[el-jay]

We're almost done remodeling our kitchen (we're just waiting for the coutnertops to be installed, then we can do some last finishing touches) and I feel like I'm having some doubts! Although I really like the materials/design that I've picked out, I keep looking at pictures of other people's kitchen and think to myself "oooh I like that, too!". I keep doubting my choices, and worry that I'm making the wrong choices.

For example, the tile backsplash just arrived today, and although I think it's pretty funky looking (in a good way), I'm worried that it's not going to look right with everything else. (I've attached a picture of what it's going to look like...I just propped the tile against the wall...it's going to go along the wall where the stove/sink are...the other walls are a neutral grey color)

Is this worrying normal? Have I made bad choices? :-(

[bgs]

I really like the look you've got going.

Believe me, worry and second guessing are totally normal. I still haven't decided on a back splash more than a year after "completion" so you're way ahead of the game as far as I"m concerned!

It'll be great. It's your kitchen so go with your gut as they say.

[Harpy]

A lot of people just wait a while after finishing their kitchens to decide on a splash, so if you aren't sure, there's nothing wrong with waiting till you've recovered from all the decisions you have to make while it's all happening.

[ra2jim]

Congratulations for getting this far. Having just finished a 4-month kitchen project on my own, I know how it feels to reach this milestone. I agree to paying attention to your gut feel. But also take a step back and look at why your gut got you to where you are now, and consider maybe one last time why considering another direction may yield a better outcome.

As a design professional, I try not to get in this situation by using drawings, large size samples and often 3D renderings prior to construction. I myself waited another 4 weeks before finally installing the splash in my kitchen, for various reasons but also because of doubts. I knew I wanted to limit the number of colors to 3 to keep the design more cohesive and less distracting. Red and white are my main color, black as accent. In deciding the splash, the I knew that I wanted to keep the horizontal nature of the scheme.

So, with carrara marble floor tile (generally white), red base cabinet, black counter, white lower cabinet then red upper cabinet, I had layers of colors that are different at each level. Red for splash would have been overwhelming. Black splash would have lost the horizontal definition of the counter but is more acceptable and even suggest a bolder design. White however was my choice because it gave me a more neutral or lighter background against all the things that will eventually go on that counter. Instead of pure white (like the 1st layer of upper cabinet) I used the carrara floor tile (cut in half to be 6x12) because it had gray veins that tempered the white and transitioned the black countertop to the white upper cabinet. Also, for accent I used occasional splashes of red glass mosaic tiles in the vertical grout joints of the carrara. I havent uploaded the final photos yet, but I am very happy with the result.

Finally, my original thought was a pure white ceramic tile splash but during construction I reconsidered, redrew the design, got samples and of course consulted with my wife. Here's a tip, put a white butcher paper against the entire splash surface and color in the pattern of your choice, step back. Then try other color schemes that are more serene or neutral. This is a lot easier than reconstruction! Best of luck. Hope to see finish photos.