I live in the triangle area of NC, so slush is not much of a problem - LOL! Neither is rain right now since we are under a severe drought! Didn't mention it, but I live alone, so most of the time it's just me coming in and out, and if my shoes are yucky I take them off before coming in the house. I was considering a pretty tile in the "foyer" area, I just wasn't sure with the room being so small that just the laminate might make it look bigger. Even though it's approx 20 ft wide, the first 3-4 feet actually works like a hallway (door is in the bottom left corner of the rectangle an dyou keep walking straight til you hit the actual hallwasy to the Br's), so the actual LR part is just 14X16. I have considered laying the laminate on the diagonal. but it all depends on what flooring I end up picking. Diagonal requires more material, and if I go w/ the Shaw Brazilian Teak laminate (South Pacific collection) I am considering, the price might be too high (gotta keep this as inexpensive as possible!). Also, there is an arch in the top long wall to the kitchen (will be putting new vinyl in there soon), so I will have to decide how those two would look together. I was considering running the laminate in the kitchen, too, but I have pretty much been talked out of that because my washer/dryer is in the kitchen. I am doing the installation myself to help save on the cost (have laid laminate before on mission trips). If I have to pay, I would be limited to either cheap laminate or low grade carpet like I currently have. Here is a link that might be useful: Shaw Brazilian Teak laminate (not quite as dark in person)

Personally, I prefer wood because it's warmer and softer underfoot, and in my part of the country ( Mid-Atlantic ) it would be very unusual to have tile in the living room. I was looking at engineered wood for my outdoor studio, and there are lots of colors to choose from so you should be able to find what you like. I can't use regular hardwood flooring because my studio won't always be heated, and after reading about the engineered floors over in the flooring forum, I don't think they will work for me there either. I'm only going to use the heat and air conditioning when I'm out there, so the humidity wouldn't be controlled and the floor companies won't honor the warranties under my conditions. From what I've read over at the flooring forum, if you do decide to go with engineered floors be sure the floors are installed properly. There's a certain amount of time the boards should be in your house to get acclimatized and the installer should do a special test for moisture or humidity before they're installed. I'm not familiar with Tigerwood so I don't know if it's a hard or soft wood. The hardness level of the wood might have something to do with the gouges you're seeing. Maybe the thickness of the veneer plays a part too. With wooden floors it's best to have carpets and to use carpet runners on throw rugs in high traffic areas.

Thank you everyone. My house is very plain, old, and tired. I'm trying to make it "homey" and "nice." Once we get the "sun porch" finished into a "four seasons porch" it will be our main living room. (In maybe two years?) Since it has 10 windows, a pretty view, and will have a small wood-burning stove, I see us spending most of our time there. This green room will become a waiting-for-dinner-to-appear and visiting-with-the-girls room. Steph2000, Thank you; I love the floor. It's had a tough life and is original to the 1952 house. The same wood is in the hallway and two back bedrooms, now our "office/den" and "sewing room." The TV on the far wall does make the most since, but while the room is empty I've put a couple chairs on that wall and it really opens up the room. It's so long and skinny. Because of the doorways and all, there's not really room to make a full-size sofa work. I'm seriously thinking of having DH's recliner (non-negotiable), my glider rocker, and two matching swivel recliners or high leg swivel chairs in the room. I thought of a bank of low bookcase cabinetry along the back wall, the two matching chairs pulled forward in front of it, with an end table between them. I'll have to draw it out later on. BLFenton - the closet and front doors have a darker, reddish undertone. I had thought perhaps the TV cabinets could echo that to pull the darker to the other end of the room, too. Lukiirish - I would love to see your cabinets. AWM and NoSoccerMom - I love both of those styles, but I think I want wood...and I must have solid doors. The room is so small I'm trying to reduce visual clutter. Here's an idea I snagged from Pinterest, but I was thinking of making it from Hickory cabinets. Any thoughts on this. (And what if the inside was painted with a dark, royal purple that echos the mat of a photo near the breakfast table???) I want more room left of the TV so it doesn't seem squished like this one. My room would resemble this in that I have a large window to the right of where the cabinet would be, but not so close, and an open doorway to the left. I think you'll have to click on the picture to see the "after" shot.

Here's the beginning: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3392619/i-can-see-clearly-now?n=5 Update: Doors are painted and hung. Scope creep, now I want a smaller kitchen table and new light fixture. The floors are not done yet, because we have to empty the living room and go away for a few days. The thought of emptying the room is daunting. We are enjoying the ease of access to the living room: