I always like to have the grout match the counter but the counter is very dark and you already grouted the mosaics with a light color.

Oh Cindy this is going to be georgeous when you get done. Imo I would prob go with the charcoal. I have looked and looked at it and I think you would lose your colors with the tan. The charcoal would make your colors pop. Good luck with you final choice. You have done a great job. I love the mixture of colors.

Kathy

Hi Kathy I think you're right, the tan will make everything blah. I'm leaning towards the charcoal.
Barrell, I've not grouted the lighter color strip yet. They're mounted on a thin piece of board to bring them out to the same height as the tiles when they're on the wall. It also makes it a lot easier to do laying flat than on a wall,
Cindy

The only thing that would worry me about the charcoal is the tree-do you think it would drown in the charcoal? you could do a little test. for the rest of it-oh yes, charcoal.
Its absolutely beautiful! Id be very proud!

Wow! Is this every amazing or what? It's beautiful! I'm a big fan of charcoal...that's what I would do. Looking foward to seeing it finished. Merry Christmas to you too!

ahhhh geez! its incredible and quite a bit on the other side of the scale from your last backsplash hey? love the design and colors! stunning

but I think Charcoal might make it all too dark - but uh do it anyway because I've been know to be wrong! lol

OH KLINGER, You Lil Heifer!!! L.O.V.E. IT! Charcoal...def...Charcoal! It's amazing that you and Betty seem to be on the same page with this!lol! Love the added millifiore and ducks!!! Can hardly wait to see this puppy grouted!!! What a beaut it will be...maybe you need some help with that groutin'!?! I'll just get out my mosaiced dog sled and be right over!!! MUSH!!!

WOW!!! Love the Tree of Life design. And the oceanna glass is gorgeous stuff. Bought some myself from that ebay seller. And yes, charcoal grout.

Oh, my - it IS quite different than the last house's mosaic. It's pretty as can be, and I LOVE that black border - dots and dashes. I vote for charcoal.

Thanks everyone, for all the help with the color and the compliments.This is very different than my last backsplash, it was a more "fun" one. I wanted to do a bit more subdued one for this house. I am such a grout wussy, always worry it'll be the wrong choice.The counter and backsplash area are a bit dark now and I think the color strip will pop more with the charcoal. I wondered about using the tan for the slate and charcoal for the mosaic part. Jane I'd love grouting help, it's my least favorite thing to do . There's lots of natural and artificial light in this kitchen so it won't look to dark no matter what I do.
Cindy

Very beautiful!! I don't know about the grout color, though I think your two color suggestion might do the trick

Gosh. It's really nice! I love the colors! Have you tried laying it out on that site that lets you enter your mosaic colors and then add different colors of grout? I HAD it in my files, but can't find it right now. I'll keep looking, and maybe someone else has it and will send it here!

is there any way you might consider a color that's close to the warm colors of the tiles?...like, similar to one of the lighter tiles, along the mosaiced panels..?
tan, cinnamon, beige, cream,chestnut, maple, caramel, pecan, just a warm color, to compliment the combination?..

Becky ;(*_*);

Klinger... your backsplash colors are wonderful! It's just going to be gorgeous!!! Can't wait to see it finished!

Morning everyone, Daisyme, I forgot about that website, that might be a good thing for me.
Becky, I like your idea too. The grout I actually picked up to use would have been right in that color family and then I started second guessing myself.
Happy Holidays everyone,
Cindy

Klinger, I LOVE the colors of your blacksplash, specially the tree of life, and then I see that gorgeous oceana glass in the greens adn reds, and blue for that matter. Have no clue on the grout, other than doing a small test and looking at the site Daisy gave you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and keep sending us pix of what you choose!!!

Oh this is looking awesome Klinger! The tree of life for over the range is beautiful, love the glass colors too, can't wait to see it done!

My total inexperience will probably show here - I'm dying to try mosaics. Just bought some little things today I'm going to start on.

Anyway - do you have to use only one color for grout? Can you do one color, wait for it to dry/cure whatever it's called. Then proceed on down with another color? Or, I guess that could be expensive, huh?

I love love love your backsplash. Especially the tree!

October, I did a mosaic snowbird with 3 different colors of grout!!! I just masking taped off the parts as I went. Another way of doing it, is to use white grout and paint wash it the colors you want. I have also done that too.

I just peeked to see what this forum was about, and OMG I am going to be hooked! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your color band and tree of life and even the brick background!! I also would like to throw out an idea if it's not too late and you still haven't grouted -- usually I can visualize what would look right for grout, but not this time! So I am wondering, if you take a photo of it and then photocopy it in color and make 2 (or more) copies, then you could use crayons to approximate the grout color and see how each looks. I can see both the charcoal and the light color working but with very different effects, and if it were me I would do that and get out my Crayolas! Like your very own coloring book...
Good luck and I will be checking back to see how this looks when you finish. It's so unique and fun and very cool and I am inspired! (we're building a new house and I am determined to have some crafty fun with it!)
Thanks for sharing your work!

Thanks susanpn, I hope to grout next week. Just been working too much lately to tackle it. I'm thinking I'll glue a few pieces on a board and do an experiment on the board to see what will be the best.
Cindy