My opinion is not to keep the floors. But I don't like tile anywhere but a bathroom. I hate grout.

Good luck on your reno :)

If you are not changing the layout in a way that would affect the floor and you don't mind standing on tile, I would keep it, personally, unless you really don't like it.

Of course it is a dominant feature of the kitchen and the new kitchen will have to be planned around it. You can't make the floor work with the new kitchen, the new kitchen will have to work with the floor.

My vote is to get rid of it since money is not issue. You are so right to think ahead to your other elements. Do you want to design the kitchen around this floor?\
I would do the hardwood throughout.
Tile can be beautiful in a kitchen and house. But for me, as one who drops things and has weak ankles, I prefer a softer floor.

I have tile...always have had tile...and like tile. That said, I am not a fan of that tile. As stated, it's a very dominant color and will dictate alot of style choices and would not be something I would choose to design around.

What style kitchen are you planning on having? If it's described as anything other than "rustic" or "tuscan", I can't really see it working. And quite honestly, it's definitely not one of my favorite tiles at all.

So, yes, it is a bit more hassle for the renovation, but how much money and time are you putting into the overall renovation? The additional time it will take isn't really all that significant. The money is a bit moreso, but you said that isn't necessarily an issue.

I like tile, too, and I actually like that tile, but my policy in design is to choose the most limiting thing first. I think it would be harder to find everything else to go with the floor than it would be to design a kitchen you like and then pick a floor for it. I agree with andreak - if you aren't going tuscan or spanish or something similar, that floor could give you grief.

You might want to donate those cabs to Habitat for Humanity. They look pretty good.

I like Saltillo in a Southwestern style house, but I don't care for that tile. If you are doing southwestern or something like that I wonder if the tile can be cleaned up somehow. But I would say don't keep it just due to hassle, if you don't like it get rid of it. You are going to have the kitchen redone anyway, go ahead and pull the floors too if you don't like them. I'm afraid you would be disappointed if you kept it and had a brand new kitchen and flooring you didn't like. And I totally agree with what Ginny said - choose the most limiting thing first and in your case that would be the tile - something you didn't choose but defaulted to. You would have to get countertops to go with the tile too, not just backsplash.

The money to switch this out is not going to be a lot. Most of the house has floors that are golden oak, except the bedrooms (which have carpet). I have a floor guy coming in to put wood in the bedrooms, and it would only cost about another $4000 to demo the kitchen floor and get rid of that tile.

In the place I am living now, I had this horrible white tile when I first moved in. I tore it out as quick as I could, but then I had all sorts of issues related to the way the new tile and the floor structure underneath. I do not like that tile one bit, and would be happy to remove it. I just worry about the complications.

And, yeah, it will be a dominant design feature.

I think you guys are right though that I should suck it up and go with hardwood.

Totally OT, but when I first signed up for this forum, I had just become an uncle for the first time and was thrilled (Hence, my username). Now, years later, there are a lot more children in my life. Funny how time changes everything.

What is the home's style? Is it Spanish or Hacienda ore Mediterranean or Florida? Those are all styles that the floor can look at home and will work well with and that should have cabinets that can work with the floor installed. In other words, if the floor is channeling the home's style, you should probably keep it, and the kitchen you put in should work with it.

If the home is a Colonial, or Tudor, or even one of the newer mishmashes, that tile might not look as at home. Here too, you should install a kitchen that looks like it belongs in the home, but it's less likely that terracotta tile belongs.

" I am not planning to change the layout much."

Don't change the floor until you're ready to demo the cabs or make the layout changes. If you're having the bedroom floor work done ahead of the kitchen, do not have the kitchen floors done at the same time as the bedrooms just for convenience. BTDT.

I think if you are doing white or off white cabinetry and don't have preconceived notions about countertops and bs, then you could keep the floor. Just make sure you like or love it.

"I don't like that tile one bit..." I think you have a pretty clear answer for yourself. Hopefully you won't have the issues you did with a prior tile demo.

The big issue is whether you want the strong hit of california-spanish-mexican. I think its endemic to the material, no matter what color it is. The floor might refinish really well and become something nice to look at. I'd have someone try a test area before deciding.

The brand you picked has different styles that could work with that floor. Morris and Lakewood would be appealing to me in the traditional end; for modern, sizzle plus dunkirk and possibly in a painted color with cement counters. It might also pay to look at some photos of modern spanish kitchens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Before and afters of refinished tile.

If you are going to the work of replacing cabinetry and everything else and "don't like the tile one bit", then replace it. The color of that tile gives it a strong presence in that space and if you do not wish to embrace it, then I would recommend changing it. I would also recommend changing it if it does not fit with the architecture/style of the house.

javachik said: "Don't change the floor until you're ready to demo the cabs or make the layout changes. If you're having the bedroom floor work done ahead of the kitchen, do not have the kitchen floors done at the same time as the bedrooms just for convenience. BTDT."

Me too, and I second that advice. Ugh, do I ever remember walking on that gritty floor.

I don't care for that tile with that kitchen. However, it depends what kind of cabinets and style you go back with whether I'd like it. But you said you didn't like it, so tear it out and get something you love.

The thing I have found with that type tile is that they are very uneven, and I like a smoother floor in the house.

FYI, this is the front of the house. I wouldn't say it is Spanish, but it is very typical of Southern California homes of the era (older house, built in 1940).

One other little fact about all of this is that I haven't sold my current home yet. So, once I close escrow, I can gut the kitchen and still have a place to stay while the work is going on.

I think the floor looks at home with that style of home whereas if you went with one of the now popular dark wood floors, it would look totally out of place. It's a cute little cottage and a regular plain jane natural to only lightly stained pine, maple, or oak floor could work here. The biggest mistake you could make would be trying to make it over into some contemporary souless catalog house.

BTW, if you haven't even sold your other home yet, are you sure you want to be embarking on the expense of an almost gut reno in this house? Selling your own home could take a lot of time, and paying two mortgages at once can get to be pretty hairy if it has to happen for an extended period of time.

IMHO it is the right floor for the house, and I also think it is a pretty nice, authentic looking example of Saltillo. I would keep it, if only for the continuity within the home.

Wow. What great input I'm getting here.

GreenDesigns - The current home situation is all accounted for in my budgeting, and I have a fallback plan if I have any problems.