Wall tiles in a kitchen - yay or nay?

[Cheekychip]

I always assumed I'd be having wall tiles in our new kitchen - perhaps coloured ones to break up the neutral tones, BUT I just noticed that a lot of my saved photos of kitchen I like don't have tiles. Some have a an extra bit of granite going up the wall.

What do other mumsnetters have and how do you find it? Is the no tile look really just for show rooms?

We have granite worktops, upstands, windowsill (the upstand behind the sink is higher and joins up with the windowsill) and splashback behind the hob. The walls are painted with kitchen paint so you can clean them. I think it's a really neat clean look and practical. We've had the kitchen for 5 years now and the walls still look good. I think wall tiles in kitchens can look a bit old fashioned, unless they're a funky colour or design.

Prefer tiles when done well.

atonofwashing, crockery, glasses, cutlery etc goes in the dishwasher, pots and pans go into the utility room where they can soak out of sight, and they also get washed there. The kitchen sink just gets used for food prep.