It is the fun stuff you have left to do.....the accessorizing and your accent color is the best for this space!

You only need a backsplash behind the stove. I'd remove the rest and repair and texture the drywall. Use good kitchen wall paint and it will wipe clean. I really like your countertop and it works with the cabinets. I also vote for painting the brick.

Gir,l get off the ledge!! You've got a gorgeous kitchen, hot husband and the counter is beautiful, so you're way ahead of the game :) It's just because it's new that the issue is "glaring" at you. My granite/backsplash doesn't meld together so well either (not-so-hot husband's fault, he changed OUR choice at the granite yard while I was at work?!?) but still love my kitchen. I agree totally with Theresa Holt--gently guide HH towards the solution and the work will start quickly if he thinks it was his idea. If it takes awhile to fix the (minor) issue, that's OK 'cause your kitchen is still beautiful.

https://youtu.be/Qw9oX-kZ_9k

I agree w/ BARNCATZ:

" Wish I could photoshop this to see how it would look. I was wondering about painting the window trim and wall and that soffit type wood trimmed topper thingy a white"

I was thinking this, but first thought to read the entire thread, and realized BARNCATZ made the suggestion. Since the living room and kitchen share the same exposed A frame wall, I recommend only painting the blond oak trim work in the kitchen. BARNCATZ suggested white, I was thinking black, because black cabinets DO work with the quartz countertop. You could test an area first before making the commitment. The seems to be the least expansive, least time consuming intermediate fix until you come up with a long term solution. The only item with blond wood would be the blond top kitchen island.

Some one mentioned grout paint and thought I'd mention that I just used Grout Renew on my whole kitchen floor grout and it is amazing! It looks like I have a new floor. You can change the color of your grout really easily, if that helps. I also just saw someone paint their tile floor with chalk paint. Here's the link to her blog, if that helps: http://remingtonavenue.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-girl-who-painted-her-tile.html.

Change the counters. Or change everything else in the home. Which is going to be easier and cheaper in the long run? The counters entirely clash with the home's basic style and architecture. In the scheme of things, one expensive mistake isn't that expensive if you learn from it instead of trying to compound it by throwing more money and effort into making an inappropriate choice work.

Hire a designer next time you are in the mood to make a change to the home.

Hollymac, we can go on and on on this post but you really have three options.

Either:

1. Change the backsplash

2. Change the countertops

3. Love your kitchen!

It really is not that bad and if replacing things is not in the budget, learn to love your kitchen until you have the budget to change it. It is not "correct" with the warm backsplash and cool counter tops but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter.

And it will take 5x+ that amount to make those counters actually work in that house. The first rule of design is to know when you've made a mistake and cut your losses. Stop chasing the current cool gray and white fad for your home. Unless you are willing to completely remove every trace of the brick and other earth tones in the home, it just won't ever work.

erinbono, Oh my gosh. De ja,,,,In 1992, my "nsh" husband & I were building our first dream home together. Picking out carpet, we were shown 3 levels of quality. You know the drill, most expensive carpet on earth, middle of the road and finally scratchy, cheapest grade material but still able to be called "carpet". We chose the mid grade in a perfect neutral tan color. The only other we'd considered was a color called "cameo" in the cheapest grade possible. I was able to convince my husband the cameo had too much pink in it by walking outside with the sample.... After work the day of the install, I stopped by the new house. I arrived as the carpet installers were packing up their tools. I walked into a house with "pink" Cameo colored carpet. I recognized it immediately! I told those guys they'd installed the wrong carpet, they needed to get their store on the line pronto. The sales guy pulled the order and it showed my husband went back to the store without me and changed the order to the cheap, cameo. I cried and cried and cried!

The quartz and cabs are cool tone. The tile backsplash, island and brick are warm. So they are not playing nice together. I'd remove the tile backsplash from under the cabinets and leave the quartz trim. Leave the tile in the stove alcove. Have the under cab dry wall repaired and repaint the whole room in a neutral off-white like Crisp Muslin.

Holly, obviously, if you had an orchard of money trees, you could rip it out and start over, however, it sounds like you know it's going to stay as it is for a while. SO, add some colors on the counters that take your eye away from the disconnect between the stones. You've got the cool turquoise with your mixer. Play with that color. Pull some canisters or trivets or whatever onto the counters to grab the eye first. The apron is the real problem but it's there so work with it. Shop your house and find some things to put on the counter to see how "camouflaging" that can work. Sometimes we just have to persevere. Don't think just "kitchen" either as you look. Some neat vases or small lamps even could make a huge difference. Maybe even a touch of coral/orange/red with the turquoise would help. Green plants, like small herbs that you could actually use. Right now you're focusing on the change...and it's overwhelming you. Step back from the ledge and just let it gel a bit. You'll get there.

