I agree that it will be too busy. I love @marilyn’s two glass tile suggestions - so pretty! What will the countertop look like?
I actually like the tile you chose, although I prefer this one: https://tilebar.com/bella-moma-9x9-porcelain-tile.html You can see what it looks like in a kitchen on the Young House Love website of their recent AirBnB remodel – https://www.younghouselove.com/duplex-kitchens/
I like the tile that has the dot in the middle of the diamond looking things. I think a whole backsplash of that would look good.
I think the random blue and white tiles backsplash is a recent design fad… I would stick with something inexpensive and trusted and easily cleanable. Like some subway tile. The fewer grout lines the better. A renter can wreck grout in no time.
OK. You guys win!! I think the bold random pattern will probably be something I’ll regret in 5 years. Some of Marilyn’s suggestions are gorgeous. Unfortunately that beautiful Sprig tile is too expensive and special order. So, I will go with a glass tile to bounce light or maybe the fish scale design in a fun color. Both of those will be neutral enough. They just need to be in stock and ready for Monday:)
@blackeyedsusan That is exactly what I was going for and I love that blog with inexpensive design choices. How fun is that teal cabinetry with a pale pink pattern tile. I would have preferred to get a dishwasher that I could put a cabinet front on but I was limited to an 18” dishwasher so panel ready was really limited
I have never had tile backsplashes- just the 3-4 " of counter material. Why spend extra on a small rental with such a tiny kitchen?
My feeling is that having tile behind the countertop will be easier to clean, especially behind the cooktop. Also, the space is so plain white it really needs something to add color, texture, pattern
I agree with needing a backsplash.
Are you going to put tile on the wall to the right of the cooktop as well?
Idk, it’s rental property. Tenants will be hard on it, most will not clean the way an owner would.
I don’t think having a “fun” tile backsplash will do anything to make it easier to rent or get a higher rent, so to me it’s an unnecessary expense, and possibly more expensive down the road if a tenant trashes it.
Paint it with a fun color or colors, then if you ever move in there yourself you can add a tile backsplash and you wont have to worry about tearing out the old one.
If you feel you absolutely have to have something behind the cooktop, get a sheet of stainless steel and glue it up:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Broan-24-in-x-30-in-Stainless-Steel-Metal-Kitchen-Backsplash/1092009
We don’t have a tile backsplash. Paint is a durable semigloss above the counters and stove. Easy to wash. And really easy to change colors if we wanted to.
I understand why @coralbrook wants a pop of color. But it is a rental…not a flip or where she will live longterm.
Too bad you don’t have anymore nice leftovers from previous projects!
While I like the SS idea, it can be easily trashed (scratched and dented big time). Paint is easier to deal with. Or use a solid chunk of granite.
The panel I linked to cost only $40 and can be screwed to the wall, making it simple to replace if needed
@notrichenough We have the stainless steel panel behind our cooktop, but my husband glued it in place. Still looks good fifteen years later!
Didn’t you do a piece of glass in one of your flips?
Yes, solid piece of glass for the kitchen backsplash at the Liberace house. That was expensive (because of the required custom holes to mount hood, and extremely hard to mount. The professional glass guys were literally sweating when they carried it in for installation
I did bring back some glass tile samples today. Our countertop gets installed tomorrow. I will put up all the samples and we can go through another round of photos
Can’t wait for the “reveal” of the samples and the progress 
Kitchen samples
I brought a lot of tile samples from Floor and Decor and Home depot in the blue family. They were all eautiful, including a nice glass Pure Spa that was 12x24 and would have given the appearance of a nice solid glass backsplash. But, I just fell in love with the color of a larger ‘handmade’ style subway and the fish scale. The fish scale looks kind of odd in the photos, but is more subdued in real life.
This is the turquoise one
Large format glass tile
https://www.flooranddecor.com/glass-tile/spa-blue-glass-tile-100469535.html#q=Pure+Spa&start=5
The large glass tile is a nice tile, but the blue is not quite the blue color I am looking for. The turquoise coloring is really pretty
Photos loaded of our little tiny house kitchen (almost done)
I like both of your top choices.
The Fishscale has that unique and focal interest that the subway tile does not offer. (I also like the ‘new’ one just below the scales in the group shot.)
Could you take one or two (of the diagonal) rows of scales and use them as an accent row just above the lowest subway tile?
Did you flip the kitchen? The original drawing had the sink on the left and the cooktop on the right.
I love love love the turquoise tiles. Not a fan of the fish scales. Too busy for my taste.