If it is happening on two different surfaces, in two different rooms, with two different paint choices and two different sheen levels...I would say it isn't the paint. There is nothing in common to point to "paint problem". A wall paint is a different formula than a cupboard paint. If it all came from the same can...we might be able to point dirty fingers at the paint...but that isn't the case. You mentioned your husband has a tendency to drag his dirty fingers all over the place...I would start there. These two colours you have chosen may also have a tendency to show oil (body oil, cooking oil, etc...they are all oil) a bit more...simply because of their colour and depth of colour. If different colours had been chosen in the same paint...and no finger marks were appearing then we would know FOR SURE it isn't the paint. It may come down to two things...colour and dirty fingers.

Thanks courtney. it's all finished and we love it. We chose a white glass back splash which really helps to brighten up the space. On a sunny day it's so bright I pull the blinds down lol! the photo looks alot colder than it is too. It's taken on my phone so not the best.

Something to take into cosideration would be the amount of light you have coming into the bathroom. Obviously if you have considerable light and air the tile shade wouldn't be too much of an issue. On the other hand if the room is small and not very light filled, then the lighter shades would be preferable giving the illusion of making the room appear bigger and lighter.

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!