Anyone with granite backsplash in the kitchen? Any opinions?

[asha]

WOW!! Finally some one who has BTDT. Glad to hear that you like it.

What are the colors in your kitchen? I mean cabinets, granite, floor etc.

Do you have a lot of grain in your granite?

This is probably a lot of trouble, but would it be possible to post a picture, if you already have it. If not, dont bother about it.

[Momof3Labs]

Our kitchen has granite backsplashes (done by the previous owner). I'm going to try to post a picture (from before we moved in - the counters are NOT that clean now, lol). If it doesn't work, feel free to e-mail me and I'll send it to you!!

ETA: OK, I'm having problems attaching photos right now. But if you e-mail me (my username at yahoo dot com), I will e-mail you a couple of pics!

[jesseandgrace]

The granite is pretty black, it has all the other stuff going on, but it is pretty subtle. We have light wood cabinets and floor, a little lighter than in the photo, stainless steel appliances, and long stainless steel pulls on the cabinets and drawers. I have a really big window over the sink, and it has the granite wrapped around the window sill, it looks pretty cool. I will try to post a pic, I haven't done it in a long time, but I think I have one already on my i photo. It really does look like that picture posted above, so if you don't like the photo I think you won't like a granite backsplash! I think it gives a modern look to a kitchen, a sort of sleek, masculine look. It also has to be done right, I think if the installation is poor, as with anything, it won't look good.

OK, its not letting me upload the pics, I am going to see if I can start a new thread and have it work, otherwise e-mail me and I will send it to you!

[jesseandgrace]

I can't get the pictures to upload, any tips? Sorry everyone. It really does look like the pictures posted above with the black granite. I really think I would only like this with a dark granite contrasted with a wood cabinet like in the picture. It is bold that way. Also, above my cooktop I have a stainless steel backsplash, not the granite as shown in the picture above. I like the stainless look above the stove better.

[bostonsmama]

I just wanted to reply to Jennifer and say that the photo is almost exactly what we have: spiced maple cabinets, speckled beige countertops, and a tumbled travertine marble backsplash layed on the diagonal. We actually planned on getting granite counters, but in our city there are few installers, so the monopoly really jacked up the price...so high in fact that with the edge we wanted and a jut out sink it was almost $130/sq foot installed! Anyways, we went with Corian instead. We contemplated doing a full backsplash (or even partial) but I love the Tuscan old-world feel of travertine marble...that and limestone are so prevalent in European design...not the modern (German) kind of course.

Anyways, I have a modern/classic living room (called Transitional style), so the all-black granite counters and backsplash running up the walls really appeals to my mod side, esp if you do it like posted below w/ SS bar pulls and appliances. If you don't have as much space between your counters and cabinets it may not have the same effect as the picture, but it looks really good to me...and sounds like it's easy to keep clean, although I haven't had any problems keeping my own porous marble clean and I cook every single night of the week. And don't worry about hard water, that's what they make orange oil cloths for...you know, the disposable cleaning cloths that don't need water. My aunt has granite (shiva cream...gorgeous btw) in her kitchen and she loves the Windex wipes for quick clean up. Before we sealed them for her, though, they really absorbed the stains (water, wine and all).

Good luck deciding!

Larissa
who's gettin in the holiday mood

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -
James Baldwin

[nupe]

Dear Asha:
We have granite (darkish) w/tumbled marble backsplash, cherry cabinets. The backsplash never gets dirty since counters are fairly deep. Please let me know if you have questions.

Nupe

[asha]

Thanks so much Nupe,
Is it really hard to maintain dark granite. I grew up with absolute black granite, never thought it was hard to maintain it. But then I dont know if we had hard water back in India where I lived. Do you have hard water by any chance?

My granite guy kept telling me that its hard to avoid hard water stains on dark granite, so I am worried now.

Thanks for bearing with me all of you ladies.

[phirey]

Here is a cut and paste of a reply I gave to last year's thread about granite and backsplashes: http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar...ng_type=search

We did granite last year (if you were dismayed at the granite store's prices, check out Lowe's or Home Depot -- we got a great deal and it turns out they farm it out to the little guys anyway).

Anyway, we did our backsplash ourselves and it turned out great! We bought 12x12" slate floor tiles and since we had to rent a tile cutter anyway, we split them into 12"x6" tiles and put them up staggered, like bricks. The entire project cost less than $150. That includes having to replace the wallboard behind the backsplash.

Forgive the dishes in the sink -- flylady wouldn't approve!

Darnit, having trouble re-attaching the pics (it won't let me imbed them when all I'm doing is linking to the old pics). Anyway, they're attached at the bottom...

[CiderLogan]

We have quartz countertops and backsplashes. Let me see if I can get the picture to attach... We love them - I do love tile but the previous owners had let it get pretty icky, so we figured we'd go with an easy-clean/simple look, and we are happy with it! Also, the backsplashes were cheaper per sqft because they were thinner than the countertops.

OK, uploading the pic is not working now; I'll try again later.

Jenny
Mom to Julia, 8/03
...and another one due 5/29/06!