Do you have a pic you can post?

Sounds like it's coming together nicely but I'm not quite sure how to visualize tile in front of appliances & sink with hardwood elsewhere. My first thought is the use of tile in those areas will make the room appear smaller.

Me, I'd do it all in hardwood and then use some nice rugs to define the kitchen. Placement of furniture will also delineate the space.

You and me both! But hubby is bound and determined to make it tile. Here's a year old, highly manipulated picture of the flow from one room to another. The wall is no longer there.

Here's how the kitchen layout works. Another bunch of really old pictures. All new stainless appliances, the soffit is gone, and the refrigerator wall in these pictures is long gone.

I agree with annz. If you are trying to make a small space look larger, I think you should stay with one type of flooring. Using tile and wood is going to break it up and make it look smaller, imo. Does your husband want to tile just in front of the sink and appliances? It sounds like he's worried about water damage, possibly?

If only I could get you to convince him. I know hardwood is better. I don't think you can change hubby's mind because I've sure been trying for a year now! Maybe a layout mock up I drew a year ago would help. The freeform thing you see over the cabinets is a bar where you eat. It's copper covered and more artlike than furniture. The room is already divided.

Years ago when we first bought our house we had it as you are describing: an open family room/kitchen with vinyl in the kitchen and carpet in the FR. It did make the space feel smaller (esp. the kitchen) and when we changed the flooring we did Wilson Art everywhere and it really opened up the space.

While many love tile in kitchens, it would never work for me because: it's too hard on the feet, things that fall will break more easily, it's cold (unless you put in the stuff to warm up the floor underneath), and grout is a hassle to clean. Just my two cents, but when choosing a floor, I think whoever spends the most time in the kitchen (cooking and/or cleaning it) should have the final say. If that is hubby, by all means try to make the tile work; but that is you and you don't want tile, then I think you need to plead your case a bit more as it's going to make you uphappy every time you work in this space.

Since your question was for a pic with tile and hardwood, here is a pic of my entry where we put in a travertine floor:

{{!gwi}}

We do have a slight height difference where it transitions from hardwood to tile as they needed to float the floor to level it and support the stone. The only other option would've been to run plywood underneath the hardwood throughout the entire house.
My kitchen is all hardwood with a couple of rugs underneath the sinks. It works great for us.

For such a small house especioally if you are trying to make it look larger I would make the entire space one floor type. Hardwood in the kitchen is fine especially if you have a strong finish on the surface.

Here is my previous home kitchen built in 1926. I had stripped off this awful asbestos vinyl that covered up the original maple floors.

Nice looking floors!

"I think whoever spends the most time in the kitchen (cooking and/or cleaning it) should have the final say". 50/50 here, so that won't work. I can't seem to convince him. But we'll see when the time draws closer.

Thanks, the pic helped. So the wall between LR and kitchen is gone or is staying?

I stick with my original response. Either tile the whole kitchen area or put in hardwood.
If I were a buyer and saw half/half, my response would be "why in the world did they do this!" As I look at your drawing it appears the width between cabinets and opposite wall is about 6', right? If so........it's just too small an area to do what he wants.

Why not print out the responses (edited as you see fit!) and show them to DH. Remind him that you're trying to sell the home and need it to appeal to a large group of buyers.
Hate to be brunt, but I think it's going to look 'tacky' and you're going for 'classy'.

I wish you luck!

I think it will turn off buyers as well. Tell hubby he's outvoted!

I agree it should all be the same flooring, but here's a picture from a model home that had tile wood combo in a unique way, so I'll post it.
{{!gwi}}

Pick one. Even if it's not your favorite flooring, one unified floor looks better in a small space.

Red

The first home DH and I purchased was on the smaller side 1,250. We bought it because it was a great deal and it was in our budget. One of the first things we did when we could afford it was install hardwood floors through out the house except for bedrooms & bathrooms. It really opened up the house and people were always shocked when we told them the square footage. The house had tile in the entry, carpeting in LR/DR and vinyl laminate in the kitchen. This didn't include carpeting in both bathrooms, gross. I think either hardwood through out or tile through out, not both. I've had hardwood in my kitchen in my two previous homes and am kicking myself that I went with tile in my current home. I have a much larger home now but the tile is through out the house other then LR, DR and BRS. I have many neighbors who have hardwood in their kitchens and it hasn't been a problem yet, going on 10 years now. I know hardwood flooring is an added bonus when selling. It was our hardwood floors in the kitchen that sold our last house. Another home around the corner was up for sale the same time and they had hardwood everywhere except their kitchen.

sujafr, that's interesting. So the two just abut each other? Hm. I don't know why he wants tile. He isn't fessing up just yet. I'll have to poke, prod, or be patient to find out, very likely. It should all be hardwood for continuity.

How much better is one floor. Man, I want it!