Removing th backsplash will not effect your cabinets. Many of us have done two or even three backsplashes to get it right.

It's the travertine that's the issue. Replace it.

I'm not seeing the pink in the travertine, and in fact it looks yellowish in the first pic (on my monitor, anyway--not saying there isn't pink there, I just don't see it). But in the other pics, I agree it doesn't look like a good match, even though I am not seeing the pink.

The bigger problem to me, is the busy-ness of EITHER of the mosaics when they are right next to the granite the way you have them in your layout. If you do decide to redo the backsplash, think about changing the configuration so that you don't have busy mosaic adjacent to the counter.

Not that this helps but I have the second mosaic installed in my bathroom. The copper looks very nice. I have it paired with a slate style tile and black granite countertop. The copper is very muted.

I agree with cawaps. They are both busy right on top of that granite. Maybe you can find something more simple on the counter.

Everything mentioned has drifted thru my mind at one time or another in the last few weeks. I guess I secretly hoped there was some easy solution to what hollysprings so appropriately called 'the pink elephant in the room.' It is indeed that and it has to be set free! :)
There is no bandaid for something that makes my stomach drop every time I come into the room. It's not going to magically change no matter how many times I walk in there and hope it does.

OK. Chin's up. What's next?

ellendi-when you were researching your splash for glazed crackle tiles, did you happen to compare the Grazia Rixi in Crema with Jeffrey Court's glazed tile? The reason being is I have samples of the Donegal and Tipperary colors and neither work. They may have too much color in them. It seems my kitchen casts grey onto the walls (may be the window tint necessary in sunny So. CA) Does anyone know of a place in or around Anaheim, CA 'tile row' that might carry the Grazia Rixi tile to be able to view samples?

Are there any other suggestions for materials, colors, etc.? I am on a tighter budget so if there are lower priced substitutions, I am all ears! I mistakenly borrowed the idea for my current splash from a display, modified what was used (it was shown with white cabinetry whereas mine is dark) ran into a back logged product and ended up with something I hate. I was completely rushed into thinking I had to get the materials NOW in order to maximize the contractors time ($$) when I should have stepped back and waited.

Thank you all for helping me with my dilemma!

a metallic border ...dark bronze or pewter toned leafy or geometric design on 4 by 4 squares[is that the height of the row?] your kitchen is traditional enough-the metallic addition would work and blend with cabinets/hardware/sink and travertine. I like the travertine-when you get the correct accent row it will work fine.

When you retile, you don't need to tile that little side wall near your doorway. There's been discussions about it and most favor ending it in the corner. I think tile looks better under the cabinets, not protruding past them.

The height of the bottom row is just a touch shy of 3 inches. I have had the same thought and sampled a few items that would mimic an oil rubbed bronze tile as that is what I have for my cabinet hardware. I was so excited when I thought of it and figured my dilemma was over. But once I saw it, I didn't care for the look. It was almost as though there was a stripe lining the entire kitchen in the middle of the BS and the counters and your eyes went right to that area. Not to mention it was uber expensive - the one tile shop I went to had a 12' listello (?) that was $47 a LF.

The first picture in my post is the most indicative of the way the travertine actually looks. In the rest of them they are showing up a bit lighter and more cream/beige. In reality they are more of a pinky orange.

The height of the bottom row is just a touch shy of 3 inches. I have had the same thought and sampled a few items that would mimic an oil rubbed bronze tile as that is what I have for my cabinet hardware. I was so excited when I thought of it and figured my dilemma was over. But once I saw it, I didn't care for the look. It was almost as though there was a stripe lining the entire kitchen in the middle of the BS and the counters and your eyes went right to that area. Not to mention it was uber expensive - the one tile shop I went to had a 12' listello (?) that was $47 a LF.

The first picture in my post is the most indicative of the way the travertine actually looks. In the rest of them they are showing up a bit lighter and more cream/beige. In reality they are more of a pinky orange.

Well, to be the dissenting opinion - I love the new accent tile you have with that granite. But, I would think about doing a row of tile, then an accent row, and then more tile (or something to that effect) so as to get the accent tile off the granite. But I think it looks great with it.

I'm not a fan of the travertine... sorry.

I enjoy backsplash selection because it's one of the last pieces of the transformation to go into place and can pull disparate elements together and finish a space beautifully. So it's a major bummer when bs remorse sets in.

I'm usually an advocate of pulling things out and making them right quickly. In your case I think you should live with it for a while. The tile you installed may be your best option - I like it better than its proposed replacement.

If you're not going to do that then consider simplifying that 3" row, not complicating it. Choose a mosaic of a single color that works well with both stones, like this bronze colored glass,

or a mosaic that uses travertine and your granite colors. I wouldn't add metal and other colors. You have enough to balance as it is.


Whatever you choose, I hope you end up with something you love.

I wouldn't change the lower portion, it looks great now. I think what you need are just some accessories and to live with it for awhile. I am sympathetic. It seems like nothing I do ever looks quite like I imagined or hoped for. But eventually I get used to it and like it. I'm not one that instantly seems to like things and have to let them grow on me, lol. A curse to be sure!!!

wi-sailorgirl - thank you for the link! I love her blog. I originally found it when I was trying to figure out what color to paint the kitchen after the travertine went in. I knew the paint color was off, just as you said previously. There was some peeling of the paint near the cabinet ends from when they pulled the old cabinets down, so one day I decided to pull more off...and this was the result. Does the white next to the travertine help or change your thought process at all?
{{gwi:1965012}}

It's hard to tell from the photos, but I think you're right about the tone of the backsplash being too pink for the granite. Also, your granite is beautiful and shouldn't have to compete with the backsplash for attention. What about a plain field tile and the new mosaic you picked out as an accent (but up higher in the backsplash, not next to the granite)? Have you seen a2gemini's backsplash?

Here is a link that might be useful: a2gemini's backsplash

EAM44, by proposed replacement, are you referring to the mosaic I proposed or the suggestions offered here for the full replacement? I did have other options for the lower - 3 inches, and a couple of them did have travertine mixed in. The stickler is tho that area is just that, a bit shy of 3 inches because of the no grout line. If I were to keep the pencil liner there to differentiate the two materials, I am very limited to materials that I can use. Some were a full 3 inches. The middle option that you proposed is difficult because the panel can't be cut in equal parts to fit into that area without wasting a lot of material.

may_flowers, I'm not sure ending the splash in the corner would even be an option for me. There is a small gap near the other corner by the sink where the splash just barely covers the gap between the granite and the wall. I am sure it's not flush to the right of the door either. ;-/

beeps, no apologies needed! :) This whole endeavor was a result of a slab leak and then a leak behind the frig with the water line. If it weren't for those two things ten months ago, my house would have stayed as it was. I have made a lot of mistakes along the way and I chalk it up to the 'remodel' not being a planned one.

gr8day, I am exactly the same way - and it is a curse. Drives me nuts. I can nit pik anything new and then quite a few times I end up thanking my lucky stars that I did something the way I did.

The issue is, I need to paint, finish the electrical and outlet covers and decorate but I feel I am stuck. If I do those things, yes, there is the possibility that it will turn out OK and grow on me. However, in my eyes, it's investing in something that may be a waste of time and money. So do I go ahead and pursue the removal (and again risk that I don't like it and wish I had kept what I had) or wait it out. It's just so frustrating. Believe it or not, it is causing me anxiety and to lose sleep. Argh!

juliet11, thank you. I do love my granite. :) It is busy and there are many shades and tones that are in some areas and not others. I am having a hard time knowing exactly what color to pull out of the granite to use as a field tile. I am concerned that a cream colored field tile will look too bright or start against the granite. The cabinets are dark, as is the floor, so doing a dark field tile would be too much I think.

I am so overwhelmed right now.

I think the color to go for is the gold, and maybe even a metallic gold like this metallic gold glass tile from Susan Jablon.
{{gwi:1965013}}

Or this matte gold colored tile from BuyTile.com
{{gwi:1965014}}

Or a simple yellow ceramic like this traditional Straw Yellow tile from cincausa.com

Look at 2gemini's backsplash that juliette just posted! Also with budget in mind, check out the large chain stores.
Starting to add color is very tricky. Some here have gotten it right. There is a reason why so many of us have gone the cream or white backsplash route. Again, if this seems boring to you, you can do accents like 2gemini.
We have said this over and over. There should be one star in the kitchen. Your star is the granite.
IMHO I would not add another material like metallic or a completely different color.

