks nice, too. Everything is coming together beautifully! Congratulations on the progress.

Your mosaic is fabulous! I love it with the sunny yellow walls.

Can I ask a question? When the tile place asked you if you wanted a custome mix and you said yes.....how did you come up with the perfect color? Did you send them a picture of your slab? Many of us have commeneted that our pictures don't really look like the actual slab (at least mine doesn't!) And with all the movement and veining "how do you pick the right custom color?" It's evident that you did that; love your tile! The whole kitchen looks like it is coming together! It's pure envy talking here.

What a perfect granite, tile and chicken mosaic combo. It all flows beautifully.

Beautiful! says Blue.

Cluck-cluck! say my Rhode Island Red and Araucana (Translation: Nice pix, glad to see your priorities are in order with chickens front & center, can we meet the model for the handsome dude in the middle?).

All the elements and textures are so beautiful together. You have made some good choices. Hope that fracture is healing per primum.

How beautiful igloochic! What is the "gold glass" that you are using for an insert? I never saw anything remotely gold when I was shopping for insert glass. (But I must add, I don't think we shop in the same caliber of stores, LOL) You should start a new post on what to name your new "kitty area". How about these for starters: "Cat House"..."The pussycat lounge" (sounds very hugh hefnerish, though)...or "pet poker lounge". Just kidding!

Having the tile matched wasn't hard. It was actually the manufacturer who suggested it when I sent in a second order (because the tile store didn't order more than a small sample). I sent off a chunk of the granite as well and put blue tape around the gold tone I was after.

It was easier on the original granite it was matched to "Vulcan Gold" which was just about 1/3 gold 1/3 black and 1/3 white. So highlighting a gold area was simple. (It's really an amber color but gold is the easiest description).

Now on that glass. I went to the normal glass places and didn't see anything other than smoke or bronze colors and the usual bubbles or stripes :) But then I saw someone's kitchen on GW and asked where she got her glass...and she told me to go to a stained glass supplier for glass. Literally hundreds of choices in plate glass...texture, no texure, color, etc. And the best part...Don't tell ok? :oP It is cheaper than the glass I was going to get at the glass store, and they do all of the install etc. :o) The piece is in picture 3 and 4 (I bought ohh 40 sample colors and then matched the best one to the cabinets and the granite). It dosen't photo well, but it's a waterfall style in a soft amber/gold with texture on one side and no texture on the other. Lit, it's gorgeous (the cabs are lit) but does not show everything in the cupboards, which is what I wanted because only the top shelf is meant to be somewhat seen and the rest will hold daily stuff, including cans of whatever comes in cans :o)

I was thinking today that I can almost be confident we'll have a house soon...and maybe it's about time for me to start my "30 day count down" blog. Now where does one "blog" (I'm trying to catch up with the rest of the world). I can only be funny and sarcastic 30 days in a row, then have to recharge with a week long binge on Ben and Jerrys so this week is the time to start!

I love the name Pussycat lounge...though that leaves our poor Kilroy (the dog) out LOL so I think I'll have to keep working. Perhaps another post :oP

Missed this yesterday, wowza it is some kind of gorgeous!
How about Cattywampus for your cat room? like rumpus room only not.

It all looks and sounds wonderful. So creative! I wish your mosaic would "escape" its frame a bit on the bottom. Like if the cabbage continued below, or some of the "chicken feed." DH confided in me that he is disappointed in our mosaic (after 2 years, LOL--he thinks it photographs better than it looks IRL.) I am so glad yours looks as wonderful IRL as you thought it would.

When I think I know what your place (not just your kitchen!) is going to look like, you always surprise. I like the tile, and the cabinets are gorgeous.

igloo, those are some beautiful handmade tiles. I love the thick grout lines. It ties in the the lines in your cabinet doors and the striking golds in your granite. Your chickens are looking more and more ready to cluck with excitement as their kitchen home nears completion!

The tile and granite and cabinets look wonderful together -- the three textures harmonized by the color. Can't wait to see the Lacanche under the chickens!!!!

Who did your cherry cabinets? They are a wonderful color!

Nice kitchen! What I personally don't care for is the maintenance of the grout. It winds up getting impreganted with grease over time and is a pain to maintain. One thing I found out doing our counter tops is that when you buy a sheet of granite you pay for the WHOLE sheet whether you use it or not. I wound up with solid graite back splashes for virtually no expense at all as they made them from the left overs from cutting the counter tops. No grout. No maintenace. :)
But I really like the chicken tiles. Very cool.

Oh geeez... that backsplash is gorgeous! Drool.....

You are making BIG strides there! Wow! Stunning stuff.

Another couple of suggestions for the "name the cat room" question...
- Catacombs
- Catopia

(But.. is it just a cat room or is it a pet area, canines included?)

So is it done yet? I want more pics!! S.