Hopefully someone that knows what they're talking about can comment. I fully admit design is not my strong suit!

Sorry I'm no good with photoshop.

The ribbons tile has such beautiful flowing lines, and in my opinion, really complements your kitchen. All of your choices have been excellent, and I'm sure whatever you choose will be perfect.

If the scale is significantly different from this, and if it makes a difference, let me know and maybe I can redo it for you.
Sandra

Sort of like this is what you have in mind?

Do keep in mind that this is a rough Photoshop pic. The real thing will look very different.

Michelle16-your kitchen is so very beautiful! Will look forward to seeing what you end up going with. Best, oldbat2be

Normally I would say, "tile the whole wall -- all the way to the ceiling."
But in the photoshop pictures above in this post
I am preferring the image with the ribbons tile just over the stove.
(Bellsmom on Mon, Sep 24, 12 at 10:02)

Does that tile line make a plain, coordinating field tile
that you could you use on the rest of the wall,
going all the way up to the ceiling?
I think that your sconces mounted through tile could look great.

You could "box in" the area of wall behind the range
with a coordinating liner tile as a frame
(just a few inches all around the "box" of ribbon tile should work.
I think it would be best if this liner frame picked
up the darker gray of the "ribbon" to set the area off.
New Ravenna Mosaics have so many beautiful liner tiles,
especially in that "Silk Road" line.

But I'm at a loss as to what to suggest for the rest of the wall:
plain field tile part way up?
A short 4" high backsplash in field tile?
Just paint?
It seems like the trick will be do do some treatment
that doesn't over emphasize the slight asymmetry of the range wall,
and still highlights your sconces as a very cool part of your design.

Hmm.... I hope that others will chime in with suggestions (and pictures!)
for making the tile work if it is applied just in the area behind the stove.

My favorite so far is bellsmom's, with the longer corbels. Some thoughts - it's super easy to color match your cabinetry paint color. Maybe the corbels only come in one size but there's no reason why you couldn't craft something and then paint it to match. Just fill in any cracks/voids carefully of course and sand.

Or... do something like what annsch did, with some sort of plaster and wood base.

I thought of annsch, because I was trying to think of tile to 'mix' in above your focus area, if you went the tile route. Wonder how a nice white herringbone subway would look?

Best,

oldbat2be

Although the tile IS stunning - you can't go wrong with more.

1. The problem with extending the tile beyond the corbels, IMO, is that there is no continuity on either side. IF you had a continuous backsplash that ran under counters to the range, then up to the hood, then back down under counters, that would look fine. But just randomly extending the tile beyond the hood looks strange to me.
2. I agree with other commenters that it should be fairly easy to get the existing corbels extended downward if you chose. That would serve as a frame for whatever you do under the hood.
3. I am very bothered by not knowing the scale of the tile pattern you chose. It looks too large-scale in all the mockups I have seen to work in that small, confined area.
4. It would be possible to further define whatever accent tile you use as a backsplash with a tile, perhaps one slightly darker but similar in color to your wall paint. Something like this:

Of course, a tile frame could match the ground color of the pattern tile, or the accent color in it, or whatever pleases your eye.
5. I think of the area beneath the hood as a picture. I would want to somehow frame the picture to define it and set it off from the area around it. I would want the scale of what was in the picture to suit the picture's overall size.

Hope this is of use to you.
Sandra

Did you see this photo?

I'm still concerned about the materials of that tile behind the range. Does anyone know if that snow white marble and that fresh water mother of pearl should be used behind the range? I worry about grease marking it up. I know your kitchen isn't a "show-only" space but a place you really use. I think the tile is gorgeous and I would love to see it used (I know a lot of people have dreamed of that tile being used in their kitchens) but I would hate for it to get ruined.

Maybe ask about that when you are at the store. Perhaps they have a bullet proof sealer for it. Crossing my fingers for you...

I have several friends whose white marble backsplashes
behind their gas "pro-style" ranges are now
brown streaked marble backsplashes
because of the heat and steam venting onto the backsplash.
Truth be told, my friends with this problem
are super foodies who cook a lot!
So maybe they have abused their marble backsplash
more than more "normal" families.

If you use that lovely tile, be sure to get the best advice possible from the tile company for sealing it.