"The tile you installed may be your best option - I like it better than its proposed replacement."

I was referring to the replacement tile you chose for the mosaic you've already installed. The copper is nice, but adds yet another element to an already busy scheme.

Mosaics can be hard to understand. The second one I showed you is a 12" x 12" sheet of 18 rows of tile glued to a plastic sheet. That means each row averages about .66 inches, and four rows of tile would give you coverage of about 2.64" high (plus 1/8" grout line above) x 12" wide. So you cut the sheet four rows down, then four more, etc... There's very little waste, and very little actual tile cutting depending on your measurements, you can keep the pencil or add one beneath, again, depending on measurements.

The reason I picked that tile for you is that it is one of the very few options out there that use elements with gold and pink undertones, speaking to both of your stone choices. That said, it is an expensive tile, and may not be to your taste. The round mosaic would have to be cut so you would have wastage there, and the bronze colored glass will not fit. Here's how they all look virtually. I think the choice you've already made (i.e. the existing mosaic) is pretty good.

Mosaic-wise I prefer the one you already have.
If replacing is an option, I'd concur with a plainer tile and can throw another choice out there to consider.

I was searching for options other than stone for our busier granite and after lots of helpful input for choices from GW, we ended up with 3x12 unpolished porcelain by Crossville, their retroactive line, in Empress White, which is a creamy off white color.
The Grazia Rixi Crema was also a contender.
I don't have pics of our finished bs yet, but it's the same tile that Kellienoelle had posted in her kitchen reveal. If you can't find it with the GW search function, try googling it.

ellendi - it's not that a creme shade seems boring, I love the crackle tiles and the creme shades are stunning. I am having a hard time thinking outside of the box. Would a tile such as the Grazia Rixi go with my granite if that exact shade isn't actually exist in the granite? The granite that you have has some lighter tones in it (I had similar prior to this - New Venetian Gold) hence why I am sure that it goes beautifully with your granite. Although from what I can tell 2gemini's material is more similar to mine in that it doesn't have a lot of light creme in it but the accent tiles pull it in.

I agree, introducing more colors will be more difficult. I brought home some Jeffrey Court glass tiles from Home Depot a few weeks ago that matched the granite perfectly. Once they were placed in the shade of my cabinet and vertical on the wall, the green in the glass completely changed the color to a khaki green. There are so many areas that display what I have now in different shades I think it would be almost impossible to get a gold/yellow to match across the board.

I took a couple more pics of just my granite, please let me know what you think! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Kellienoelle - Switchplate covers - opinions please.

GreenDesigns - Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to find those tile pictures! As I just mentioned to ellendi, for some odd reason, be it the dark tone of my cabinets and/or floors, once I put anything gold/yellow up on the wall, it changes into a green tone. I have tried both ceramic and glass.

EAM44 - ahhh, gotcha. They are difficult to understand! I am empowered by all these suggestions, and think that at this point I am going to either find a completely different field tile and accents or just leave as is for a little while. I don't want to make the same mistake again by picking a perfect accent to go in the lower portion and still be disappointed that the travertine is still pink! lol

labbie - Thank you, although I didn't find the exact thread, I did find pictures KellieNoelle's kitchen (oops, put the link I found in the post directly above this one). What color granite do you have?

Where are you folks getting samples of these tiles?

Here is a pic of our granite. It's called golden crystal.
I was lucky and was able to get samples of what I wanted between 2 of the tile stores in town. Some will mail samples as well.

Another product that was recommended to me a while back was by Adex, their Hamton line which is a crackle tile. They paired my granite with Sand, but on internet pictures it looks really beige and it wasn't that way at all. More like a very pale yellow/cream.

Does anyone know anything about these tiles? Yay or nay? I can try and get the sample board again in the next couple days and take some pictures. If there are any other brands that anyone can recommend that are more readily available, I have a tile place somewhat near me, Ed Pawlak Tile, that carries many of the brands. I will have to get creative on samples of the Grazia Rixi as there isn't any place local to view in person.

I found this picture of the "Sand" color .

