My gosh... every last detail in your kitchen is glorious! I forgot you have marble... oh ... I SO desire marble... BEAUTIFUL!!!

Gorgeous!!!! I think the grout took the rough edges off the tile and made everything just meld together so well!!! It really is beautiful, so glad you didn't change it. And great choice of grout color!

Your whole kitchen is just stunning, congratulations and enjoy your new space!!

Robin

I always liked it, I'm glad you came around :)

Do you happen to know what color your wood floors are stained?

I think it looks perfect with your kitchen. Now tell me about that faucet.

Jenn

I'm SO happy you're happy! It really is elegant and lovely, like the rest of the room. Just the right 'bling' with the burgundy tiles to jazz it up.

Wanted to tell you, your backsplash or its Sonoma cousin is featured in this month's Signature Kitchens and Bathrooms magazine, pg. 40. They even put it together with very similar cabinets and ground color tiles to yours. In any case, I think it looks just great! Congrats.

It does look so much nicer! Besides the grout, I do think that filling in a bit more red on that left side helped too. congrats on not having to do major changes!!

Yeah! What a relief to actually like it. I was so worried I put together this whole kitchen and then ruined it in the end. Thanks for all your kudos.

beachbum -The floor is a bit of a mix of stains...minwax Provincial with a bit of Jacobean mixed in I believe. Sorry not a great help on this as we had to match our original floors.

jenanla - the faucet I found at a local store and really loved. I was sure I was getting a single handled faucet for ease of use but fell in love with the look of this one so went for it. You can check it out at steamvalveoriginal.com

eastcoastmom (I'm also on the east coast in NY) I'm excited to hear that it's in the Signature magazine, I've stopped looking at all those kitchen mags that I gorged on during the planning process. I'll have to check it out.

I think your backsplash looks great as well as your entire kitchen! I love your marble island and the floor. I will have to experiment with those two stains as your floor looks exactly what I was trying to explain to DH this weekend. Now that it's finished, enjoy!!!!

I love how the backsplash turned out and am so glad you've fallen in love with it!! The whole kitchen is lovely . . . we're doing a contrasting center island, reversing light and dark as you did -- I like how yours turned out! And what a great idea on the legs on one end of your island and panel on the other. Very nice!

I originally thought the darker tiles looked a little harsh but whatever the grout did was magic. I'm so glad you like it. I think it all came together beautifully.

It looks great! It seems strange, but I think it does look better grouted, even though I did like it before. So happy for you!

Everything looks wonderful. I love all the colors and it looks quite elegant but comfortable too. c

Your kitchen is beautiful! It's remarkable what a difference a small detail like grouting can make. I was so happy to read that you like your backsplash. After all that planning and work, you deserve to be pleased with it. It's lovely - Enjoy!

I think your kitchen looks great. I love to see your brass lamps. I will have a mix of metals and it works beautifully in your kitchen. Do you have any large drawers? I was wondering if they are raised panel or recessed. I am doing raised panel doors and all recessed drawers. I would love to see any pix you might have of large drawers. What finish is on your knobs?

Also, what countertops do you have? They look great. I know one is marble--what kind? I would love to see more pix of your whole kitchen. Do you have them somewhere?

Well yes, of course! What's not to like? It's absolutely gorgeous. I love the crystalline glimmer in the glass tiles back there. The colours, in my opinion, look incredibly wonderful in your kitchen.

Very refined.

What a terrific kitchen! I agree with you, the backsplash looks even better grouted. May I ask what your wall paint colour is?

I really like how the red diamond tiles in your feature backsplash pick up the red Wolf knobs. I also how like you're not afraid to use blue teal cups in your glass cabinet for a pop of colour. Everything looks great!

I am so glad to see it grouted! It ties everything together. Who knew? Absolutely drop dead gorgeous! Your kitchen is one of the prettiest I have seen here. Congrats. You must be so excited! When are you going to break it in and are we all invited for coffee and home made sticky buns?

looks amazing!!!! and the grout really did make a difference. i also had an experience that living with something a few days makes you get used to it. i think if something is different then our expectations, the results get blown out of proportion. i am the one who sent out a thread about my appliance light being different colors!!! seems silly now as i don't even notice it!!!!

Let's see if I can answer all the questions/comments that were posted here.

hostagrams...Thanks for the compliment on the island. I'm happy with the two tones in the kitchen. My husband likes dark cabinets and I like light so I felt that was a good compromise. Here's the story on the island with a leg on one side and a panel on the other. The plan was an island to fit 3 stools with panels on both sides. When the cabinets were delivered the cabinet company sent one side panel too small so we had to put a 2x4 in to support the marble temporarily. I realized then that it was really too tight to have all 3 stools in a row. With the leg on one side it allowed me the space to put in a 3rd stool on the side. And thus it came to be!

