I’m still here — and still pregnant! :) The good news is after weeks of hanging out breech, baby girl has flipped finally, just under the wire! Thanks for all your tips and tricks in the comments of my last post. It’s a bit of a waiting game now, but we’re so excited for her to come whenever she’s ready.
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.
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:
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'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!
I 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 ;)
I 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.
We 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.
A 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.
We 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!
We 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!
I 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.
Here'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!
We 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.
I'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.
So happy for you and baby!
I'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
http://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.
I 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.
We 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.
I 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.
We 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.
We 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.
we 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!
We 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!
I 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.
I 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!
We 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.
Beware, 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.
x 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… ;)
Congratulations, 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.
While 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).
I would like cork in my kitchen. It is so much more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time than tile.
Good 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.
I 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.
For 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!
We 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.
Obviously, 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.
No 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.
My 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.
Youza! 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.
I 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.
I 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!
We 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.
I'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!
I love our hardwoods in our kitchen. It feels so lived in and always warm!
I 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!
My 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!)
Well 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.
I 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!
I'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.
We 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!!!
Our 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!
I have wood floors in my kitchen (http://www.designocd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Jae-6-Kitchen-Full.jpeg)
but 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.