I took on a couple of design jobs before the holidays to help keep me busy the last month of my pregnancy and while I'm home with a newborn. Both involve full gut-reno redesigns of the kitchens, which I've not done a ton of in the past. It's been really a really fun challenge and so far, so good! The cabinets are designed and the counter tops and appliances ordered, but I'm a little stuck on flooring.
In both projects the home owners are feeling a little nervous about installing the same wood floors that we're putting in the rest of their homes, in their kitchens.
I love the look of a warm wood floor against painted cabinets, so it's hard to not push on this one, but I have to admit I feel some of the same apprehension as we're getting closer to a big kitchen remodel of our own.
Both clients have considered wood-look tile, but we are having trouble finding a style that we like enough to use throughout the homes. We sort of feel like our two real options are wood everywhere or stone in the kitchen and utility spaces and wood in the rest of the house. Which means transitions...which can be tricky with more open floor plans...which both homes are.
(image from Domino. The slate flooring is in a bathroom and not a kitchen obviously, but the colors of the floors are almost spot-on for what we're looking at in one of the houses and it's helpful to see the transition.)
Our favorite stone options are limestone and slate, though we're still open to pattern. Here are some of the images we've been looking at to help us get a sense of what stone or tile can look like in a kitchen space:
image - another bathroom, but I like this color, size and pattern!
image
It seems like it comes down to personal preference and comfort level in the end, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Have you had any nightmare disasters with wood floors in your kitchen? Or is there a stone that you've used and loved? Or maybe you have tips for making a more smooth transition between the two materials?
I've had wood in the kitchen with no problems. I had a rug at the sink and in front of the refrigerator (since it had a water dispenser) and we had no problems with water marks. It was so much easier on the feet than the tile I have now. I would definitely switch back to wood again. Beautiful images - hope we can see your 'afters'. And so happy the Baby has turned! Wishing you all the best for a speedy and safe delivery!
ReplyDeleteI've had wood and tile in the kitchen, and I prefer wood. Much more comfortable particularly if you cook a lot. I agree with Kelly - use lovely rugs! I've also had slate and it is VERY hard and not easy to clean, although beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have hard wood floors in my kitchen and have never had a problem. They are a lot warmer under foot.
ReplyDeleteBut i have had laminate wood floors in a previous house which got water damage. I think if they are hard wood there isn't as much chance of damage.
I have wood floors in my kitchen and love them. No fears. Stone and tile are very hard on ones joints. Hoping for a smooth delivery soon!
ReplyDeleteI have hardwood floors in my kitchen and nook. Love it. Tile and stone can be so hard on feet and joints.
ReplyDeleteHoping for a smooth delivery soon!
I've had both wood and tile in my kitchens. Loved the wood and had no issues. I hate the tile - not only is it hard on my body if I'm cooking for any length of time, anything that drops on the floor, breaks. I hope you have a speedy and smooth delivery soon!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that wood is far easier in a kitchen and more comfortable on your feet & joints...and dropped dishes! I also think it is nicer for crawling babies and floor games!
ReplyDeleteI like your choices of tiles you posted and ultimately, the clients have to like it so know they will love what you choose! So glad you are doing well and look forward to meeting your sweet baby girl! Take care.
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ReplyDeleteWe have wooden floor everywhere except the kitchen and the corridor. We have tiles in the kitchen and a rug on it. I like very much wood but I prefer tiles in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteDomestic cleaning Camden
We have wood floors in our kitchen too and no complaints here. I love the warmth the wood provides and clean up is a breeze. Can't wait to hear about baby #4!
ReplyDeleteI put tile in my last kitchen (travertine) and have wood in this one. No real issues with the wood... as long as nothing leaks! I wouldn't do slate. It stains easily and is tough to clean. I considered putting it in a bathroom redo but went with the travertine instead and loved it.
ReplyDeleteThoughts and prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby girl!
My parents had wood floors in their kitchen for about 10 years. They were great, held up well against the wear and tear of teenagers... until the dishwasher developed a leak that then got dramatically worse while they were out of town, totally destroying the floors!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, insurance covered the cost of replacing the floors and cabinets... they went with tile after that!
Hmm. We have wood floors in our kitchen. Perhaps I am too concerned with spills, but having wood in there really stresses me out! We have a rug, but I am still concerned about ruining the floors. My family specializes in millwork and they all think I am crazy for having wood floors in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors over a slab, no basement. Twice we have had leaks that required the floors being ripped up and since there are no breaks in the flooring in the the entire downstairs, the floors needed to be refinished everywhere. This means packing up and moving out of the downstairs. This has happened twice in 7 years. Sure, the insurance paid most but the inconvenience is enormous. We moved out so that the slab could be dried out and the floors sanded, varnished and dried. It was a nightmare, both times. It would have been much different if the house had a basement. No wood in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteWe've had wood floors in our kitchen for 15 years without incident. That includes replacing unrefinishable pine with hardwood during our remodel 3 years ago. I dont think we'll ever have anything else, we love them so much! We even put hardwood in our master bath 7 years ago! To me, even if we were to experience water damage that ruins the floors, the "good" years of enjoying them far, far outweighs that risk or reality, and even the hassle that would ensue. Best wishes and prayers for a smooth delivery! Looking forward to the announcement that she's arrived :)
ReplyDeleteI have tile floors and hate them. Very hard and if you drop anything it not only breaks it shatters. I would love to redo my tile and wood would be my choice!
ReplyDeleteI agree with commenters above. Having had both tile and wood, I one hundred percent prefer wood -- even after a leaky dishwasher and a complete reinstall. We were able to salvage some of the flooring, as we caught the leak early, but the pieces never go back together correctly, and a transition had to be placed in an open floor plan to allow for a ripped plank to be installed at proper width due to swelling. All in all it was worth it, though, because if you spend 3/4 of your time at home in the kitchen as I do, wood is so much more forgiving to these 40-ish bones!
ReplyDeleteWe installed continuous raw oak in our entire house a year and a half ago. We finished it with an oil finish by Woca and it has held up more than well. We also have an open space and we considered tile, but after doing research and seeing that it has worked for others, we gave it a shot. Well worth it and very comfy underfoot!
ReplyDeleteWe have solid wood (waxed not polyurethaned) floors throughout our downstairs (aside from laundry room and toilet/tub area). We love them. Our house is almost 30 years old, and we've lived in it almost 13 years and haven't had any issues. I would recommend having sealed rather than waxed floors due to the upkeep. Where the wood meets the tile in the laundry room and toilet/tub area, the two floors are flush to each other, which I like; there is no raised transition molding.
ReplyDeleteI would never do slate in a kitchen. It is very porous, even sealed. We have it in two of our boys' bathroom and, no matter how hard we scrub, the toilet area is disgusting! In a kitchen, I can imagine what a spill of red wine would do. Ours is a rougher finish, so maybe a smoother finish would seal better. However, with other options I'd stay away from slate. We've had five homes- two with wood in the kitchen and three with natural stone. We didn't have a problem with either
ReplyDeleteHmmm...this is a tough one. On one hand, wood flooring with no tile transition is wonderful, on the other hand, wood flooring in the kitchen takes a beating.
