amylville, That is one gorgeous entry! I love your railing! We've put on hold an addition to our tiny front entry- but looking at that pic, I think I want to go out and buy some slate tile and get 'er done this weekend! (Who knows we may have to go years before doing the addition!) Could you show a pic of the stairs from the door view? I'd like to see your risers and how the treads are finished off at the edges. Sorry for the hijink- roey!

Did you try putting some dirt (i.e., mud) on the sample to see how easy it was to clean off? I tried this on a couple different porcelain samples. One was impossible to wipe clean with a damp cloth, it needed a brush to get the mud out of the tiny crevices. The other wiped clean very easily. Fortunately the second one was at HD and half the price of the one at the tile store. I was very surprised at the results because they both were porcelain, looked very similar and felt the same. Go figure. I might add that it did show the dirt which was disappointing. Didn't think it would as it was a medium-light beigey color, slightly moddeled, similar to travertine. At least I don't have to keep it clean, its in a rental house!

A white vinegar 50/50 solution should work, but might bleach out the grout colour. I would use a neutral PH cleaner. Just check the label...

Thanks for your comment and bottom line suggestion, Linda. My sister and close neighbor have been advising me of the same thing. Accordingly, I have been doing more investigating into how to easily clean the unglazed porcelain and also checking into other flooring options. My neighbor suggests Marmoleum, which would be appropriate to our 1926 home. My sister-in-law has Marmoleum in her kitchen and strongly recommends it, as she finds it hard to clean. It also does not have the longevity of tile. I have been searching for a matte glazed porcelain floor tile and finally met with some success yesterday. There is a good bit of such tile in black and white, but not much in other colors. Yesterday at Daltile, I found a matte glazed porcelain hex in some colors including a couple greys and a greyish green, which is what I'm after. It comes in various sizes including the 2" hex I am after and can be paired with a 1" square black for the perimeter border I'd like to have. Daltile carries this tile, which is made by Cepac and it can be found on the Cepac website. Good luck!