Here is a link that might be useful: Adex Hampton Crackled, Beveled in Sand

labbie - gorgeous granite! I would love to see pictures of the backsplash too when you can. I can see how the lighter areas would blend beautifully with the tile you chose. :)

gardenwebnewbie - Our final decision came down to JC and Grazia Rixi
I thought I really wanted the JC tiles (Jeffrey Court) but when I had the finalists lined up - both my DH and I walked into the kitchen about the same time and said something just didn't work with the JC tiles and went with the Grazia Rixi with a beach mosaic insert.
Tile-shop.com will mail you samples -
If you want really beautiful tile - I loved the feel of Heath tiles and Wendy will mail you samples. I just could not get the colors to work for me. If I lived closer, I might have continued to try.
Here is a link to our backsplash (note the electrical is not complete) but it will give you an idea
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0821184925904.html
and here is one picture - more on the link :-)

What if you "stained" the tile that is already up? It would darken it and change up the color maybe just to the point that it would be fine? I got some tinted wax and did this with a cabinet. It feels so nice and it darkened it just enough. I would experiment since you might be taking it down anyway : ) You could probably wax it as they use wax on granite on the ogee edges to make them smooth.

Gr8day is right. You should try using an enhancer on the travertine to see if it will take away the pink cast. Your backsplash is really beautiful and it would be a shame to have to remove it for an issue that might be correctable.

A2gemini - Your kitchen is gorgeous! I love your accent tiles and mosaic. Thank you so much for sharing this with me. Hopefully after seeing the pictures my hubby will understand what I am talking about - he isn't convinced yet. LOL

gr8day & jerzeegirl - Been there, done that. :( I have stained, painted and even put oil on sample tiles. All it did was make the pinkish hue more pronounced. I have put two coats of an enhancer on it which did 'yellow' up the mosaic quite a bit (had already been done in the pictures I posted) and changed the travertine a bit more tan but not nearly enough.

It's too bad that staining and enhancing your tiles didn't make them less pink.

I love crackle tiles too. My backsplash is also Grazia Rixi in crema (with noce accents) and in real life it is not as white as it appears in a2gemini's photos. Here's a photo of mine:

If you have a Home Depot nearby, I found that Leviton wall plates in Light Almond are very close in color to the crema tiles, as you can see in my photo.

Rixi also comes in a yellow color called dore. I found a thread that has photos of Rixi crema and dore next to each other so you can compare.

Here is a link that might be useful: Comparison of Rixi crema and dore

Thanks GWnewbie
As Juliet mentioned, it looks whiter in the pictures than real life. I started out wanting back painted painted glass or a bisque tile. I couldn't get the glass or bisque to talk to my kitchen. The Rixi made friends with the countertops and we are happy.
As I ramble on, I know your BS isn't what you want but give it more time before ripping it out. It might grow on you.

Juliette- I have to check out the Lutron outlets, although I will only have one visible one in the kitchen. Gosh I love your BS and kitchen! I wonder why!

juliet11 - thank you! That was a huge help. I was actually able to see all the Rixi colors in person today! Dore is a bit too yellow...but I think Crema may be juuuust right!! I am going to post pics in another post so it is on it's own.

A2gemini- For practical sake, i know that I should wait. But I can't. It's been since the second week in August and my stomach drops every time I walk in the kitchen. Due to this and a couple other house details being 'up in the air' I am losing sleep and not eating right. Silly, right? I have dropped 5 lbs. My horrible habit of picking at my cuticles has returned and I hate when I do that. It's not going to get any better. For my health and my sanity, I have to do something.

Annnnd = GOOD NEWS! I stopped by my favorite tile store today. Perused all the tiles for the umpteenth time. They had some Grazia tiles but not the Rixi! Or so I thought...they were on a separate display! I love them!! I took lots of pics, I will post them in the next message so this one doesn't get too long.

I am so silly, I have tears in my eyes. Seriously, I am so happy. I went back to the tile store near me that has a huge selection. I perused all the crackle tiles that I thought would work. I hope you all agree, but I think the Grazia Rixi in Crema just might be the perfect one! I had the nicest salesman helping me and he agreed that in person, the Rixi in Crema looked really nice with my granite cutting board that I carry with me as a sample.