ReplyDeleteIn a previous home we were renting, the kitchen had wood floors. Every time my husband or I accidentally dropped something (we're klutzes!), the floor would get nicked from the item hitting the floor. Not to mention, I feel a kitchen floor takes and needs a more complete cleaning on a regular basis. I'd be worried about how that would affect the wood finish.
And, best wishes for an easy delivery and a healthy baby!
ReplyDeleteI love a contrast tile against the wood floors...I think it can be pulled off when done right in an open floor plan...good luck! Can't wait to hear when the new bambino arrives!!
ReplyDeleteWe are open floor plan and have hardwood throughout. As long as you have rugs in front of messy areas (sink, stovetop and fridge) there is no problem. Love the look and warmth underfoot. Ultimately you have to go with wishes of client, but wood is always my first choice.
ReplyDeleteI've had hardwood floors in our kitchen since 1987. No problems. And the wood grain helps hide dust and spots. I went with a medium tone and still love it today.
ReplyDeleteI've had wood in my kitchen for 20 years and have no regrets. It's warmer and easier to stand on. Our granite tiles in the bathrooms have also served us well, but you don't spend hours standing in your bathroom, whereas you do spend hours standing in your kitchen!
ReplyDeleteWe installed pre-finished wood floors over a concrete slab in our kitchen during a reno to match the existing wood floors in the rest of our house. I wouldn't do it again. Ice maker drips and moist air from the bottom fridge vents quickly marred the floor surface. A rug under the front edge of the fridge would have helped somewhat but after a refrigerator leak we now have to replace a huge section, which necessitates removing bottom cabinets and counter to get at all the damage--not fun or inexpensive. With the pre-finished poly surface, there was little place for the water to evaporate and the damage "creeped" to a very large area. I think a natural finished floor might perform differently but I will probably be replacing the wood with tile in a similar tone to the wood.
ReplyDeleteI have hardwood floors throughout my home including the kitchen. I love them! Sure they have superficial swirls, scratches and the occasional dent but they look lived in. They are warm under foot and cleans up well with Murphy's Oil.
ReplyDeleteIn my current house I have wood floors in the kictchen (seamless with the entire main floor), and I LOVE it. I have had linoleum and spanish tile in the past, and the wood is my favorite. No grout! That's the biggest thing for me: grout can get so dirty so fast, and it just looks dingy.
ReplyDeleteWe have hardwood in our whole downstairs and our family room and kitchen have to be the same because its just one giant space. The wood floors have been in for over 15 years and the flooring just in front of the refrigerator has needed to be replaced with a few extra slats of flooring once (because our refrigerator is old and horrible and it leaks a bit) and the flooring right in front of the backdoor has needed twice but thats because I have never gotten around to putting a rug by the door which would probably eliminate the problem all together. So! Moral of the story---its so worth the warmth and flow that it gives the space but keep a few extra boxes of flooring just in case!
ReplyDeleteI have wood in my kitchen and love it. But I'd go with the real deal: no laminate or engineered. Solid wood lasts, looks lovely and is relatively easy to refinish. I have lots of littles and have had no problem with it. It's so much warmer than stone or tile.
ReplyDeleteI love wood floors in kitchens...they are always so warm and inviting. But, I'm okay with a patina developing over time. I could see the hesitation if someone is interested in maintaining pristine floors, but in that case I'd definitely go with something that is obviously not wood - the lookalike tiles just don't do it for me.
ReplyDeletehttp://littlebricklane.blogspot.com/
Well I love every picture you've posted up there, so I'm no help there. I cook A LOT, and we have tile in our kitchen right now which I loath. It's so cold, and makes me feet and knees hurt everyday. It sucks some of the joy I usually feel out of cooking. I have rugs everywhere so even though they should be easier to clean I have all these rugs in the kitchen to deal with.
ReplyDeleteHowever my in-laws have hardwood, and every time I'm over there my Mother-in-law follows me around with tea towels and paper towel cleaning up the floor after I do anything. She's an extremely clean person and hates seeing a fleck of dust anywhere, but I think policing the wood floor in her kitchen sucks some of the joy out of having me cook for her.... Maybe if I could choose anything I'd pick two colours of tile in a pattern that will obscure mess, and have in-floor heating to warm it up. When I win the lottery.
Vote for wood, satin finish specifically. My in-laws (who we've been living with for 2 years) have wood in their kitchen. A few years ago, the water line to their fridge froze and burst, and the kitchen flooded. They had to call in one of those after-disaster companies who installed huge floor fan-mat things to dry out the floor, but it worked, and they had them refinished with a satin finish. Coupled with a lighter paris-apartment-like stain, nicks and dings feel more like patina and less like problems. A good thing with two kids and two dogs in the house! :) My parents have a less happy story--they had to have sections of their wood flooring replaced in the kitchen, but that was because of a slow leak in their fridge water line that damaged floors/walls etc. over MONTHS. I think that would ruin just about any floor other than concrete! Finally, hubs and I had prefinished glossy wood floors in our last house, and that shinier finish did show more damage. It must have been a softer wood, too, b/c the floor dented a bit when we rolled the fridge out to clean behind it. :( So, HARD wood, satin finish, lighter stain = happy kitchen!
ReplyDeleteWe've had wood floor in our kitchen for 14 years. It's survived babies, toddlers and now teens who cook for themselves. It's been highly durable and still looks fabulous. I have a rug by the sink and dishwasher.
ReplyDeleteThe maintenance is incredibly easy. We regularly sweep or vacuum. Spot clean when needed and periodically wash with water and vinegar.
I too vote for wood. I had tile for years then switched to wood. My feet and legs thank me everyday! Have not had problems but had no disasters either. Hard wood would be better than laminate in a disaster I think.
ReplyDeleteI love having wood floors in the kitchen and keeping the flooring in my open concept house the same makes the whole place feel much bigger. We chose our wood and my only advice is to go with a very matte finish so you don't see every water mark that hits the floor like we do (we went too glossy and I'm dying to get the sander to them). We have small kids so we have to be good about putting rubber pads on the bottom of their stools and chairs so they don't scratch the floors, but other than that they have held up beautifully for 6 years and they are so inviting. We have concrete counters so I love that there is a bit of natural warmth on the floor along with the cooler finish a few feet above them.
ReplyDeleteWhen we built our house, the kitchen/keeping was one long, open room and there was no good way to transition flooring. I used varied widths of solid white oak planking everywhere and absolutely love it. So much more forgiving than tile and easier on the joints as you age. I haven't had any problems with water either. In a previous kitchen, I refloored the entire 1st floor with engineered wood - I don't recommend it in the kitchen. I did have some problems with water and warping/chipping. You can definitely tell the difference between solid wood and the engineered stuff in a heavily used kitchen area (or anywhere for that matter). But the solid wood planks are fantastic! I don't think I will ever choose tile for a kitchen again, if possible!
