http://houzz.com/photos/3642990 This link kind of demonstrates the use of mosaics and the mirror idea I thought may be cool. Obviously they are vertical but I think it would work either way. Any pics of your tiles? I have seen your other post and know your suite is 'traditional' but another thing to consider I guess is the cost of the mosaics. £££ using lots may mean a big dent in your budget.

If the grout was supposed to be white but has come out grey then there is either an issue with the grout or this is as I described before. I certainly wouldn't use a grout pen until you have looked at cleaning the residue from it. If this is polymer residue then the grout pen would only stick to this so would probably wear off and become patchy. If there is an issue with the grout then you should speak to the manufacturer, this does happen on occasions and they will check it if they are a reputable company. Who was the grout manufacturer? Email Ceramica is the group of companies which Viva belongs to. So I suspect that this is the tile I mentioned. I know the tile as we sell it, the tile is very good quality. Speaking as a tiler with 18 years experience if the grout was grey and has come out white then it can only be the issues I have described. Cleaning should definitely be your first option.

The tile is very pretty. I don't know if it is just the colours showing up differently on screen but the light grey appears to be a different tone (more purple to me) than your tile. If you want a light grey I would take the tile to the store and try for a better match. The dark color ties in nicely to the tile and could be very dramatic and stunning if the room gets a lot of light.

Don't be swerved away from hand painted tiles! The best way to add colour and originality (I make hand painted tiles so I may be biased). I would take the tiles to just under the bottom shelf, and up to the hod. We have had tiles behind our cooker for 21 years, and we don't find the grout staying clean a problem. By the way - I think subway tiles will look dated in a few years, as anything bang on trend tends to do.