More quartz for an integral backsplash? (I would keep the brick, at least for now.)

i couldnt quite tell the color of the glass...if it has cool elements don't get rid of it, its your friend. or a better friend.

if you cover the strip of tile between quartz and glass tiles with white paper.... we can see what they look like together....

The more I look at your pictures, the more I like your counters. Your kitchen is already a jumble of materials -- it's kind of refreshing! Perhaps I'm tiring of the matchy-matchy white & gray kitchens that are everywhere. Live with the counters for awhile and see if the marble-like material starts to look all apiece with the tile backsplash, the brick, the wood island, the stainless steel appliances, the iron chandy, the bronze pulls & knobs. Might as well add some aged brass to the mix too :) Think patina.

Okay, I have read through this thread several times and it's a bit mind-blowing on a number of levels. Holly? Your kitchen is currently nicer than a lot of people have. "Being on the ledge" over a kitchen? Puhleeze. A bit overly dramatic, yes? It's a material item. You didn't lose your arm. You lost money. So?

You saved money for something you wanted and got (your back-splash) and you repeated the process for the granite. Together, they don't quite look like you hoped they would.

Well, believe it or not, they don't look as bad together as you think they do in comparison with a lot of other pictures on this site. Count your blessings.

Here's what I don't like about your kitchen. The colour and style of blinds with the shape of the window. Take the blinds off. Get yourself some full-height rounded wooden shutters that fold back on themselves like an accordion and paint them white.

Next, paint out the window trim, white. Your house looks like a double-wide mobile home, built in the late 1980's or early 90's is it? That's the vibe it gives off. To counter-act that, run the drywall all the way up in the kitchen, if possible, then you can treat the kitchen like a separate room.

I don't care for the light island with everything else. Add stainless steel to the top of it.

Switch out your cabinet hardware to the same style, but in brushed nickel. It will blend with the stainless steel.

Your cabinets are very dark and not my taste, but they work okay in that space. I'd rather see them as 1/2 that grey colour you have chosen. It will add more light to the space and better match your quartz. It will also look great with the brushed nickel hardware.

I can't see your floor properly so have no opinion there.

Switch out those hideous light-bulbs in your island light. They don't add anything. Nada.

Add in some naked Edison filament bulbs instead. It will save you switching out the whole light. Guess what? They will be warm.

Nobody said warm and cool can't be together in the same space. Nonsense! You do realize that designers get paid to follow the trends??? Ignore most of them. Find one with good, old fashioned common sense. Seriously.

You have a nice kitchen, but as one poster stated, you have a lot of things happening. You would have to change your whole house. If you follow trends? You will never have a thing to wear, and your house will be out-dated as soon as you install the items. Stick with timeless and classic finishes you love.

Really though. Want some cheese with that wine? There are worse things in life.

And DON'T manipulate your husband. That's just wrong!! A good man can smell it and resent it. Be respectful.

And enjoy your new kitchen! How many times do you stare at your back-splash?? Get yourself a new hobby--cooking new recipes from a new country!

P.s. Keep your brick. Don't add the quartz behind the stove either. Blech.

5 cents.

Well, that was certainly a mouthful.

And add some touches of red...

@sandra--why mince words? I'm not the first person on the thread to point out the options.

She tried a diy, and it back-fired. So?

Belabour the point of the apparent 4200 bucks, lost, to what extent?

And manipulating a person to get one's way is just wrong. Her poor husband. He thinks she likes the kitchen, but is lying to save face. Nice. I'd be ashamed.

Suck it up, live with the kitchen and apologize to the husband. The money would have been better spent on home repairs, clearly.

Here is what you are also finding out.....when you post on here, you put it all out there and take a huge risk of getting your feelings hurt. OUCH! Things said that you never thought about are now slapping you across the face, BUT you also see other things that are not as bad as what you thought.

@hollymac--hugs to you. I'm sorry if I'm too realistic and come across as a bit blunt. I can see why you want a nice kitchen like the next person. And I completely understand doing things as money allows, etc.

I can see where there are kitchens with the brick and the other finishes. It IS overwhelming to start changing a whole home.

But my chastisement if you will, is meant with a good heart and good intentions. You are human! You made a mistake! It's okay. It hurts. I hear ya. Have a glass of wine, a good cry. Allow yourself a week of mourning and then move on. Eventually you will laugh about it all!

Experiences like this make for good memories. We built a home years ago. We made lots of mistakes! Nothing was major or structural. We learned, and laughed.

I took sewing in highschool and had to make a fleece sweatshirt with ribbed cuffs and waist-band. I accidentally put the sleeves on with the fuzzy side out! My sewing was perfect, except the sleeves. I was heart-broken. I would have had an A if it weren't for the sleeves. Or so I thought. I couldn't bare to get my seam ripper out and take it all apart. I handed it in anyway with an "f" on a note and an apology and explanation to my teacher.