ReplyDeleteReal hardwood floors with a top seal (NOT pre-finished) should be fine...I had them in a previous home and wet mopped with no problem. Pre-finished floors are an entirely different issue because the top coat is not a solid seal that protects the joints so moisture can migrate down between the boards. I had pre-finished wood floors in an old rental house and I was young and it was a rental so I wasn't as careful as I should have been and when we left there were a few spots where I could tell I had damaged the floors. But like I said, the real thing isn't an issue. My parents have real hardwoods in their home that are 20 years old and in perfect shape and that's in the country (mud, manure!) with dogs. All that being said my current home has 50's LVT and its the most indestructible stuff I've ever seen. It's insanely durable. Its not the most beautiful but man do i understand why that stuff was in every home 50 years ago!
ReplyDeleteI have had wood floors in my kitchen. No problems with water but they were new Douglas fir (1920s house) matched to the original hardwoods. I did drop a frozen chicken which left a dent. So as long as your not clumsy like me your fine.
ReplyDeleteWe installed wood floors in our kitchen because we wanted a continuous floor throughout our open concept home. Never again - they have taken a major beating in the kitchen. I love the look of wood floors, but will choose tiles with a wood look for the next house.
ReplyDeleteWe have the same hardwoods throughout the entire first floor (even in the kitchen) with the exception of the mudroom (we have slate).
ReplyDeleteFor transition, we took the tile right up to the wood(no transition) and I wouldn't have it any other way.
That being said, our kitchen gets tons of traffic from hosting and our 3 kids and is really beat up now. It's pretty obvious from the other areas on the first floor.
We have wooden floors throughout our house including the kitchen. And I believe it's been that way since the house was built in the 60s (of course, the floors have been refinished in their entirety a few times since then). Since living in the house, we have had ZERO problem with wood floor in the kitchen. I love it and would absolutely do it again.
ReplyDeleteI have wood and a toddler (so you know that floor gets cleaned OFTEN, 2 yrs and no issues. That being said, a friend with an AWESOME kitchen reno just done had tiles similar to your herringbone put in just between the island/prep space and sink and it doesnt look bad and is hardly noticable from most other areas in her open
ReplyDeleteWood!! Definitely. It feels so much better underfoot, the difference in comfort is really big. Plus, you can usually drop a plate and sometimes even a glass with no breaks, if they have kids this is a huge plus, I think. Stumbles and tumbles (with or without dishes!) are just easier on wood. I plain old wouldn't worry at all about leaks etc. We have rugs too as needed by the sink and in a more open area. Only one leak in years and years and we were able to have a section refinished without doing the whole thing but even if we had to redo the whole thing it would still be worth it b/c living on it is so much better! I think it's a geographical preference too though. In warmer climates there's more tile, in the NE and east coast, not as much, def more wood everywhere - maybe b/c tile is so darn cold?!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just bought a house and am redoing the kitchen. We are ripping up ugly tile and planning to replace with cork flooring. Have you had any experience with cork? Seems like a newer material. I would love to see a post about cork flooring to hear what people have to say! My parents have always had wood floors in the kitchen and have never had any issues. They certainly take a beating but that's part of the charm.
ReplyDeleteI've had tile, laminate, wood and cork in my various kitchens. I would never do tile or laminate again. Tile is too uncomfortable and everything smashes on contact, including the tile. The laminate we had in a rental was nightmare - showed every ding and was nerve-wracking with any water. Wood was fine, but it was an older place, so it wasn't in perfect condition and the little nicks only added to the patina. Cork is super comfortable (I just don't love the colour that the previous owners picked out). If I were to do it for myself, I'd choose VCT tile, a la Karen from the Art of Doing Stuff, installed in a harlequin pattern on the diagonal.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors in our kitchen (have for 5+ years) and no problems. We are pretty careful to wipe up any spills or drips right away though. The only "problem" area I have with the wood is right inside our Front Door. We live in Minnesota which means a lot of wet/snowy shoes/boots. We utilize a thick rug that has a barrier backing and a rubber boot tray to try to minimize any damage.
ReplyDeleteI have now had both tile and wood in my kitchen. I actually prefer the wood- it is more forgiving, warm, cleans easily, and has no grout that gets cruddy. I love the contrast against my cabinets and the continuity. I am sure that whatever you decide will be beautiful though!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with delivery! So glad baby turned!
ReplyDeleteAlmost a year ago we did a kitchen/ground floor renovation and replaced tile with hard wood in most of our ground floor. The threshold to the mud/laundry is our transition to tile and honestly it looks jarring, but we really wanted tile in the mud area. We chose ash hardwood which is supposedly hard but we have nicks from dropping things. The wood we chose is sort of rustic so the nicks don't stand out terribly. I love the wood, particularly now when it is winter, but I did miss the tile in the summer when it would have been nice to have something cool underfoot and not worry so much about pool water from the backyard. I guess nothing is "perfect" but we really love the wood and are happy we went with it.
I'm with most of the others--I've lived with wood floors in many kitchens, and never had a problem. My parents have had wood in their kitchen for 20+ years now, and while the finish gets worn more quickly than in other parts of the house because of constant traffic, water has never been a problem. It's SO much warmer and easier on your feet and back (and dishes) than tile. The only reason I'd consider a non-wood floor would be to have radiant heating!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't do tile in any room without radiant heat. Those cold floors are such a bummer with bare feet in the winter (although perhaps a blessing in an Arizona summer). Best wishes on a safe delivery ;)
ReplyDeleteI have maple hardwoods in my open kitchen that are original to my little 1930's home. When we first looked at it, there was some damage done by wet boots at the kitchen door, and I worried more of the same would be inevitable, but I've found that not to be the case. They refinished them before we moved in and must have done a quality job, because apart from minor scratches (we have three dogs) the floors have held up incredibly well. It's so much warmer and more forgiving than tile, which is especially nice in a workspace as often-used as this one is for us.
ReplyDeleteWe bought a house 5 years ago that was 90% complete. I was able to choose the flooring and I requested hardwood floors throughout the first floor. They agreed to "wood floors". Did you catch that? I didn't. They installed engineered wood floors, which look magnificent- initially. However, they scratched easily, and when they did it was a white scratch because of a protective coating on top of the wood. Which meant that wood stain markers didn't work. We had it in the kitchen and I am embarrassed by what a beating that floor took with 5 kids and a dog in the 2 years we lived in the house. There were water stains in front of my gorgeous built in fridge, scratches everywhere, and dents- lots of them from dropping not just dishes but spice bottles and plastic cups. The floor was a nightmare! That being said, when I do a reno on my current home I'm doing wood, real wood. That can be refinished.