I have added a few other tiles here but really love the Grazia Rixi. :) A few were taken in the showroom in different lighting, and at the end are ones in my kitchen. It's still daylight here so I will take a few more tonight with the lights on.

Comments and advice please!

Store display with my granite in bright light: (tile is in no way this light or bright)

Store Display in shaded area of store:

A matte Sonoma tile that shows a bit peach/pink in real life:

A crackle tile by Sonoma that is very similar to Rixi in Crema:

I LOVE this accent tile...but extremely pricey. ;( How can I incorporate this into my splash but only use a few...? I have a microwave over my cooktop so doing something in that area isn't the best idea I don't think. I would like to incorporate them selectively through the whole splash unless you all don't recommend...it's cloisonné. Grazia Rixi Crema is very close to this picture.

midrange accent. It's ok, but not the love that I feel when I see the other one

Direct sunight:

This is the area of my kitchen where the existing travertine shows up the pinkest. The Grazia = no pink!

Behind the stove top:

Here is a link that might be useful: gardenwebnewbie Grazia Rixi in Crema

Glad the Rixi tile is working. I am on my phone but check out my post - out of ABB club.. To see how I used accent pieces. I used a similar sized pieces above the cooktop only.
Are you going to put in a border again? Our accent mosaic is called beach. I only found it at tile-shop.com.
I found our accent pieces at malsnee tile in birdsboro pa. I think I could have found the accents locally but was running out of time.
Juliette used the Dore color tile for her accents.
I'll be watching!
Good luck!

What I love about the Grazia Rixi is that is does stay true to color and uniform. No surprises when installed.
Welcome to the club :)

I tell you, I feel such a relief to have found this tile and I am so grateful for the recommendation! I love this forum!!

Because my microwave sits above my cooktop I don't really want to highlight the space in between by putting accent pieces there I don't think. I am envisioning just using a few in some sort of linear pattern along the stretch of backsplash. I saw your accent tile today - it's called 'beach' correct? It was beautiful but none of the varieties on the board went with my granite. After I saw the cloisonn� accent tiles I started to think I may just want to keep it really simple and maybe just use those and possibly do something similar to yours with a row of square tiles, but then an oil rubbed bronze pencil liner and then above that the squares on a diagonal with the accent squares worked in along the diagonal pieces.

Opinions? Other ideas?

ellendi, do you have pictures of your finished backsplash? :) It does seem to be true - no color changing or surprises with the Rixi in Crema! Heaven I tell ya!

I think I also need a recommendation for a very good, reasonably priced tile person in the OC, CA area if anyone has one please send me an email!

As per requested.

Here is a link that might be useful:

You have lots of options. I could see squares along the bottom, a pencil liner to match the tile (not bronze) then the tiles on the diagonal with your bronze accent pieces. (A similar to 2Gemini and julitte's)

GWNB
I think that is a great idea. I really like your accent tiles. I almost used the same ones but felt too much with the beach mosaic. Now to convince DH to go forward.
Too bad we don't live closer as I have a whole extra box of Rixi. Since I had to have it shipped, I ordered extra as a precaution.
I feel so honored that you like my kitchen and was an inspiration for you.
I will be watching!

ellendi and A2gemini - both of your designs you created with the Grazia Rixi tiles are stunning!

I need do some google searching tonight and this weekend for simple backsplash ideas. That's what I want - simple and classic. I can embellish with the nick nacks and change those out as they get old and boring.

ellendi, I love yours that it doesn't have any accents, just the brick tile. I am drawn to that shape, as it's the similar to the subway I have now. I am leaning more toward that at this point than the square as I feel it fits my kitchen and overall decorating style better.

A2gemini - I am drawn to yours because it does have the accent tiles that bring the colors of the granite subtly into the backsplash.

After some thinking, I am afraid that if I just use the accent tiles that I posted yesterday (ellendi, I agree, nix the ORB pencil liner) and not anything else that draws the granite colors in it will look, what word am I looking for, too contrast-y? Too sharp and not subdued? If I use the brick shape only, is it even possible to incorporate accent tiles? Gosh, I do sound like such a newb and high maintenance. But please don't give up on me yet!

