Painted wood floors are very cottage here. We looked at a few that were older than ours (more 1920's era) and several had painted wood flooring. We ended up painting our bedroom floor because I had to repair a few spots and there were water stains-hid it all nicely, lol. Durability on it...I don't know. Obviously a bedroom has less traffic than a kitchen, and I imagine it depends on the paint type and prep. Of course, touch up is simply a brush and some paint! I asked our tenants about the B&W checkboard floor, since we put it in after we moved out. They LOVE the look and HATE that it seems dirty all them time. Ours is simply vinyl tile squares, I don't know if sheet laminate would be different. I never really thought there would be a difference in hard surface floor "feelings" (one would be more comfortable) but after you mentioned it I thought about it a bit, I imagine it's the uneveness of bricks that does it. Good thing we're just doing the laundry room then! edeeve, my response came across a little more defensive than I had in my head, sorry about that! I just wanted people to know they aren't all hair burners, lol. I actually wonder if the one you experianced might not have had a valve problem or something. I bought ours to replace the one that came with the Cottage, a 1980's era hotpoint that made this rather scary whooshing/small explosion type sound when the gas cycled on and off on the oven. THAT went to the scrap yard just so no one grabbed it to use (well and we got about $20 for it that went towards the $60 purchase price of my Bengal, lol). Regarding mismatched chairs-this is what we did, because our table came from a salvage place that was closing and had no chairs with it. It's an old enamel top job and I wasn't sure what to match to it. So, we've got two garage sale finds ($5 for one and .33 for the other), one from our old set and one I "curb shopped". I painted each one a different color (blues and greens). I love the look...not sure if it would flow with a mostly wood kitchen though. Maybe if the table was also painted? Or, if the chairs weren't... Our dining room w/mismatched chairs:

@ljkallmeyer Well, because I work full time and wanted a kitchen that demands the least of my energy to care for and maintain in the long run, grout was not even a consideration. We use our kitchen heavily. My experience and research told me that grout discolors, chips, scratches, separates - especially with settlement or seasonal movement - and I just don't want to be bothered with cleaning an uneven surface. Contractors (no offense) push the newer acrylic, urethane, epoxy grouts but they require skill yet to be perfected. And, when I asked if they thought the new grouts have been around long enough to prove themselves, the answer was a shrug, a no, or some diversion. Tile is too trendy and committal for me. Though I rarely change things, I like to know I can with little effort. All the same reasoning, and more, why I chose a solid surface. It can be repaired easily. I used two coats of the best primer I could find and 2 coats of Benjamin Moore eggshell paint. It hasnt stained yet and cleans easily. I was very close to opting for a durable wallpaper. What we did do is had a 2" backsplasshe of the countertop material. This cost more and probably made up for the cost of decent tile. Because the Corian has some resiliency, the fabricator said no caulk. Here's are a couple of photos. I still need to tidy up my paint job ; )

I rather like the kitchen, and I wouldnt be removing any walls. Its a character home, do not take away its retro character. Love the countertops, and I have seen them with the chrome strip around. Chrome strip is not a favorite of mine, but, mostly thats because, someone I knew well, got knocked across her kitchen when lightning hit that chrome strip. Luckily, she was unharmed, and that chrome strip was removed the next day. You may even consider, sanding that paneling since it looks like real paneling, not the cheapie type stuff, and painting it. It looks like it would be a really fun house to live in, dont change so much, that it spoils all that character.

I see several comments about getting new doors but I priced that out a few years ago and it wasn’t so budget friendly. If you really love the wood and all else is o.k. then I’d consider it. My kitchen is partially demolished (replaced tile floor with wood) but the gross old oak uppers with cathedral style arched doors are still there. Don’t paint because it will still look dated. I’ve had charcoal cabinets sitting boxed in my house and garage for a year now (COVID delay) with a shaker style door that has a single cove inside. The factory paint finishes are so much better than home paint jobs, don’t be afraid of them. Although my layout can’t change (too much structural work and the adjacent open laundry room is also getting redone along with the nearby powder room) I did myself a huge favor and now have all drawers below countertops! It will make my life so much easier. We ended up going with Thomasville cabinets that we purchased on sale at Home Depot. They are a quality product outside of the custom realm. I could easily spend 75K on the kitchen alone but it wouldn’t pay since we will probably move in the next 5 to 10 yrs. Again, don’t be afraid of painted cabinets and shop around. My sister did a budget friendly remodel using Cabinets To Go, her navy is gorgeous. Lighter counters and backsplash will do wonders too. Good luck!