No to the grey - your wall seems to have a green tinge in them, so I would say either green/grey or a warm white tile with darker grout. If you choose the right grey/green, it is a classic look so shouldn't date. If you are a bit scared to choose colours, why don't you get a couple of warm white sample tiles and put where the splash back will go. You will soon see if it looks too stark....(maybe another idea, but possibly not a good one - why don't you see if you can put a few pages from a blank sketchbook in the whole area where the splash back will go (not super white white, but a warm white). That could also possibly highlight how stark (or not), the white may look. I can see what design tank is saying, as your cupboards appear to be more cream than white in the photos and if this is the case, then I agree the white will most likely look too stark. My cupboards in kitchen were white (but a warm white not a cool white). The stone bench tops also have the little speckles of stone in them..I can't remember the colour Ocean foam/Osprey.......but even with those colours and them not being cool whites, I thought the white tiles looked too stark against them. I therefore went for a glass splash back and ever since I then went to think of designs for my bathroom renovation, I constantly regret going with the glass in the kitchen and modernising the house too much..........definitely don't do glass if you are wanting to keep a classic charm to the house. In a long winded way, I think yes, I also think you should just stick with the grey/green. It will make a statement. Not the right shade...but another example....it may be hard getting the colour of the tile exactly right given that the walls are already painted and the tiles need to match.

Hi Tyrone_Topsecret. I think the dark at top with the light colour under works very well - let's the upper floor disengage and float above everything, which makes it so stunning. Your render picture shows a texture effect on the matrix which is nice - if you go for a solid colour there that'll appear very different to what you see at the moment - would still work of course, but I'd probably try and do a 'marble' texture effect like that (if within budget). If it was me, I would blend the bessa in with the render colour at the bottom, so either paint the blocks to match the render, or why don't you do it the other way around and match the render colour to the natural block colour? That could work well. I don't know the Resene colour you mention, attached is a picture with a Monument colorbond roof, and the little link building we've done in a Dulux colour matched to Monument - so it works quite well as a contrast without being too stark against an (off-)white. I wouldn't go the night sky, it is quite stark (and cold) as a colour, where as with a softer/warmer dark grey it all becomes more harmonious. Not sure about the garage door : You are currently drawing attention to it by matching it to the colour of the upstairs - I would recommend to try and guide the view to upstairs instead, and therefore blend the garage door in with the surrounding surfaces. So Bessa natural, render to match, garage door in a warm white, and then the dark grey upstairs - will be a stunner :-) Good Luck !

I am making very similar decisions and am thinking of going for a monochrome graphic pattern like the examples you have. No doubt it will date, like everything does, but at least I will be able to change the look of the kichen by changing the colour of less permanent accessories. Gallifrey, I am looking at doing my kitchen in a very similar style and colour palette as yours, could you tell me what the finishes on your cupboards and benchtop are?

Can you get a couple of samples and test them? I can imagine as with other surfaces, the gloss is easier to clean than the matt, unless perhaps the matt is treated with some kind of coating, as Kate described. The people who have told you about the difference in maintenance are right to make sure you know there is a difference. But maybe the difference isn't that significant if your personal preference is the matt? It might be worth getting a sample of each and taking it home and spilling some typical cooktop splashes on them, letting them dry and seeing how they clean up after? That might help you decide if the matt would be much more trouble or not too bad.