You could install hardwood floors in the hallways. In my opinion, each bedroom should have its own carpet choice. It is easier to replace one room of carpet if there is an "unfortunate event" (like nail polish spilled in the bedroom by a teenage daughter; or your little kid gets a hold of the sharpie permanent markers). In the main living area, I like wood or ceramic/stone tile floors with a variety of easy to replace area rugs that are in the same color family. When you have a family that actually lives in the house, you want to make your decorating choices with reality in mind. I like easy to clean and maintain tile floors in a kitchen, entryways, and family room - with indoor/outdoor or polypropylene area rugs ! FYI, when I visit showroom homes (Parade of Homes) they always mix flooring materials . The designers tell me it is boring to have only one flooring. I guess it depends on how big the area is if it will look "choppy" or not. Anyway, that is my humble opinion.

@Tracey Shaw New thread!

Ii have same issue. I have hickory in great room and ceramic tile in kitchen. can I use something different in the kitchen that would complement the great room?

Just a few things to consider...

While using the same flooring throughout your home creates a
sense of space, it's not necessarily the way to make the most of each individual
room. Dark wood floors, such as Brazilian walnut or mahogany, work well in both
south-facing rooms and large rooms; smaller rooms benefit from lighter tones
such as ash, maple or white oak. Also think about combining different woods elsewhere,
such as the furniture and cabinets.

{Contrast} Ensure the different woods in one area are
distinctly different, as combining woods that are too similar in color can
appear as if you have simply made a mistake. In the hallway, for example,
combine a dark wood on the stairs, stair rails and doors with a much lighter
color on the hallway floor.

{Laying the Floor} In a long, narrow area, avoid
laying the flooring so it runs parallel to the length of the space. This will
only reinforce the sense of length and lack of width, creating a bowling alley
effect. Laying the floor so it does not run parallel with the length of the
space makes it appear wider and takes the emphasis away from the length.

{Transition} Ensure that the transition between
different flooring in two adjoining rooms happens in a straight line at the
threshold of the room. A piece of T-molding is a quick and easy way to create a
neat transition, or get creative with tile/marble.

{Room Size} large rooms that receive little natural
light, opt for a warm wood for the floor. Beech, Brazilian cherry and redwood
are all suitable and feature warm orange and red hues. Picking out those warm
hues and using them in the paint on the walls will not only complement the
floor, but it will further help to create a cozy atmosphere. In a small room,
use a light wood -- such as hickory, maple or cypress. Opting for a highly
polished surface also helps to bounce light around

I have decided to go with cortec petrified forest in my large kitchen. It borders my great room which is engineered hickory, but I didn't want more hickory. The cortec is supposed to be easy maintenance and I do not have to pull up the existing ceramic tiles to install it. fingers crossed!

Last year I put laminate floor on the upstairs bedrooms and kept carpet on the loft upstairs and stairs but now I want to put laminate on the entire downstairs and I would want a different color but when I went to shop for laminate floors the sale representive told me that is not a good idea to have to different colors of laminate that he perfer for me to put tiles downstairs and to complete the upstairs loft and stairs with the same color of laminate because it would increase the value of the house mind you i have no plans to sale the house

I do not recommend having different types of wood floors in the same space.

What color do you think would look nice

So i should keep the upstairs with the same color then what about the stairs should i match it with the color from upstairs or the color i am going to get for the downstairs?

By the way I have dark color furnishes

I would not put ceramic tile in the whole downstairs. It takes a jack-hammer to remove it later - so there isn't much flexibility there! I have no problem with two different laminate floors materials on different levels of the house. When it is time for re-sale (and if you think it is a problem for buyers) you have the option of easily carpeting over any or all of laminate on the top floor. People seem to like carpet in bedrooms, and hard surfaces in the "public" areas anyway. I would keep the carpet on the stairs and find an area rug or wall color with the same color as the carpet for the downstairs room that is right next to the stairs. I like ceramic tile in my kitchen, bathrooms, and entry ways because it is easy to clean and water doesn't bother it. Personally, I carpet my bedrooms individually and use laminate in the upstairs hallway and tile in the bathrooms. My downstairs is laminate but the entry way, powder room, laundry room and kitchen are ceramic tile. I like my guests and family to not worry about ruining the flooring! God forbid a major "accident" would force me to replace all of the flooring in the house! No way that is going to happen. Using area rugs downstairs and carpeting bedrooms individually prevents that problem. :)

I have a beautiful parquay floor in my kitchen and eating area. I would like to replace carpet in dining and living spaces, but not sure it will look ok. Any ideas? The two floor types would meet in two areas

Hi Colleen. I have the same dilemma currently. I seem to read mixed opinions, but I really want to use the darker wood in my family room/kitchen, while the rest of my house is honey stained oak. Did you resolve your issue? I don't see any responses. Let me know how it worked out. Thanks!

Hi Colleen L. and Pattib929, the decision to mix wood colors is certainly dependent on your personal preferences. However, since these two different hardwoods will be up against one another, our general rule of thumb is to keep the woods within the same color family. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Colleen and Pattib929 what did you decide. I have the same dilemma! Jo

Hi. I ended up choosing an acacia wood that has multiple colors in it, so it picks up the color of my existing honey stained oak. It's actually being installed today so I hope it turns out well!

I have the same problem. I’m taking down a half wall between kitchen and d8ning room...complete kitchen remodel. My din8ng room and liv8ng room and hall have oak hardwood... I’m so confused. i wanted to extend the hardwood into kitchen but the color isn’t available