ReplyDeleteA few others have said the same, but hard wood is so much more forgiving on your feet, unless you were doing something like cork, which you didn't mention as an option. But if the owners aren't serious cooks and in the kitchen making elaborate meals- just in an out, I could see the appeal of a great tile pattern. I do love slate! Also, if you have small children (my 6 month is learning to crawl) it's better to fall on wood than on tile.
ReplyDeleteWe are in our 3rd remodeled house and have wood in the kitchen. I couldn't be happier (and I am pretty picky). There is no transition to collect tiny crumbs or that is hard to mop over. No grout that gets nasty over time. It definitely makes the space seem bigger yet cohesive with the rest of the living area. And the slate is VERY hard to clean and mop. Wood floors all the way!
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors in our kitchen and have had no problems with water at all. The only issue we've had is that the kitchen is a zone where heavy or sharp things get dropped sometimes, and that means it's by far the most dented and banged up part of our bamboo floors, which run throughout the entire house (bathrooms excepted). Hardwood doesn't dent as much as bamboo, but it will still get scratched and banged up more than elsewhere. Rugs help!
ReplyDeleteI have wood look tile everywhere in the house. We chose it especially to be able to deal better with the "accidents" of our pets (dog, cat, parrots). We love it. It's a breeze to clean and it helps keep the house cool in the summer.
ReplyDeleteHere's what it looks like (disregard the mess over the kitchen counter): https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/10515114_10205224133666982_6874255861907770885_o.jpg
I have had two kitchens with tile and one with wood and far prefer the wood. I have a big dog and three kids and cook a ton. The wood floor is still looking great after 5 years. I dry mop regularly and wash with hot water every two weeks. The wood is warm looking and feels good on your feet. I do not have rugs in my kitchen. With tile the grout always looked dirty in the high traffic areas. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteWe have hard wood floors in the kitchen, and I love them! They are so warm and welcoming in a kitchen of painted cabinets. I vote wood.
ReplyDeleteI'm super pro-wood floors in kitchens and bathrooms. My parents have cork floors throughout their house (except the laundry rooms), and although you have to be on guard for water damage, technically you should already be on guard! Water damage is nobody's friend. I concur with everyone else who says that wood floors are kinder on the feet and legs. Also, there's something so warm and homey about wood floors. I just love them.
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you and baby!
ReplyDeleteI'm echoing the call for wood - I've never had any issues and it looks so gorgeous in the kitchen.
Warm wishes as you approach your due date!
Carlisle
www.angelhearthomes.blogspot.com
Just recently repaired my wood floor in the kitchen do to water damage. I talked to the wood floor guy they stay very busy because of water lines to the fridge. After 2 months of not having a kitchen we no longer have water connected to our fridge. But the good news is I got to change the color of my wood floor! So happy the baby turned. Good luck with your baby girl.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with wood floors in the kitchen and loved them! Sure, they take on some wear and tear just like every other floor surface in the house, but no major problems.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors in our kitchen and I love them. Our family room and kitchen are so open I think it would look awkward with tile or something else in the kitchen. We have not had any issues with the wood. Our old house had tile and it was so hard and cold. And I hated the way it cut off the kitchen to the family room at such a weird angle.
ReplyDeleteI have tile in my kitchen now and NEVER NEVER again! My legs ache after a few hours on that unforgiving surface. I've had wood floors in the past and can't wait to get into a house without the tile.
ReplyDeleteWe have bamboo throughout our home including the kitchen. The way our home is laid out, it would look strange to have it NOT be cohesive. It's worked out just fine with it being wood.
ReplyDeleteWe have hardwood in our kitchen and love it. It is a cherry finish on oak wood I believe. It has held up great for the first 8 years of its life. No problems. Of course there is the typical wear and tear of dropping something heavy and dinging it, but that happens all over our house, not just in the kitchen.
ReplyDeletewe put a black herringbone slate floor in our kitchen (I think the slate was 6 x 18) and I love it. The inspiration came from that Tommy Jone's kitchen. It's a bit cool in the winter but you're in a warmer area so that should be fine. I'd be happy with wood floors though!
ReplyDeleteWe did wood as there was no good way to transition to another material. Tile cleans up nice but I've heard complaints that anything drops it shatters on tile plus its cold/hard for standing on. No issues with our floor in so far, we used 3coats of fabulon as the top coat and its more durable then most finishes. Can't wait to see your finished projects!
ReplyDeleteI did solid oak floors in my kitchen and didn't hook up the refrigerator to the water line. Every horror story I have ever heard about wood floors getting ruined involved water going to the refrigerator. I will buy ice or use old fashioned ice trays and keep my wood floors safe. I also second the suggestion for an oil based finish. You never have to refinish--just keep adding hardwax oil.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted tile floors in a kitchen until my mother in law made a good point. Whenever you drop something it totally smashes. I hadn't thought of that!
ReplyDeleteWe put in bamboo wood flooring in our kitchen and entire downstairs two years ago. Last month my very capable 15 year old was doing the dishes. I switched dishwasher detergent from the liquid to the packets and forgot to tell him. So, he put in dish soap, not the packet. I was running errands and came home to the floor covered in soap bubbles. I had to run the dishwasher at least 10 times to get it all rinsed out and the floor boards are now warped.
ReplyDeleteBeware, accidents do happen and they can ruin your floor.
I love wood floors in a kitchen! tile feels cold to me...but I totally see how they can be scary.
ReplyDeletex Lily
http://whilemyboyfriendsaway.blogspot.com/
My parents ended up putting slate throughout the entire house, and the consistency is really nice. In my home, we have wood floors throughout (even in the hallway bath) but the kitchen is still linoleum. I want nothing more than to rip it all our and continue the wood! Next year maybe... ;)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, and wishing you a speedy and healthy delivery :-*
I've seen cork planks look really nice in kitchens adjoining wood floors. Cork is great underfoot and comes in lots of shapes and colors. That's what I'm doing next time.
ReplyDeleteWhile I love the look of encaustic tile and stone, it's not comfortable to work on.
I am a klutz in the kitchen, and my husband is worse. After a cooking session there is food, water, and gunk all over the place. When we remodeled our kitchen, I went with a sheet fiberglass/vinyl stuff which wears great, cleans easily, and is a good contrast with the adjacent flooring. I really love it and don't understand why more people don't go with flooring like that. It's so easy on the feet, stuff rarely breaks when I drop it, and it is very attractive (gray and white marble-look checker set diagonally; looks fabulous with white cabinets).
ReplyDeleteI would like cork in my kitchen. It is so much more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time than tile.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your baby!
Wood all the way! Tile seems so hard and cold, not to mention the transition issues. I've had wood in the kitchen in 3 different houses with zero negative issues.