Kelleg..We did our large drawers with a raised panel and our smaller drawers with a recessed panel. I didn't put a lot of thought into this but just went with the KD's recommendation. I think it works out. The pictures below show the drawers below the range and on the island across from the range. The knobs are by Top Knobs in satin nickel.

The marble on the island is honed Imperial Danby and the granite on the perimeter is honed absolute black granite.

redroze...the paint is BM HC81 Manchester Tan and thanks for the great compliments. I like the blue cups so have kept them there even though they don't actually match. Glad you like them too. We used to have a great Dansk outlet nearby where I bought them and some other fun things. Unfortunately they closed down a year or so ago.

Really glad that you have come to embrace your 'inner kitchen designer'! Now you can trust yourself and enjoy your beautiful kitchen! ; )

Lissa, you may not understand, but I do.

The building process makes it very hard to look on the bright side of things. We have to be very vigilant to make sure that we are getting what we want, what we are paying for, what the design specified.

And we are constantly on the lookout for flaws that can be corrected before the process goes too far. It gets to be all worm and no apple.

Plus, its very hard to maintain perspective. We are devasted if a friend isn't totally enchanted by our drawer pulls of if the workmen don't gasp in delight at our choice of grout. We can't imagine that co-workers don't understand how crucial the 'right' garbage disposal is, and God help the family member who calls the wall color 'white', when any fool can see that its 'Aunt Tilly's Antique Doily #5'.

In short, if every element doesn't leave us as enraptured as the Second Coming, we feel dissapointed and cheated.

It takes some time to decompress and recover some perspective and objectivity.

Well said Oruboris!! So, glad you love it now. I always thought it was beautiful. How do you like your honed absolute black countertops? What is the maintenance like? I have a million black, non shiny samples in front of me. So nervous to pull the trigger and make a decision!!

Enjoy that kitchen!

Second the "well said Oruboris!" It was taking a deep breath, gaining perspective plus the grout...that all helped.

positano. I'm happy with my honed absolute black countertops. They seem low maintenance to me. The marble island is what worries me more as I'm constantly nervous that something will stain or etch it. So far no stains but yes some etches on it. So in comparison the ab is great. Really I have no worries about anything on it and just wipe it up with a paper towel or micofiber cloth.

I really love your kitchen. For me, the backsplash is the best part. You did a good job making the pattern more "random". I love how the cranberry tiles tie in the knobs on the Wolf. I could live with that kitchen for a number of years. Its really classic and yet individual with your backsplash choice. It adds just the right amount of the "unexpected" and randomness, mixed with the calm elements of the other choices. Its very peaceful, yet alive at the same time. Very well done.

Thanks chinchette. I love how you describe it. My goal was to have it peaceful but with some interesting moments so I love that you can see that. I'm not looking forward to doing another kitchen remodel so I will definitely be living with it for a number of years!

I think this one could just go on ad infinitum, because its good design. I was also going for peaceful with some interest, and I used a bit of the Sonoma tantrums as well. Completely different kitchen than yours, with a different style- but some how has a similar ambiance.

chinchette...I'd love to see a picture of your kitchen.

Alright- mine leans more toward contemp/transitional, but something about your kitchen reminded me of mine. Something about the comfortable feeling.

If you click on the photo in the thread below, it will lead to my photobucket.

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen on another thread

lissa, your kitchen is scrumptious! I adore your choices in cabinet colors, floor color, backsplash, and especially your marble!

I'm sorry if reading through all the threads I may have missed if you mentioned the color and maker of your cabinets?

What a difference some grout makes!!!!! Lissa, your kitchen and blacksplash are really beautiful. I read your initial post and like you, thought, hmmmmmm...however, in the end it really does look terrific!

chinchette- your kitchen is lovely. I think that's the kitchen my husband wanted! I think ours are similar in the very clean lines with no extra flourishes but with the use of beautiful materials.

erikanh- Thank you! Our cabinets are from Crystal cabinets. The white are Frosty White with a Van Dyke Brown glaze. It's amazing how the glaze transforms the bright frosty white into a creamy off white. The dark are cherry with a black highlight.

