The benchtop will be dark grey (the ones you see are temporary), black handles and the tiles will be white with light grey grout. The paint on the walls will stay as is (light grey). Thanks for your thoughts guys. Would anyone go all the way to the ceiling? why/why not? Does the herringbone pattern influence your decision?

The tiles from Johnson in the UK are stunning. It appears they only come in large 30x30 ? I was thinking of doing some sort of tile art just in the middle of the backsplash with the rest just plain offwhite tile. However, with this large 30x30 art work, the background tile would have to be cut to size to fit the area I have and might look too choppy???

Your kitchen is small and already quite busy. I would make it as simple and clean as possible. You can't beat ceramic tiles for cost, durability and ease of installation. Have a look at Johnson's Spectrum range to see if you can match the green. https://www.johnsontiles.com.au/product/spectrum/?utm_campaign=1602072422&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=304640004469&utm_term=&adgroupid=61761480198&gclid=CjwKCAjw_YPnBRBREiwAIP6TJ0idAicM8vfEevC-WrwRVNmbtUPHfDAjvNpkaOIo0hzN0dwMw9u1rxoC0VkQAvD_BwE You will get a neater finish with ceramic tiles than you will with trying to work with DIY stainless steel, particularly around the edges. There are lots of online resources to show how easy it is to lay smaller ceramic tiles. Leave the large format porcelain tiles to the professionals. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Thanks Kate, mine is more a kitchenette in a 1930's garage conversion - chrome tapware, red bricks, black cabinets and bamboo benchtop, high ceilings with exposed beams. It has a similar vibe to my fantasy kitchen but on a micro scale. The bricks are beautiful, with some kind of varnish on them already but they are super irregelur and bumpy. I love the idea of a hinged lid over the stove top, which wouldn't detract from the seamlessness of the bricks as I feel a glass panel would. Glass gives off that blueish tinge and would interrupt the flow.