This made me laugh: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/09/seagull-turns-orange-after-falling-into-vat-of-chicken-tikka-masala I couldn't copy the picture, but it's hilarious.

Hi Davina, either way would look good, so don't stress about it too much. This is a similar set up to our kitchen and I went with A & B both tiled and haven't regretted it. It looks generous and is more practical. Tiles are best around food prep areas as they are easier to clean than a painted wall ... you think that the splash back is what gets the most dirty but the walls around it get their share of splashes as well. In terms of suggestions for tiles - we went with a white textured subway - boring I know, but classic. Using a darker grey grout to match your bench would look good. All the best with your renovation!

Is your stone veneer to be laid on a slope? I would want to see an example of that beforehand. The stones in a sloped wall are still set horizontally, but the veneer will have joints that look skewed if laid sloped so it could look quite odd.

Without seeing the rest of the room ( curtains , dining or bar stool colours , etc ) I'd go for a primary colour -- blue or red or orange or yellow . Actually , thats not quite true -- personally , I'd go for subway tiles in the above primary colours ( or black ) , or those tiles that are 25mm x 200mm in charcoal , grey , and metallic colours . Those would need grouting though , but they'd be my first choice -- a colourful glass splashback would be my 2nd choice .