Your kitchen is beautiful! What color is your island? That tile is very pretty. I'm a sucker for herringbone :)

I think it's beautiful and would add just the right amount of "punch".

icskaisgir-Thank you. Actually your range backsplash (love it) is the one that got me thinking about doing something similar with tile - the same but different - with the herringbone. :) But after I got the sample I have the itch to use it for the entire space. The island is a gray stain. They are Shiloh cabinets in hickory with 'Silas' stain and black glaze. That took me longer to think of than I thought - I best get my butt in gear and do a reveal before I forget what we chose!

So you don't think too fancy or too 'much'?

I love it! I think you could use it for the entire space - If you can put it up, Old Bat or a few others can mock it up for you.

Oooooh, now I kind of remember your past post about the Shiloh Silas finish. So you did it! It looks great! I would absolutely do the herringbone for your entire backsplash. I think that it would give a nice texture without being busy or overwhelming. And, btw, I really love your counters and glass cabinets. Your counter combination was one I considered and it took me FOREVER to make a decision. I really could be just as happy if I would've used your counter selections as my own.

sj and a2 - thanks for the positive reinforcement. I am looking for just that a bit of punch without flash. I will try to get it upright tomorrow in better lighting. It is pretty heavy.

icskaisgir-yep that was me forever ago and I went for it! 3 months post move and I am still trying to get myself organized. Thank you for the compliments - so many choices and combinations it is mind boggling. I love it but after all the fretting there several that I think I would have been more than happy with.

I am pretty excited about it. I've looked and looked and have a nice little personal sample collection going. My first infatuation was definitely the Encore crackle but the budget cannot support it. I found this on a random stop at a tile store and I am so glad I ordered a sample.

I still have a box of samples that I can't bare to get rid of for some reason! And at the time, the decision about what counters to get seemed to be like life or death. It was by far my most stressful decision, well, and the Silas finish! It wasn't until my kitchen was finished for a month or so that I could see that I could've loved more than one, many in fact.

What a find that your tile is within budget. It looks very expensive to me. Good luck!

Go herringbone!! Do it!!! Just the right amount of punch. Would go great with wall colors too. What is the wall color?

Yep. Use it for the whole shebang.

ickaisgir-ummm, well yes it is still over the top of our budget but because it's not a large area we can swing it. The Encore was far enough over I didn't even dare get a sample. I didn't need that temptation. :D Funny I haven't pitched any of my samples either. I am sure my kids could turn them into some sort of art. I guess we have to stress about something in a reno or new space and the counters cover a lot of area!

RightDI-Thanks - it's BM Seattle Mist. Looks gray in the kitchen and more of a beige sort of in the living room. It really pulls from what you've got around it.

Mags and Jdez-thanks for the votes of confidence.

Very nice kitchen. I also like herringbone. Can you tell me what your counters are. I really like them. We are putting up backsplash tile similar in color and texture to yours. Yours will be so pretty.

Beautiful tile! I love the herringbone. I think it will MAKE your kitchen! (which is already gorgeous)

Put the sample under the hood and step back and take a picture. See if it reads gray and makes the paint read blue and if you like that effect. Turn off your UCL, which are casting a green light.

I love it!!! I think the herringbone will look perfect in your space. We just finished our reno and installed a herringbone backsplash between off white uppers and walnut lowers and it looks great. Definitely a gorgeous tile. Your space is beautiful.

May_flowers-we live in the woods and today is another very overcast day. I took the pics - I don't see blue but there were a lot of shadows with the lights off. The island pendants were on though. I had dh hold it up for me.

With Flash (please excuse the grease splatter - looks like I need to scrub harder!):

No Flash:

It looks great! I could even see a larger tile done in the same pattern of herringbone. It's perfect!

The paint isn't photographing accurately, so it's hard to tell. I see sort of a silvery gray in the tile and a blue gray in the paint, so the mix of grays concerned me a little.

Thanks spartans and gr8day! I'll have to see if you did a reveal spartans...I'd love to see it.

may_flowers-the paint color is throughout the main floor and it definitely can cast different tones but so far I haven't see blue. I have seen more of a cool gray and then more of a warm. I am not great with seeing undertones though.

Does this help? It's from a different day with natural light but it's opposite the kitchen:

Nope, no blue in natural light. Thanks.