ReplyDeleteI talked myself out of using wood in my kitchen due to possible water damage if something leaked. So we used the popular wood tile and it looks great. However, we had a frozen pipe last winter and the a huge leak. I was shocked to find out that the damage had gotten to the subfloor so we had to rip out the entire tile and reinstall. The insurance adjustor said that most times any leak will penetrate to the subfloor and you have to tear out your tile. So, the hassle I hoped to avoid actually happened. So don't be misled in thinking that having tile is a way to prevent damage with a water leak.
ReplyDeleteFor our kitchen remodel, we got rid of the tile floors in part because the color was off but mostly because they were so cold and hard (hard on my body and hard on dishes,etc. with two little ones that were constantly dropping things). We couldn't match the wood in the rest of the house because it was original circa 1900s hardwood that was too difficult and too expensive to match. We ended up getting cork and I love it! It is so easy on the feet. We really stressed about the transitions because we had three different flooring types that met the cork (2 kinds of tile and hardwood) but our contractor did a great job and honestly, I don't even notice them now. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWe currently have ugly tile flooring in our kitchen, and it's freezing cold in the winter. We like the tile, but not the cold. We look forward to replacing it with stone tile laid in a herringbone pattern, and putting radiant heat underneath.
ReplyDeleteObviously, cold floors not a problem for you in Arizona. But if you're providing long-distance design service, that may be something to consider.
I love our wood floors. I have had oak flooring and now maple. No problem at all. Just a good size rug in front of the sink. Less breakage of dishes. You do get more dings etc. Part of the patina! i would definitely recommend a low gloss finish to hide dents and crumbs.
ReplyDeleteNo disaster with wood, but it's almost inevitable. However, tile is SO hard on the feet, cold and noisy. It depends on the climate as well. Censationalgirl.com is currently rehabbing a space with wood tile. You should take a look.
ReplyDeleteMy personal preference by a long shot is cork. I have that in a rental space and it has held up like iron and still looks great. It's perfect for a kitchen. Many museums and libraries used it and it's held up for 100 years. If it's thick it can be refinished like solid floors. Old houses often have it in sunrooms where there's always a chance of a wet pot. Do consider it.
P,S. When I drop a dish on the cork, it actually bounces! That's one of my favourite points, I forgot to mention above.
ReplyDeleteYouza! I also forgot to mention REAL linoleum made from cork and linseed oil. It's a beautiful product and is very popular in Europe (along with cork). It comes as a rolled good or tiles. I believe Marmoleum is one name it goes by here in the US. However, the single rolled sheet does need professional installation.
ReplyDeleteI have had tile and wood and much prefer the wood! It's an engineered product and hasn't given us an ounce of trouble in three years. We have an ice dispenser and always have water on the floor from 4 kids dropping ice. We have a similar striped runner to one you pictured in front of our island that has the sink and dishwasher. I would advise watch your tone. I thought I went light enough to not show every single spec or crumb but I didnt. It always looks like it needs to be swept even after just sweeping. You have some lovely tile options and I love herringbone anything. Just don't do a natural texture slate. My friend has it in the first floor of their custom built home here in Gilbert and it's awful - sweeping/cleaning is a nightmare. So many ridges to catch crud. She wants to tear it all out.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with wood floors in the kitchen, lived as renter without them (by necessity, not by choice), and was so glad when I purchased my first home ten years ago and was finally able to have wood floors in the kitchen again. I unequivocally love them! I love the cohesion with the hardwood flooring in the rest of the house, the warmth they lend to the sterility of kitchen appliances, and the "give" they provide. My legs don't get sore from standing on them and I've only broken one item by dropping it on the floor. I would've had to replace all my dishes and glassware by now if I'd have had tile!
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors in our kitchen and love it! We have never had a problem with them and I love the fact that the space isn't broken up by changes in flooring. We had an open floor plan in our old house with cork kitchen floors and while the rest of the house was wood. The transitions ended up bothering me and was one of the main reasons we switched to having all the same hardwoods throughout our current house.
ReplyDeleteI've had tile & wood in kitchens and prefer wood so much more. Never had any trouble at all with the wood, and I think the upkeep is so much easier than tile. Not to mention, easier on the feet and much warmer!
ReplyDeleteI love our hardwoods in our kitchen. It feels so lived in and always warm!
ReplyDeleteI have a small condo in Phoenix and have dark wood handscraped and engineered floors. It starts from the front door into the living room, on into the dining area, kitchen, laundry and downstairs bathroom. I wanted the entire downstairs (except the bedroom) to have one type of flooring and I love it. I have white cabinets in the kitchen and they look great with the dark wood floor. It shows the dirt more than a light floor but that just means I have to sweep more!
ReplyDeleteMy parents have always had wood floors in their kitchens because wood is easier on your feet and back than tile or stone. After 15 years, their floor still looks great! I would put wood floors in any kitchens I reno in the future for sure (still renting, but someday!)
ReplyDeleteWell I'll tell ya, having tile does not guarantee anything when you have a catastrophic water incident. My kitchen used to be tile but when my washing machine overflowed, it only took a few hours and all of the tile, sub-floor, and cabinets had to come out due to water damage. When I replaced the flooring I did the same laminate wood flooring through the kitchen, dining, living, and family rooms. In my small place, it makes the space look much bigger! I do have rugs at the sink, stove, and refrigerator but I had those anyway for reasons of comfort. So far, almost 2 years later, the laminate has held up beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI just installed wood (maple) flooring throughout my home last fall, and have LOVED it in the kitchen. Soft to stand on, and easy to keep clean. And I am going 'rug free' for the first time ever in a kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI've lived with wood in the kitchen for 30 years in two different houses with no problem. (Tile in the bathrooms though, despite my preference.). I do, however, love the x pattern tile floors above, and the more ornate gray and yellow one. I didn't care for the small white tile - looks bathroomy and seems a terrible lot of grout to clean.
ReplyDeleteWe had hardwood flooring in our previous house that we lost to a fire last February. It was built in the 1940s and the hardwoods were original to the home. I wouldn't have traded those floors for anything. I saw hardwood in the kitchen is AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteOur open floorplan is all wood flooring and the kitchen has water damage from a little spray here and there over 10 years. Our neighbor replaced their kitchen floor with stone tile just within the boundaries of the cabinets and it looks great!
ReplyDeleteI have wood floors in my kitchen (http://www.designocd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Jae-6-Kitchen-Full.jpeg)
ReplyDeletebut I didn't choose them. I like the pros: they are warmer, etc, but I prefer tile, it just makes more sense with water and things dropping. Yes things do not break when I drop them on my wood floor, but they do dent the floor and cause the need for the repairs.
We have had floors in our kitchen for almost 7 years and they have survived three small children and a dog beautifully. There is a small spot that warped a little near the dishwasher where water drips most often but it doesn't bother me at all and just gives the wood a little more character. We plan to build again in the near future and I plan to put wood in the kitchen again.
