Thanks so much for the recommendations guys, really appreciate it! What colour would you recommend for the splashback if we're going glass? also we might be tenant in the property, will glass be okay there? (also.... how much more expensive is thus going to be that tile? I have no idea on costing here :S) Also I think I may have oversold the messyness of my cooking haha I'm not that bad but I do worry about discolouration of grout.

Hi Nathan - I suggest you use what you have already. if the soil is poor, plant something that likes poor soil like nasturtiums. The leaves and flowers are edible and peppery. Ferns are good in damp areas too. These would have a deep water effect around the deck. Desert plants are lovely with coloured gravel - no spiky ones if you haven't much room. Maybe put down fake lawn so no mowing. Nail up a large mirror to enlarge the view of plants and flowers etc Strong mesh to hold up two vines - clematis, passion flower, mexican glory vine, pandera or a prize-winning table grape trained up the washing line. I did this with an old rotary line so we could sit underneath in the shade and eat grapes :) I would wash the fences very evenly with white or coral lime wash. Cheapish to make. i would experiment with beetroot juice and curry powder (the strongest stain-makers) to get the shade of coral. Cheers Hooley D

okay!!! A lot of these commenters obviously thought what I did - that the cupboards are a deep browney grey!! I think the responses would have been very different if we knew the cupboards were white. If you re-read thru the responses you will see that. Perhaps try re-posting the dilemma with a better pic. One of those original tiles may actually look ok.

I think that it will look too busy with the contrasting cabinetwork and the patterned tile on the floor. But then Australian tastes and styles in kitchens tend to be cleaner and more understated than our American cousins. I would keep it simpler, with a plain large format tile to make cleaning easier and to visually expand the space. Your current tile is very busy and probably hides grease splatters very well. Best of luck with your considerations, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls