Lots of homes have slabs, not joists, on the ground floor, so the joist rule might not apply to everyone. I've read so many conflicting things on this ... run in the longest direction of the room, run in the direction that the light flows in the windows, run it straight ahead as you walk in the entryway, run it so that it is lengthwise in the hallway, run it so it's widthwise in the hallway ... GAH! In my own house, if I follow one "rule" I break another one. It's maddening trying to figure out how to orient the flooring.

Probably wood. You will need to have the areas that are NOT covered in tile to be assessed. The subfloors need to be assessed for deflection ratings. Tile is REALLY heavy. Like super heavy. So heavy it can crack under it's own weight. The area that is currently tiled is probably fine. Are there any areas that have cracked or loose tiles that feel like they are "popping up"? The carpet would be considered "very light". Which means the subfloor underneath doesn't have to be very strong. Which probably means it is as thin as code allows. Tile needs a very STIFF subfloor. Carpet needs nothing but 'hard'. You will need to have your VERY SKILLED installer do a subfloor assessment to reach a deflection rating (there is a document that carries these ratings...and it has to do with joist distance + thickness of subfloor). A carpeted subfloor is often VERY poor. I hope you have already seen the "worst case scenario" quote for a FULL SUBFLOOR revamp to ensure all floors are even AND thick enough to carry the tile. Please look over your quote to ensure it contains this option. That's just about all I would worry about. Ignore the hardwood direction. You will be removing it sooner rather than later. Set out the tile in ONE direction and keep going. The wood doesn't matter because it isn't staying.

I finally found a color I really like, but it's a product that there isn't much information about. Grand pacific Flooring. 2mm 50 year warranty. I know it's made in China, but that's about it. I can't find anything I like < $6.50/sq foot range

I'm not a fan of tables/chairs with splayed legs; they take up too much room, require a larger rug under them (if you want one) and they are a tripping hazard.