ReplyDeleteWe installed light bamboo floors in our last house, we lived with them for 7 years before moving. The only problem was that we had a small rug that we kept in front of the sliding glass door that lead out to the backyard. The floors naturally yellowed from sunlight and age... Except for the perfect rectangle under the rug, it stayed the original color. It was fine as long as you didn't move the rug.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear that the baby turned, must be a load off your mind. Hopefully she'll continue to be so cooperative. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm actually considering the same thing, except I'm considering the high end vinyl plank. My friend just built a home and she had Armstrong vinyl plank installed, it looks just like hardwood but is softer and so durable and waterproof!
ReplyDeleteWe continued our finish-on-site wood floors into our kitchen and I haven't regretted it for one second. Do people really get water all over the floor of their kitchens? We don't!
ReplyDeleteI have lived in a house with wood kitchen floors and now in a house with tile floors. I hate hate hate the tile kitchen floors. They are difficult to keep clean, and the grout always looks dirty. The wood floors always were clean looking. Wiped up easily (they were sealed) they looked so much more rich and warm. I would love to replace the tile with wood but I'm afraid the cost will be too much. I have two young kids and the wood floors were never damaged. Even with food spills. And the only reason water would spill all over your floor would be a dishwasher flooding. Your tile would likely be ruined in that situation as well...
ReplyDeleteWow! We have tile throughout our downstairs and I love that it is cool during our Texas summers-about 9 months of the year. BUT horribly hard on my feet and legs if I stand in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteWe have a little log cabin with ancient wood parquet floors and no problems there and much comfier to stand on. But also no ice maker or dishwasher there...probably why they have survived!
Good luck with the baby. I'm throwing Ellery out there as a perfect baby girl name....just in case you need one.
We just bought our home and gutted the kitchen and took down walls to make an open floor plan. They had tile previously but we decided to add oak to the kitchen to try to tie into the LR & DR. The results are not quite perfect - since we left everything natural the color is not exact, but the floor guys laid 3 rows of vertical pieces where everything met. It gives you the illusion of separation of functions, while still making everything feel like one great room. I bought an antique rug for the kitchen (after using your ebay tip!) and we have anti fatigue mats in front of the sink and stove. LOVE IT.
ReplyDeleteDef. tile! I may be totally bias because my husband does own his own tile installation business, and I highly value his opinion. We went with a 'wood look' tile in our kitchen and laundry room(we will be tiling the bathroom soon with it also just a darker color). We have laminate elsewhere (I know not as awesome as wood) and we do have an open concept. I just made sure that the tile still had characteristics of tile so it wouldn't compete with the laminate, and went well with our multi colored laminate flooring. Here is a link if you want to see it. I love it and don't regret it.
ReplyDeletehttp://hollarbackhouse.com/2015/01/09/dining-room-almost-there/
and a close up of the tile:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/527484175081041877/
Hope it helps! I don't have a pic of the transition but I'm very happy with how it turned out. We used a copper colored Schluter strip for our tile transition and then butted up the wood transition to it instead of covering it. And congrats on your baby turning!
We had tile put in our new build kitchen and I HATE it. The grout gets dark and dirty so fast and takes hours and hours to try to scrub clean. I feel like it makes the whole floor look continuously dirty and disgusting. I've sealed it more than once and it doesn't do any good, still gets dirty fast. My parents have hard wood in their kitchen and I love it.
ReplyDeleteWe're having this same debate at our house! I actually love hardwood in the kitchen, but hardwoods in our new house are ruined by people coming in from the pool. You can see the wear straight to the fridge and breakfast nook. So, we have to go with something different unless we want to be refinishing them all the time. I do worry though about grout cleaning and just keeping tile clean looking in general with a dog. Hope you'll show these projects progress with us!
ReplyDeleteIn four different houses, we've had two with wood and two with tile in the kitchen and I have HATED the tile. It looked nice, but it killed my feet. The wood floors were SO much easier to clean, much more comfortable to stand and walk on, and made the whole house feel warm, as opposed to the cold tile. I would choose wood, hands down!
ReplyDeleteWe renovated our home last year and put the same wood floors throughout. We've had no problems with wood in the kitchen. We have young kids and are mindful to wipe up water spills but we love our floors. Much warmer and softer on your feet than tile!
ReplyDeleteWhat about doing luxury vinyl plank flooring. Is is durable like tile, a little softer and can look like wood. My sister-in-law redid her flooring in this and it is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love wood flooring in the kitchen but have had several problems. In one house, a malfunctioning dishwasher caused some damage - swelling of the engineered layers. In my current home, the 80 year old solid hardwood shows signs of previous fire damage, probably from a gas stove. I've had tile as well, where there was no transition strip and it was fine. The tile wasn't as awesome as what you're showing. If I were to design from scratch, I would choose either wood or tile depending on what worked best with the overall look - they both have their pros and cons.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood floors in our kitchen and through a good part of our first floor. We love them! I think they are easy on our feet and look so warm with our white cabinets. I look forward to refinishing them in the near future, but they have held up so well in our 20 year old house! If we ever move, I would definitely want hardwoods in the kitchen again. Good luck! I know whatever you end up choosing will be fabulous and with so much thought and love! Your clients are very lucky!!
ReplyDeleteIn our old house, our fridge had a slow leak in the back, which we were unaware of for days, and needless to say our wood floors were pretty busted. Fortunately most of it is under the fridge, but I kind of like tile or stone for this reason. While it is cold underfoot, rugs can soften it up.
ReplyDeleteI an open floor plan with wood floors in my main areas and halls, and a slate/granite pattern in my kitchen. While the slate is beautiful, I find it really dysfunctional for a kitchen! It's so uneven, which makes it a nightmare to sweep and mop, and also if there are chairs or barstools, they often get caught on the edges of the slate when you try to move them. I am looking forward to the day when I can replace it, merely for reasons of functionality.
ReplyDeleteI also have had both wood and tile in the kitchen, and wood is much better. I really can't stand our current tile and am waiting for the day we can afford ripping it out. Have you considered cork? The look is very different, but there are more and more colors and styles available (planks, tile, striated, traditional look). We put cork in the bedrooms of our previous house and LOVED it. We wished we'd put it in our kitchen as well. It's squishy, easy to clean, and looks interesting. I'm a fan of the traditional cork look, whereas my husband likes the look of wood much better, and we were able to find a style that suited both of us. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteTile is not the easiest on your feet and when you drop something it shatters into a gazillion pieces. If you are actually going to use the kitchen to cook and put it through its paces on a regular basis, wood or cork is the better option. If you just want it magazine ready and only order carryout and eat cereal then go for tile.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood laid throughout our house and therefore in the kitchen and bathrooms. We didnt want breaks in the visual. The key is the maintenance, namely the solution you mop with. The brand we were recommended is OSMO - they have a huge range for all kinds of flooring - Wash & Care. Its a gorgeously thick and silky liquid which you dilute with water and use with a regular mop (albeit you squeeze as much of the water out as you can). You can really see how it conditions and protects the floor like a good hair conditioner does. We've had our wooden floor in the kitchen 5 years now. We have 2 young kids and I do a lot of cooking! But the floor is still soft, sheeny and lovely!
