Use nail down strip flooring narrow enough to be forced to lay flat on the old floor.

Comments on small things: - I don't have any opinion about whether your bedroom should be just off the kitchen, but I can tell you that a child's bedroom should not be in this position! We were a "sit in the kitchen" family, and I had the bedroom just off the kitchen. I overheard MANY things that were really none of my business, for example, I remember being terrified after a smoke alarm salesman came to our house to talk to my parents (yes, when they first came out, they were sold door to door), and I really shouldn't have heard all the details about why my parents were divorcing. - Width of the door isn't the only consideration. A larger door is heavier and larger, and it is more difficult for an elderly or infirm person to open (because the person has to reach 4" farther to reach the door and allow it to swing open); we're a short family, and our arms aren't that long. A larger door also requires a greater "swing area", meaning that in a small house furniture placement may be hindered, and you might like to use those few extra inches for slightly larger kitchen cabinets or slightly larger bookshelves. If you are ever confined to a wheelchair full time, you'll probably buy an electric wheelchair, which is more narrow than a traditional push-it chair (because electric chairs are "driven" with a joystick on the arm, and you don't need to allow space for your hands beside the wheels); I had a student in such a wheelchair this semester, and she could scoot through small spaces -- but she couldn't fit under a standard-height table! Additionally, if you go with smaller doors now and later find that you need the extra few inches, you can always switch your doors to swing-away hinges later. And since you want both accessibility and budget-friendly choices, be sure you choose standard-sized doors; I think it's 34" that isn't standard (?). Note, too, that these arguments don't apply to pocket doors. Okay, after reading on in the thread, I see the above thoughts on 36" doors had already been covered. -- Since you mentioned wheelchairs, I'll toss this out: My grandmother didn't have any type of accident or disease, but as she approached 100 she became more fragile. She was never confined to a wheelchair (few people are actually in wheelchairs ALL THE TIME); rather, she went through the typical old-age progression: First she started using a walker only when she left the house ... then she started using the walker inside the house too ... and in the last two years of her life she started using a wheelchair outside the house but used the walker inside the house. Until the last 2-3 days of her life, she never used the wheelchair in the house. She never had any problem with any doors (and I know the ones in my house -- she lived with me for a time), and I know the doors in my house are 32". What WAS a problem was not having a place to store the walker (and later the wheelchair) when she wasn't using it! Finally we bought a second walker, so she used the blue one INSIDE the house, and she was able to take the one step down to the garage, where her pink walker was waiting by the door. When she started using the wheelchair outside the house, we'd help her up the ramp and into the house, then after she was seated in her favorite recliner, one of us would have to take the wheelchair back out to be stored in the garage ... and then she she was ready to go out again, someone had to bring it back in the house for her. We were always moving something because we had no place to store the things! As a result, for the house we're building, I'm planning a spot (in the utility room) near the garage entry that will hold a 36" chest of drawers in a little alcove ... but in the future, if we need to house a wheelchair inside the house, we can remove the chest and use that alcove as a wheelchair storage spot. Regardless, the walker-and-wheelchair and/or doors weren't what gave my grandmother the most trouble. The #1 thing that gave her trouble was the shower; she had trouble lifting her foot over the threshhold (though it only about 6") and a larger shower with a larger, more comfortable stool would've been good. The #2 problem for her was being able to carry her laundry and reach into the machine. #3 was probably changes in flooring (even a 1/2" difference between tile and hardwood could trip her). Oh, and she wouldn't go to one relative's house because she couldn't get into the toilet-in-a-closet. In contrast, the household detail that gave her the most joy was probably the big bay window by the table where she always sat. It let in so much light and she could enjoy the lovely back yard. Honestly, aging-in-place is a common topic on this board, but most people are discussing the wrong things. The discussion goes way beyond wider doorways and walkways; I definitely learned a great deal from being my grandmother's caretaker. - I don't know how large a shower kids "need", but my girls have a tub-sized shower in their bathroom, and we all LOVE it. (I say tub-sized because we recently had the old tub pulled out and replaced with a tiled shower.) My only regret about their shower is that I wish we'd had two niches build (or an extra-long niche); they aren't particularly high-maintenance, but a big squirt bottle of shampoo and another of conditioner plus a bottle of squirt soap ... well, it's all full, so they have to keep shaving cream and body wash on the floor. It would've required only a tiny bit more effort and money to have had more storage. The shower in my bathroom is 3'x4', and it's comfortable; however, I'm planning to make the one in my new house 8" wider. Why? Because I want to install grab bars on both sides, and I don't want to make the usable space any less than 3' wide. - Dormers may not be necessary, but I think they'll add significantly to the quality of light in the upstairs. I'd do my best to include them.

Bamboo is out. If you don't like the look of hardwood after dog has done the damage, then bamboo is going to be just as upsetting. If you want something softer underfoot, you are quite limited. Solid hardwood is going to last 60-80 years, but you have to be able to 'deal' with the effects of nails. And the sand/refinish requirements. Cork is out because damage is easier on cork than hardwood/bamboo. Laminate is out for kitchens....we are down to vinyl and linoleum (real linoleum with the real price tag). You will have to pick your battles in the problem areas. If you are having carpet somewhere, you are getting into the undesirable "more than 2 floor coverings" range. Carpet + "something" + the stone-look product = 3 floors on a single level. This is "undesirable" for resale. But if this is your forever home, then ignore anything to do with 'resale' and have what you want. A HIGH END laminate throughout the living space will do everything you want....except the water thing. Leave the kitchen in the brick look product. It will be the most appropriate for the situation.

We recently had a flooring consultation/measurement meeting with a mom-and-pop flooring shop, and they did *not* recommend LVT/LVP for our home. Now, we want a dark floor (so if you want a medium or light floor, this may make a difference; I don't know), and we are a half-a-dozen-kids and large-dog kind of family living in 2k square feet (so everywhere is "high traffic"). The guy said that LVT really *isn't* "kid-proof" and "pet-proof"... What the manufacturer (COREtec) really means is "waterproof". He has seen large dogs scratch up a dark LVT floor in short order, and assured me that it would bother me something awful to see the damage, especially when the sunlight hit it. And he's right, lol. Have you gotten quotes for hardwood vs vinyl? The difference may not be as much as you think. I will say, though, that the only reason I'm still *maybe* considering LVP is because damaged boards can be replaced easily on a floating floor (the guy said he only installs floating LVP, no glue-downs at all). Even then, I might get a lighter/more busy floor (like hickory) to somewhat camouflage the inevitable damage. Regardless, buying lots of extra boxes probably isn't a bad idea. :-D