I'm so glad you love that wonderful kitchen you've created. Slightly different style, but I know I'd have really appreciated your input when I was putting my own together. Happy cooking!

lissa, love your kitchen! And your backsplash adds interest and yet does not demand attention. All of your choices flow seamlessly together and I can't wait to see your kitchen on the finished blogs so that we can really take in all the pics and details in one place.

pluckymama...I'm not sure how to actually put the kitchen on the finished kitchen blog. Can you point me in the right direction with that?

Everything is just gorgeous! Looks like you have a beautiful yard, too. I love your door and window.

lissa, here is a link that should help.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/gal07022320668.html

I just popped back into this forum, so I didn't see the progress or all of the initial backsplash angst, so I'll just offer the perspective of someone walking in to your kitchen for the first time....

LOVE the backsplash & I agree with whoever said it's the best part of the kitchen!

Honestly, I get tired of seeing minor variations of the same "modern, in style" kitchen & really appreciate those aspects that make a kitchen unique - I think your backsplash makes a delightful, fun statement :D

Lisa,

I'm relieved that moving a few of the diamonds/adding some red? was the solution for you. I loved your kitchen the first time you posted it, but have to say do like the better rounded randomness of this BS better.

I am so wiped out from all the problems I've been having with my remodel, that I'm receiving vicarious pleasure from viewing others' successes. Sometimes I don't have the heart to comment when others are having crisis'. As Oruboris said, it can be hard to disconnect yourself from the kitchen.

Hey, and I like how you 'fairly' let DH have an island in dark wood!

I'm going to try to post in the FKB in the next few days (won't be totally finished though as my switches and outlet covers aren't done and no window treatments either).

moonkat99 - thank you I am glad to have added some uniqueness to the kitchen as I don't want it to be a boring same as all the others kitchen. Initially I had thought to put in tiny subway tiles of white marble but that would have lacked the interest and pops of color. It's always hard to know though how it will all turn out so I'm glad you like it.

raehelen - actually DH got the whole butler's pantry in dark wood too. I'd say it's 40% dark! Not too bad. Good luck with your kitchen I know it's exhausting but you'll get through and have a fabulous kitchen to enjoy in the end.

"I am glad to have added some uniqueness to the kitchen as I don't want it to be a boring same as all the others kitchen."

... until everyone copies YOUR gorgeous backsplash, anyway. :)

Congratulations, its wonderful when it all works out in the end.

Your kitchen looks spectacular.

I know it's been said before, but I LOVE your backsplash. I think it elegant, different, and really stunning.
I appreciate your hesitation but am so glad you have decided it's beautiful.
I do hope you are already enjoying that gorgeous space.

I do want to know how you like your faucet, I have been looking at those for my washing sink and wonder if you like the spray feature?

Again, LOVELY !!!!

Thanks to you all for the wonderful confidence boosting compliments!

acountryfarm...Thank you and I am enjoying the space very much. I like the spray feature a lot on the faucet. It's very easy to push up and down on the nozzle to turn it from stream to spray. It's a nice fine spray. The only issue with the faucet is when unseating or pulling the faucet out of it's housing. I usually have the faucet on when I want to rinse out the sink and pull it out but to do so with the faucet on is a bit tricky. You have to kind of pull it out towards you and there is always a risk of getting wet! It's fine if the faucet is not on or if you are just putting the faucet back into place. A bit hard to explain but all in all I really like the faucet.

I LOVE the faucet ... to remove the sprayer, you lift it off the gooseneck part? Does it swivel while it's still attached? (Does that make sense? Can you still aim the water flow without removing the nozzle from the housing?)

Thanks ... I'm having a hard time liking faucets, but that made my eyes open wide.

Lissa...I just love your backsplash. Could you tell me what it is and where you got it? Thanks.

That is good to hear! I have loved it since you first posted it. Especially the harlequin pattern! I might have to steal this backsplash for my new kitchen file.

lissa711 - One of the prettiest kitchens I have seen on this forum!

While I have never been much of a fan of subway looking tile (most I have seen is white,) I must say that your creamy/beige tile is gorgeous. AND, I love the argyle inset over your cooktop. Great look and so different!

Would you mind if I save a photo of your kitchen, to my "Dream Kitchen" file?

Love those glass tiles! We sell the whole line! Crushed glass. Comes in really great colors!

Your kitchen looks so clean! Love the splash 100%.

(I noticed your marble island: be careful! make sure you keep sealed for stains & wipe up everything: lemon juice; orange juice; wine; vinigar; fruits; will etch marble quick & olive oil will set in the marble if not wiped up in 5-10 minutes to be safe)

Beautiful kitchen!