Well, as I was handing my shirt in, several other students saw my shirt and went, "Cool shirt! Why didn't I think of that?!" Next thing you knew, there was a bevy of sweat-shirts. One was grey with pink sleeves, another grey with royal blue sleeves and trim, and mine--the white, fuzzy bunny one, lol. Btw, my instructor appreciated my honesty, loved the sewing, and gave me an A anyway, plus a + for originality.

Life's short. And I'm betting you will learn to work with and love that kitchen. And yeah, maybe one day longgg down the road when the dust settles you can change things. But go easy. And keep things in perspective. ;-) It's not worth giving up over.

Cheers.

Last point and then I'm heading out the door...a true friend will tell you the truth even if you don't want to hear it.

A good designer or store clerk will do the same. ("No, that orange dress doesn't go with your complexion.") They will also refer you on if their typical manner of doing things will clash with yours/they don't have what you want or need.

A good designer will design a kitchen *for you* even if they don't like it. A run of the mill designer will try to extract as much money as possible, as soon as possible. They are a dime a dozen.

As I said, common sense is priceless. I'm respectful of the fact you just spent 4200 bucks. I'm *not* the type to tell you to rip it out just to get it to match better. Sure, anyone *not* paying for it will tell you that!!

Lucky for you, you actually have an eye for what doesn't work. A lot of people don't. Your real problem is that to the eye, you actually have four backsplashes: the 3-4" strip of quartz (which a designer would have told you is only suitable in a bathroom), the existing tile, the accent inlays, and the brick.

You need one backsplash to make this look good. The quartz backsplash should only be used if it goes all the way up to the bottom of the cabinets (like another user so kindly Photoshopped).

DON'T paint the brick! You will regret it I guarantee! Painting brick even made Houzz's top list of design no-no's a month or two ago.

You could install another backsplash (such as white subway) directly on top of the existing backsplash; a good tile setter can make this look perfect (we have done it before with spectacular results) BUT if you replace the backsplash, get rid of the 4" quartz backsplash. That 4" strip is a telltale sign that a laminate countertop was removed, but the homeowner didn't want to shell out to do it properly by replacing the backsplash to meet with the countertop. (We actually install laminate counters without the 4" backsplash for the very reason that the 4" strip looks cheap. )

Also resist the urge to put in an inlay/mosaic. You already have enough character in the kitchen with the dark cabinets and the brick; doing so will only make it look busy and tacky.

As with your husband, resist the urge to be deceptive. We guys do not like to be manipulated. Be as honest as you can, cry on his shoulder, and make a trip to VS. but not necessarily in that order.

It doesn't look that bad in the stove area because the Quartz backsplash has a purpose. I agree with others that recommend removing the strip over the counters. It's probably your cheapest/easiest fix and will make a big difference.

Norcon is exactly right. The problem is not the warm and cool tones, but that too much is going on. If you don't want or it's too expensive to do quartz all the way up, choose a simple tile that goes with the quartz and use that alone. A further note: consider square field tiles instead of subway which is too much the shape of the brick.

It is usually held on to the wall with silicone. If you're not worried about saving the 4" strip, then if you can get behind it, or start at a corner, then just peel it off. It will likely break off in chunks or try to peel the paper of the drywall off with it. Crack it into manageable chunks with a hammer if this becomes an issue. Lay paper, a drop sheet, or cardboard on the counter while you're working. If the strip was also siliconed to the countertop itself, then use a brand new razor blade to scrape off any blobs of silicone. Vinegar will help remove any silicone residue.

@Norcon--Awesome!! Hey, thank-you!! Common sense and practical help!!

If this forum had a beer icon? I'd send you a case!! And thanks for the male perspective, too. I wish more women would learn and be straight-shooters with their men!!

(One reason why my husband said he married me--he'd get an honest opinion. He never has to guess what I'm thinking. Honesty is ALWAYS the best--and in my books--the only policy. It's just respectful and the right thing to do.) "No honey, I don't like you in that yellow shirt, but you rock the blue one." (True story--I couldn't seem to demonstrate yellow made his complexion look sallow--until someone else asked him if he 'was ill.' He asked me again and that was the end of that shirt, lol.) His students gave him the shirt, btw. It was an "in colour" a few years ago. Sigh. Love my man...we hopped the border a few weeks ago and were shopping at Macy's. He comes up to me all smiley with a striped, Tommy Hilfiger shirt. I thought I'd faint in the store, lol. (He has never shopped in TH before...) His words, "I can rock this shirt--do you like it?" The answer? "I'm not used to seeing you in stripes--go try it on and we will see..."

Yep. He rocks that shirt, alright! Lol. :-D

Sending beer, sending beer, sending beer....