ReplyDeleteI did tile in our (last) open-concept house, and while it was nice to clean, I wished we had carried the wood through- I feel like a continuous floor makes the house feel so much bigger. I also feel like the grout got stained in the kitchen, even though we went with a dark color and sealed it. For continuity and cleanliness, I vote wood all the way:)
ReplyDeleteWe installed wood floors in our first house. It was a small house with a decent-sized kitchen that got constant use. I do a lot of cooking, and we had two small children in that house. After eight years, when we sold the house, the floors were totally trashed and needed to be refinished to sell the house. We keep things clean, but those floors got a huge amount of wear, and a decent amount of water damage by the sink and dishwasher. I'm trying to solve this problem in my current house - a very big kitchen with Marmoleum that doesn't match the cabinets or counters. Tile isn't ideal for all the reasons mentioned. I hate cork. I wish there was another option.
ReplyDeleteWe have old wood floors in our house and so far, I have no complaints" (been here a year) but we also have slate in a sunroom and although it looks great it is really hard to keep clean and it sucks up everything including odors. I was cursing it this evening!
ReplyDeleteJenny! Check out what this Canadian Designer, Sarah Keenleyside did! She created an "area rug" out of tile, with a border of wood that matches with the rest of the house: http://www.qanuk.ca
ReplyDelete(look under "kitchens")
Modern woods are a lot more durable than older woods, because most of them are engineered. I understand the fear of wood in the kitchen, but as other commenters have attested, the fear is usually unfounded.
ReplyDeleteI like wood in kitchens, but the large black stone tiles look really nice too.
ReplyDeletexoxo Aimee
bowsandbeau-ties.blogspot.com
I've had wood flooring in 2 kitchens for a total of 20 years. Both kitchens flow into the family room and I've loved the rich warmth of the wood and the continuity. It's no extra trouble. I've had spills and floods, and the usual family escapades, but there have been no problems. Previously, I had stone and tile, and they are TOO HARD! Things break too easily, and it's too hard on my back. Remember, the most beautiful yachts are all wood.
ReplyDeleteI had bamboo flooring in the kitchen 2 apartments ago which looked great and was water resistant. Looked like hardwood.
ReplyDeleteI've had wood flooring in my kitchens for 18+ years. The first house was the pre-finished type of flooring with grooves between the boards. The finish started to come off in high traffic areas after 5 years or so. In my current home we have finished-in-place cherry floors. They are beautiful and get occasional nicks, but it doesn't bother me at all. I have four children and entertain a lot. The finish has not begun to wear at all. I do have tile in my mud room and the transition (through a door way) is not noticeable/distracting.
ReplyDeleteWe put solid wood in our whole main floor last fall… living, dining, kitchen, powder room, office and we LOVE it! Even with two kids there aren't really spills that can damage wood floors. And bonus they are warmer underfoot (especially in the winter) and give the home a very sophisticated but cozy feel.
ReplyDeleteWe have wood in our current kitchen for all of the same reasons that you mention, and we have had no reason to regret doing that vs.stone or tile. We love it. It is actually much easier on the feet than stone (ours is a floating floor over a slab, which means it has a cushion/vapor barrier.) It is also a lot warmer than tile, which is nice. In our previous kitchen we installed cork, which we also really loved and I would do that again too... :)
ReplyDeleteGo with the wood in the kitchen. Long term I don't think you will regret it.
ReplyDeleteI work in a design center for a Builder, and rarely do we have clients select tile in the Kitchens. Because all the floorplans are so open, we always use the same hardwood thru-out the Main floor (except utility areas). I personally have had both in two of my houses, and much prefer the warmth and texture of the hardwood. The tile was really tough to keep clean, and the grout kept staining over time. The tile was also harder on the feet than the hardwood is.
ReplyDeleteOur house is 101 years old and we still have the original wood in our kitchen. So I would think that tells you something. :)
ReplyDeleteWe did a big kitchen reno two years ago and I put hardwood floors in my eat-in kitchen. They are stained in Minwax Special Walnut and literally show NO dirt at all. We have a church group of about 30 people that meet at our house once a week, and we have four large indoor dogs who sleep in the kitchen. Our kitchen gets a TON of traffic and the floors are still perfect. I clean them every other week with the Bona hardwood floor system. I would do hardwoods in the kitchen again in a second! One other thought, our floors have two coats of satin poly on them for extra protection. Spills just wipe right up!
ReplyDeleteOur flat in Zurich had black slate floors and white cabinets. It was a clean look, but the floors showed every single crumb or thing on the floor. It only looked clean immediately after I swept and moped.
ReplyDeleteI agonized over this. I ended up with quarter-sawn oak and used Rubio monocoat without a sealer. I didn't want this beautiful floor to look like a basketball court. The Rubio monocoat can be easily repaired without total redo. It has no VOC's. I put a rug by the sink and I keep a floor towel handy to quickly wipe up water spilled. Easy to clean. Easy on the back. Easy on the eyes.
ReplyDeleteMy parents had laminate installed din the kitchen and laundry areas. As you can guess they had issues with leaky appliance in both areas which has warped the floor. But that was laminated not wood or engineered hardwood.
ReplyDeleteIf you install real hardwood you'll have to make sure you have a humidifier so that's an extra cost if you don't have one (not sure if you lived in a humid area if you would still need one)
I love the look of tile but I find it really hard on my back. We'll be renovating our kitchen soon and I'm going with a Luxury Vinyl Tile in a modern style (looks kind of like the bamboo striped ceramic tiles you see in dark grey, light grey, beige and white). The LVT will also go in the hall that connects the front and back door. I live in a climate that has a very wet and snowy winter so it'll be nice to walk from the front to the back and into the kitchen with groceries and kids etc without worrying about ruining the hardwood. Some people will turn their nose up at the idea of a non-tile/non-wood floor but they really are nice looking and practical to boot.
I forgot to mention... to avoid having a really noticeable transition pick your hardwood, pick your tile and figure out the height difference between the two. Then you'll add a subfloor to the tiled area to make up the difference (Just remember to factor in some space for the mortar) and then you'll floors will be level.
ReplyDeleteHere's the LVT tile that we'll be using http://www.centura.ca/commercial/dura-contract-denim/
It's more of a commercial product and the condo I used to live in used it in their main stair landings which held up really well.
If there's hardwood in the ajoining rooms use the same. I have original hardwoods from the 30's. Just had them refinished. I do get them wet from loading the dishwasher and sippy cups but they've held up great. I have four young children and feel like they're durable and low maintenance.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a house with wood floors. We just had a large, neutral woven rug in front of the sink and dishwasher which is shaken each week outside and occasionally washed in the machine. The floors have held up well and through both my sister, myself, and now my sister's daughter, plus pets. If you clean up spills in a timely manner there really isn't a lot to worry about. I'd look at it like marble counter tops- if you don't ignore spills then it really isn't a problem to have. There is definitely a stigma around it, but I wouldn't let that solely decide your choice. If you (or they) are okay with it and it fits the space, go for it!