No - thank YOU! :) Appreciate the help from those that can see those sorts of things.

Pretty family room Autumn. I love how you combined silver (gray) & beige. It looks great with your dark wood floors.
I wish I could give you an informed decision on your backsplash but I'm one of those people who needs the "inspiration picture" to know what it would look like.

Romy and I often seem to be on the same page with tile and I think we're both feeling a little uncertain. It's a very pretty tile, no doubt. But are we reacting to the tile itself or is it perfect for your kitchen? It's different, and we do like when we see something new.

My first reaction was it felt like an animal print. It does have kind of a fabric look to it. Maybe the pattern will compete with the island granite. It could be beautiful. I would love to see it photoshopped.

This post was edited by may_flowers on Sat, Sep 13, 14 at 0:01

Autumn - I haven't done a reveal yet but here is a picture showing part of the space. Pls excuse the window as it wasn't painted yet in this picture.

jess1979-sorry I missed your comment earlier. The perimeter is Leathered AB and the island is Alaska White. Thank you. I am getting used to it being my kitchen. I kind of stood in amazement when it was all finished. Spoiled girl here.

spartans-ohhh, that is so awesome. That herringbone is just sucking me right in! Thank you for posting a pic. It looks great - and I love the range and sink together like that. I toyed around with it for my own but couldn't figure it out. Anyhow - very very nice! What kind of herringbone is that?

romy-truth be told I actually fell in love with your crackle and saw this herringbone when I went in to see the sample board of the encore. I like a little something and that is what I think the crackle does - not plain but it doesn't shout at you either. Yummy! Thank you for your kind words on my family room - I had help (A LOT of help). ;)

mayflowers-textured or fabric look totally good with - animal print - gah, no. :D I will see if someone will photoshop it for me. I am handy with the computer but no so much with that sort of thing. It is an equally gray day again today so I am not sure when I can get a pic with some decent natural lighting in here! I think you hit the nail on the head - that is the only thing I am really hesitant about - does it compete with the island. Hmmm. I kind of feel like the island is a piece all it's own but it IS right there so I need to consider it. I don't want something totally plain or that matches the trim and cabinets. That would bug me - feel like the tile just runs right into all the white. BUT, I know I need to be subtle and subtle I do like...hence the slight matte texture.

I am the least trendiest person I know, or should I say I am always light years behind what's hip and happening but I like what I like and don't really check to see if it's "in" first. For some reason herringbone strikes me as kind of classic but not necessarily a period look like maybe hex or penny round?

edit: And I seem to be struggling between white being too white and off white being to cream - warm v. cool. I need something pretty neutral. True gray is too cool. The island counter to me is more warm but not beige or cream, sigh.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'm going to post a thread for a photoshop plea.

This post was edited by Autumn.4 on Sat, Sep 13, 14 at 9:24

Does this help at all? Please excuse the slippered feet - yep it's that time of year already!

Island pendants on:

Island pendants off:

Looks to me as if it will be as lovely as Spartans99, a gorgeous choice!

Autumn - I think your tile looks beautiful! As you may have mentioned before it won't be directly against your island granite and I think the herringbone is a classic and timeless look. From what I can see on the screen, the color / pattern isn't too bold works wonderfully with your space to tie it all together. I also like the matte finish. Our herringbone is a honed carrera marble with 1"x3" pieces.

Thank you kksmama and spartans (go green!). If mine turns out as awesome as yours did I'll be thrilled!

Autumn.4, I must have been so busy with the new employee, doing my hardwood floors and encounting the mold underneath the old floors and then having to do a mold cleanup as well as finishing tax extensions that I missed this post! I am starting tax season again so now the kitchen is put off another year but at least I have the recessed lights done and all the floors in the house done.

I love the Shiloh Soft White cabinets you used in the full overlay stile (I have been wanting to see what they looked like since we had emailed each other months ago as I remember you having the cabinets in your garage)! I also love the textured herringbone tile used that gives interest and makes the kitchen your own unique style.

I love how your kitchen is coming out! I also love your family room and how it has the recessed lights which I feel now better about putting the recessing lights in my living room that I am using as a home office. I still would like them also to be in my family room but the ceiling is too high. At least if I ever sell, I see it will be a selling point my living room.

I can't wait to see your reveal!

This post was edited by lynn2006 on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 18:05