I think tile in living rooms, etc is more or less regional. I can't remember seeing a house in the DC area with tile in a living room or bedroom. Nor can I remember seeing one where I live now--in the SF Bay Area. But I understand they are very common in Florida, for example.

I do think the faux wood tile is a trend. But I'm not a huge fan of tile outside of bathrooms anyway, nor am I any kind of expert on home decorating trends. So I'm really not the person to ask.

I've used wood look tile in areas of a home where I already have regular tile in areas that I know I can't match. So using the wood look tile lets me have tile without making it look like a mismatch of different tiles. Does that make sense? Or if I want to make an area feel "Cozy" but not have real wood that needs to be maintained, or carpet that can be damaged by pets/kids.

I like flooring as "background" instead of feature. When the flooring changes from room to room, especially in an open floor plan, it is jarring to my eye. So, I can see using wood look tile in areas where wood might be impractical, to blend in with a wood floor. Or to get a wood look, the warmth that look brings, with a more practical material. I wouldn't really mind a nice looking tile floor (regular tile) aesthetically, but would not want it hopscotched around the living area with other materials. If you search for tile floor living rooms in Houzz, there are some spectacular homes with all tile floors.

I will be using wood-look tile in my kitchen/pantry simply because I like the tile I found. It contrasts enough with the actual wood in my living/dining/hallway/bedrooms that no one will expect that I'm trying to confuse someone. I prefer tile (or dealing with the pre-existing linoleum in my older current home) in what I call "wet rooms" I don't have to worry about catching my pets who may have been sloppy. And some of the patterns are very attractive.

I'm not one ever to be concerned about fads, actually. Do what works for you.

(The transition would probably be jarring in a truly "open" floor plan, but since I've dispensed with that notion in my build.... I am building semi-open, so I have more options here.)

pS and EDIT: Ah, i missed that you are looking for tile that doesn't have to be wood look -- that's what I'll be putting in the bathrooms. It isn't "out" -- and there are a lot of choices out there and available -- and you can use it anywhere attractively!

I love tile! All kinds! One of our favorite houses had white Saltillo tile all through the kitchen, family room, entry, dining room, etc. The floor was a creamy color with light grout and it was just lovely. I still miss it!

When all is said and done I plan to have hardwood through the entire house except bathrooms. I think different flooring visually break up a space (patchwork quilt) and our house isn't large enough to get away with it gracefully. I think many tiles can read busy and blotchy. We have some tile in our basement that I like but it's mostly cream with very light and minimal veining. Houses around here do not have tile anywhere other than kitchens, baths, and laundry rooms.

I do think the wood look tile is a trend even though I like how it looks when the spacing is installed random like hardwood vs. in a tile pattern.

In coastal locations or other locations where it is warmer year round and there is sand, tile makes sense.

I'm in North Carolina and I use tile in locations that are subject to wet conditions.

In my renovation, I have Italian porcelain tile (not wood look) in my newly added vestibule. I used 2x6" here because the wood tiles were too long for the small space. This small vestibule opens into a foyer with hardwood.

I have the "wood look" Italian porcelain in my new master bath. The floor is heated. (To be grouted and walls to be painted, etc. --still under construction). In the bath, the herringbone design goes with the picture molding walls. There will be wood grilles/muntins in the wood window sashes.

In my sunroom, I have tile that has a marble look, but is porcelain. This is a year-round room with central air and heat. The floors aren't heated. (the chimney will be painted)

Thank you for your responses. It's interesting to hear different perspectives. I'm happy with my wood and tile first floor. It's 1 neutral tile and run continuously, not hopscotched. I'm too messy for wood in the kitchen and laundry, and this works for us.

A fully tiled abode has been around for thousands of years. No one complains that the Romans, Italian or French villas are trendy. It doesn't go out of style if you use neutrals.

I have open living situation and dislike the transition edges and look so I went with all light limestone tile in a rectified Versailles pattern. It gives some interest but not in your face.

To designate the different area, I'm using large rugs. This allows me to change out the look easily.

Tile that looks like tile will never go out of fashion.

And tile is low-allergen and should be easy to clean.

If you want wood, but have huge dogs, sand and gravel from the beach, or any other wood-killing situation, it's a way to get at least the look of wood without the hassle.