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. Both tiles are beautiful. Top one shows more character due to its darker hue. I guess for me, I would look at aesthetics and quality manufacturing foremost, then practicality for the reasons already mentioned by others. If the area you are tiling is huge and will require a great deal more of your time to clean and maintain, then I can see going with the darker tile. If the area is rather small, and you absolutely love the lighter tile, then perhaps you will be happier following your heart. It's no good having regrets, so think it through and keep looking if you have additional time before you must choose. May I ask the size of the tiles? I'm guessing they are 900x900. ?? Also, will you be tiling your bathroom(s), and if so, do you mind sharing your choice there?

Get a tile cleaning product from Bunnings. Will ensure that the integrity of the tile is not compromised. However, by the look of the stains it seems as though something has been used that was too abrasive, too acidic or that had bleach in it. I do not recommend to keep any product on for an extended period of time. 5 mins max application!

I've been playing around with a pantry location. Originally, I was going to move the pantry into the laundry with some custom shelving and cut the laundry space in half. Now, Im thinking of cutting into the study area and building a wall there, and converting the new space into a long and narrow walk in pantry. Either that or build half a wall and put built in shelving in the study. Building the extra wall will reduce the need to cover in the door way that is currently in place and instead utilising it. Thoughts? p.s. this isnt too scale.