Is this one of those tiles that has fantastic colors on a flat surface? I've seen some great ones of that type, but want something with surface texture. Have you found them to be uniform in size? I seem to remember one of the brands starting with 'M' have a reputation for being out of square. I was strongly leaning towards a tile called 'boticelli' from mohawk-- the color isn't great, but the texture is nice and its an unpolished solid body for around $4/ft. Doesn't come in an oblong, though, which is a problem. Want a herringbone pattern, don't want to have to cut every tile in half. So I'm trying to track down a sample of Crossville's 'Strong': great texture, nice color, unpolished. But here's a shot from crossville's own website, and of the 5 tiles you can really see, 3 have the same texture: I keep buying full boxes, just to see, and keep getting dissappointed...

When we redid our long, narrowish galley kitchen and adjacent laundry room we also used 12x24 tiles. I could have gone either way since our surrounding wood floor is on a diagonal. Our tile guys recommended it go lengthwise (bowling alley) saying that is how they would lay hardwood in the room. I laid tile out both ways and agreed with them. I think the only time you get the "it makes the room look wider" is when it's laid on the diagonal. Can you lay some tile out in both directions next to the hardwood? Personally, I think it looks better going in the same direction as the wood floor, but it's really a personal preference. BTW, our tile is laid in a 3/4 offset pattern like in your last picture.

The front door is the 6 paneled door to the right in the picture above. When you walk in, you see the steps in front of you. Bathroom and laundry room to the right. SO would the direction still remain that way? Sorry if I was unclear!

The kitchen is an add on (added many years before I purchased the home). I assume the measurements are accurate. I sketched it the carpenter I talked to added the measurements and asked me to look for inspiration as I was not totally sure how to create something g beautiful out of something so awkward without remodeling over half the home. The kitchen sits on a frost wall so it is a bump out from the remainder of the house. It's seems weird because it is weird. Visually it makes no sense at all. That is the reason for most of the budget money going to structural cost else where ( releveling the home, replacing joist that were cut, shotty electrical and so forth). So im trying to work with what I somewhat have. Half of the kitchen is not accessible from the underside of the house so moving plumbing would mean excavating costs and so forth. Another reason I don't want to fool with the 15ft wall. I can't even access it from the basement either. It is a solid brick wall and dry walled over. I wish I could tour you all. It's a noodle scratcher. So from the edge of the counter on the pantry wall and backward to the wall wanting to be removed is accessible from the basement. Electrician state he could cut into the underside of cabi and feed a line that way.