ReplyDeleteWood floors in our kitchen. It's our main entry point.
ReplyDeleteHate them. Cracking and splitting. I can see why people don't want wood in the kitchen.
My parents just installed high-end vinyl wide-plank flooring in their open-concept kitchen and living room combo...and it looks PHENOMENAL. Pretty much indestructible and it looks just like this warm, barn-wood floor. Vinyl's got a bad rep (cheap-looking!), but it's getting waaaay better looking these days.
ReplyDeleteI've had wood in my kitchen and loved it. No problems at all. I currently have cork tiles and love them too. Both are much more comfy and warm under foot than tile.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with tile you have GROUT, which gets gross on the floor of a kitchen. Cork tiles and wood floor (without grooves between planks!) are much easier to keep clean.
As a designer, I would never spec wood in a kitchen unless my client was adamant about it, and then I would have them sign a disclaimer that they were aware of the possible issues that may occur beforehand. I also would still only do this if they were the type of client who was looking for a more worn style floor to start and is OK with patina/wearing - not the type who wants everything to look new all the time.
ReplyDeletePersonally though, I have no issue with wood in kitchens and would happily do it in my own home with a certain kind of wood (rustic!) knowing that I don't expect surfaces to remain pristine. There are many things that can cause wood to have issues in the kitchen - moisture, leaks from a kitchen sink or broken water line to the fridge (one of the biggest culprits of home flooding!) dropping of heavy pots/pans, dragging out of appliances to clean...
We've actually just moved to a home with (engineered) wood in the kitchen and though the floor is in good shape elsewhere, it is not faring well in the kitchen - there is some fairly large separation in the (otherwise shiny, very traditional) planks. I believe this would be worse with hardwood since engineered is more stable around moisture.
So each to their own, but it's not something I typically would spec for a client - if they wanted a softer floor than tile and didn't want rugs, I'd use cork before wood. If you are replacing all the floors anyway, with a good installer transitions can be very smooth and not an issue at all.
Hey! Shared your blog with my readers in a link love post! :)
ReplyDeletexoxo Aimee
http://bowsandbeau-ties.blogspot.com/2015/01/friday-link-love-sustainable-fashion.html
I have slate flooring in my kitchen and wood everywhere else - while the dark slate looks lovely, it is incredibly hard to keep clean and maintain. It's also very hard and cold underfoot. We (thankfully) installed underfloor heating so when it's heated, it's much nicer (but also a bit more expensive). If I had to do it again, I'd probably just use wood in the kitchen! Just my two cents ;) x
ReplyDeleteMy kitchens have had super soft wood Pine floors in my NYC loft, hand-hewn oak in AZ, even regular oak in my old VA house. I have loved it every time! I get foot problems and am always chilly. So the soft underfoot and the warmth that wood brings is beyond wonderful. I love love it and will never put in anyting but wood in my kitchens. Water problems such as a broken dishwasher would be a problem with tile or wood anyway. It cleans well and the look is timeless :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteI've had both tile and wood floors before and much prefer wood. It's easier on the cook, and I like the continuity in open spaces. Best wishes with your newest arrival and a nice easy delivery!
ReplyDeleteI too struggled with the same issue! In a desert climate we installed wood look tile throughout the house - see it here http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2014/08/finished-floors/ We love the way it flows. I also love the patterned tiles in kitchens, definitely a beautiful look! We have wood in our downstairs spaces in California and it will suffer water damage over time on outdoor thresholds, in the kitchens and baths so be aware of that! We're having to refinish ALL of our floors after 8 years so I'm having second thoughts about wood in kitchens in the future (although gorgeous) definitely more high maintenance.
ReplyDeleteHave had wood, tile, laminate...and everything in-between! Hands down FAVORITE is wood! Never had any big probs...even in an almost 200 year old house (and the wood was as old) I HATE tile (have it now) it is loud, terrible on your feet and legs, everything breaks to smithereens....Do not like at all. I say do everything in your power to move them towards wood...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images, BTW.
I LOVE to cook however I am an enormous slob when I cook. We put down white oak with a Belgian oil finish (Rubio Monocoat). There is no polyurethane finish - just the straight-up oil with the grayish-brown color we chose. We've been in our home for 13 months & the kitchen floors look great!
ReplyDeleteThe amazing thing about the oil is you can sand them down if you get a scratch or blemish, apply some oil, let it sit for a bit, then wipe off & buff. I dripped oil over the holidays in several big blobs & did not realize it until hours after. Followed those easy steps & you cannot tell that happened. I am constantly dripping water. Daily, several times a day, especially near the dishwasher. I wish you could come by & see how good the floors look.
The other bonus with the Rubio product - you never have to re-oil if you don't want to. They will wear to a beautiful patina over timp. If you want to change the color down the line, they can be sanded & re-oiled.
They are heavenly underfoot, too!
We live in a house built in the 1920s and didn't want to spend the money to match the old floors (we had just stained to nearly black) to extend the wood into the kitchen. So... we went with gray ceramic rectangular tiles set in a herringbone pattern (using some of the exact some pins as inspiration)! The rectangular tiles were difficult to find for cheap but I did eventually find something that was incredibly cheap and has been very durable. Everyone that comes into our home comments on the beautiful floor in the kitchen. The transition from wood to tile is a simple thin piece of metal (there is a name for it which you probably know). It is hardly noticeable. Let me know if you want pics/sources!
ReplyDeleteI have had the same solid wood, oak floors in my kitchen for over 30 years. After the first 15 or 20 years, with 4 children and one big dog running around on them, tricycles, skates, sand being drug in from the sand box, walking to and fro they looked a little worse for wear. I had them sanded and refinished, and they were back to looking fantastic. They still look great! I damp mop once a week. Easy peasy. Spills wipe up easily. Never had any water damage of any kind. Solid hard wood floors are very durable, yet comfortable. Wouldn't have anything else!
ReplyDeleteFor this winter is very suitable to the floor using wood, compared with floors made of ceramic that this will make the atmosphere to be added cold.
ReplyDeleteNur Jannah
Ide Usaha Sampingan
Keeping warm in Phoenix is not really an issue, but as a Houstonian who has lived with tile in the kitchen, I can say tile still isn't worth it because of how it makes your back stiff (I'm not old).
ReplyDeleteHave been checking in daily and praying re: birth.
I prefer tiles in the kitchen, the are so easy to maintenance.
ReplyDeleteHome cleaning Maida Vale
I had dark slate in a previous kitchen and hated it. Could easily sweep it four times a day and it still looked dirty (we have dogs). I've had wooden floors for 5 years and love them, will never ever go back to tile or stone. Good luck with the new baby!
ReplyDelete