I'm a bit concerned with the "laminate" in a kitchen. Please be aware that most laminates are not RATED for kitchens (if you read warranties, some SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE kitchens). The steam from a dishwasher has been damaging enough to cause laminates (especially in this price range) to require replacing inside of 3 years. Yep. Three years. Some of the HIGH END laminates (like $4.50/sf) can get 7 years....Patricia will tell you that her's has gone 10 years without issue. And then she will tell you that her laminate is out of Germany and is a VERY HIGH END product ($4.50/sf might be too low for her product). If you insist on putting laminate in a kitchen, I'm going to offer this advice: please purchase enough "overage" to re-install your kitchen TWICE! Yes. Twice. That's how we get a laminate to "live" in a kitchen for 15 years. We buy enough of it to replace the kitchen by year 7....sigh. That means a 300sf kitchen will need to have 600sf delivered to the home. The first 300sf is installed while the other 300sf is put into storage for use at a later date. And I'm not kidding about this. I've seen it. I've helped replace a 4 year old laminate because it bubbled and delaminated in a kitchen. It isn't pretty. It isn't fun. And it is HORRIBLY upsetting for the homeowner to find out that the product was only sold for 18 months....and then it disappeared (production runs on these are VERY short. Once it's gone it's gone). Please do yourself a favour and find out whether or not these laminates are water resistant or water prooof (by the price I would say "none of the above"). As an aside, why is a FLOATING FLOOR being installed FIRST??????? Floating floors (like laminates) are installed AFTER the kitchen...not before (it can be done....but it usually isn't). A floating floor will NOT run underneath the cabinets. It will stop at the BASE. Please do NOT let the General Contractor install the floors underneath the cabinets. It will void your warranty immediately (but then again putting laminate in a kitchen might just to that anyways).

I think natural maple would look lovely! Especially if you run same flooring throughout. 8’ ceilings are perfectly acceptable (very much norm where I am, and I have 8’ on my second floor and basement by choice). It can be an adjustment coming from higher ceilings initially but I am sure it will soon feel quite normal. I like 8’ ceilings as they are dry conducice to creating cozy nooks and spaces, even in an open floor plan.

First question: are you planning on painting your walls? In the second pic the walls appear to be MATCHED to the light wood flooring. This is causing a HUGE amount of YELLOW to go into the space = intensifies/changes red tones. I would want to have my walls primed white (get something over top of all that yellow/beige) to give you a natural jumping off point. Right now we are guessing by pics. Your first pic shows BURGUNDY blinds....and then your second pic shows deep cherry. And this is why picking colours in a space that has HEAVY colour tones is SUPER difficult. If it were me and I was resigned to the burgundy/cherry blinds I would bring in Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) coloured flooring. It would be a case of "Go big or go home".

I always like to share this link when deciding wood tones. https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-mix-match-and-coordinate-wood-stains-undertones/ But....there is a lot to consider here. You will most likely want to change the kitchen. I would not select a floor to coordinate with a kitchen that will be replaced in the near future. I personally love white cabinetry with wood floors. Eliminates the worry about woods clashing. If your home is not open concept, and it will be many years before you redo the kitchen, I would consider doing the kitchen in a tile look and then the rest of the home in any one if those wood plank choices. I am a fan of light flooring. so they all appeal to me.