What about if I did a row of bricks, then a matching pencil liner, and then more bricks all the way up? What is the consensus of the the artistic folks reading my plight think would look best with my granite? Which, by the way I have fallen in love with again now that I have found the Rixi tiles...I had been cursing it for the past month or so as it, IMO, has been so hard to find something compatible!

Also, there are two areas that do no have cabinets above them. Just to keep things simple (especially to the DH as I know he would never go for a 'no' backsplash idea in those areas) I intend to replace the existing footprint the same way. Do I end those two areas with the matching small end piece or go for the more grand and elaborate end cap? (forgive me, I don't know the technical names...) And, just to complicate matters, one of those areas has a cabinet door that will open up touch the area, so perhaps I do need to just do a flush end cap...

ellendi - I know you have mentioned it prior however I can't seem to locate the info. What BM color are your cabinets? I have a window casing that will land directly on the backsplash so that may be a trim color I may need to investigate.

Thanks!

gardenwebnewbie, my cabinets are BM Dove White as is all my trim. But I am not sure I would recommend this for you.
For those who know my kitchen saga, please ignore the rest of this post.
I knew I wanted a white kitchen and the KD recommended Dove White. When I went with my sample piece to choose a granite, the granite yard recommended Giallo Ornamental. Looking at it closely, I THOUGHT I saw some white in it that would pick up the white in my cabinets. Wrong. My husband who hates to shop thought we needed CONTRAST. When installed my Giallo is the dark brown version. You don't put brown and white together. Cream or off whites yes, but this white is very stark in my kitchen. (We have lots of natural light) I did not think through to the backsplash when planning the kitchen. If a tile worked with the Dove White it did not with the brown. I first put on a white Adex tile which had a grey cast when installed. (I lived with the stupid sample for weeks in my kitchen!) We tore that one out and it took six months for me to find the Grazia Rixi. We went to a place in CT and the salesman was adamant about this tile. He would not let me even think about accent pieces! I am glad I listened to him. (And, we still joke about how "bossy" he was.)
I needed a transition tile that would go from the white to the brown. Not easy.
Just thought you would like to know you are not alone in all of this.
You can look at BM Dove White but I am not sure you want such a stark white. BM Cloud White is popular and maybe you should start another thread on the whites. Whites can take up hours of your time!
Also, I want to point out that the Grazia Rixi is a machine made tile but purposely made to look like hand made. This means that it will have irregularities when installed. I don't seem to this in julittes or 2geminie in their photos but it is the thing that I like most about mine.

gardenwebnewbie - I'm glad that you found a tile that you like! The Rixi tile looks so much better in real life than in photos, doesn't it? The crema does match your granite a lot better than the pinkish travertine. In some of your photos, the crema looks similar to the lightest color in your granite, but it's hard to tell. The cloisonné accent tile is beautiful - but if you want to use subway tiles I'm not sure where you'd put them. Have you seen this post? It has photos of more backsplashes in Rixi crema.

Here is a link that might be useful: Backsplash examples in Rixi crema

ellendi - am so glad that I am indeed not alone in my plight! Thank you for the info on your paint color. I think it would be best for me to sample a few whites after the backsplash is completed. It will give me a better visual. Picking out too many things at once is what got me into the mess I am in today. Now that you can see the pictures, how do you feel about the Rixi in Crema up against my actual granite?

I went to a couple model homes yesterday hoping to find a subway backsplash...and I did! This tile is very stark white and not what I am looking for, but it was enough for me to realize that I really LOVE the simple subway esthetic.

juliet11 - Yes, it does look so much prettier in real life than in pictures. In real life, it is just so gorgeous!!

The color of the Crema is very similar to the lightest shade in my granite. There isn't a whole lot of it though so I am a pinch concerned. The guy in
the tile store said you want to look for something that complements and
doesn't have to match exactly.

Although by far, it is THE best choice that I have seen with it thus far. And I have viewed a TON of choices, materials, colors, etc...

I also have an email in to Maria Killiam for some pricing for her expertise...

Have you seen the daltile cristallo glass in black opal? That might help give you a 3" link to the existing travertine and granite. It's much more brownish & iridescent in person than it looks on the website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Daltile cristallo