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Remodeling Flooring Kitchens

Kitchen Help! Granite, cabinet, wood look tile etc.

Athena Nicolaides

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hi all,

Attached are some proposed photos of our kitchen renovation ideas. I am struggling with the floor the most. My husband wants wood-look tile. The tile will go into the kitchen area and the kitchen addition (the red room). The issue is that the wood look tile will go up against actual hardwood floors where the living room is. The hardwood floors will eventually get replaced in the future in a not-so-orange hue. We have narrowed it down to two tiles with my favorite one being the lighter of the two. I know it's a huge no-no putting wood tile up against real wood, but does the fact that these tiles are a completely different color work in this situation? Only about 2 feet max (maybe a bit less) of the hardwood will show up against the tile because it's in the living room and it's usually covered up by a really large red Persian rug. So in my living room, you really only see the hardwood in the perimeter areas of the room.

I had an interior designer feature these photos on her blog and she told me I basically made horrible selections and that I need to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch. I'd like some opinions from all of you. Does the floor tile, cabinet, and granite go?? Husband loves granite because of the durability and we've had it for the past 15 years and we are just used to having granite. The cabinet color is Barley from Kraftmaid.

In the photos, please ignore that little wood sample that's up against the granite. We originally selected Honey Spice but I heeded the advice of a designer on here and changed the cabinet color to the Barley stain that you see in the other photos. I have also included photos of the current space that will be renovated so you all have an idea of the space. Basically we are redoing the entire kitchen and the wall between the kitchen and the dining room (where the fridge currently is) is coming down and there will be an island in the middle.

Renovations start in less than a month! I appreciate all of your feedback. Thanks!

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Comments (7)

biondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
3 years ago
IMO the Barley cabinets work well with the darker (more variegated) floor tile but not the lighter one. Neither of those floor tiles would be my choice to go with that granite. If your husband has his heart set on one of those floor tiles, I would look for a different granite altogether and possibly a different cabinet color.
Athena Nicolaides
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks! We already ordered the cabinets. We also put a down payment on the granite, but I suppose there is still time to change it. What kind of tile would you suggest instead of these? the only thing I can think of at this point is large porcelain square tiles in a solid color, especially given our hardwood issue.
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I love a wood floor in the kitchen. We had light stained oak for 17 yrs & it wore well & was not high maintenance to keep it (looking) clean. Our floors are dark now. It is more maintenance but we are empty nesters. Matching your dining room should be doable but it would involve stripping & restaining the DR floor to get a good match with the kitchen. Go out & look at cabinets. Find inspiration pictures you love. Decide on a cabinet and then address the floors. You can save "Idea Books" on Houzz. When you see something about a kitchen you like, save it in an Idea Book. It will save you time later on when you have all those other decisions to make...lighting, cabinet height, moulding, backsplash, countertops, etc. Can you post pictures of your wood trim? You'll get more responses & advice with pictures & when you're up to it, a layout of your current kitchen.
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The pattern of the tile is fairly common for 12x24 tiles(stock set). However, it should always be discussed with the customer first( with at least a drawn detail of direction and how it is to be installed, Second, worked from the center of the room so it looks balanced to the eye, also if that back part were the wall is in fact a an extremely small shower, then the comment before me is right, you do have MUCH bigger problems. I have been a floor covering contractor for close to 30 years, and no matter how small a project is, it is important for an installer and customer to go over the customers wants( best to get it in writing). One can always show a customer setting patterns with some tiles(as they are not tile contractors. Some customers will say,(you are the expert, do what you feel is best), which can result in customers being upset with the end result.
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try some quartz-Cambria has buckingham and bellingham that would be nice..then for a little contrast I'd put a dk walnut wood top on that sideboard/serving area to the side. Quartz is what comes to mind for your space for some reason-maybe even the ones with some sparkle. I think because you have a pretty/ish, light feel to your space, I don't envision granite...quartz has a softer ambience to it.
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Living with my Karndean Warm Ash 9" planks for 2 months. Its very pretty, love 9" and the color. I was going for exactly whT the OP was goung for and the look is right. But. Has no bevel. Not Into cleaning, the idea of any bevel sounded gross with my not so often cleaning. Wish I had done a micro bevel if it was avail. Didnt even consider and wish I had. Prof install, Karndean is not maybe the best but decent brand......the ends of the planks stick up just a tiny bit. Most noticeable when walking down the hallway as the planks are laid Ling. Really distracting. And of course I can't imagine it not chipping. Really sad, super expensive small new build. Other thoughts, I hate the grain in lvp. although I went with a very minimal grain, again the idea if dirt building up in the grin was gross. But even with minimal grain you notice if you Re sweeping with or against the grain. You have to sweep with the grain. I have soft spots that you can feel give. Drives me nuts. No noise, just give. Btw that and the flex in in the trex I feel like I'm living in a fun house mystery spot. Wish I had gone glue down but assumed it was some cheap way to go. It can be fixed, click cannot. No give.
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biondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
3 years ago
The sky is the limit when it comes to tile flooring - the options are basically infinite. 12x24 is a popular size these days, or you could consider a different shape (large format hex?) or pattern (herringbone?). Do some googling for inspiration photos. Or have you taken your cabinet door and a granite sample to a tile shop yet? They may be able to offer advice and/or inspiration.
Athena Nicolaides
Original Author
3 years ago
I have gone to two tile shops. I might have to go again and see what else I can find, as the times we went we were more focused on the wood tile only. The place I got the granite from doesn’t give out samples, which is a royal pain in the butt because then I have to make another trip to the granite place too! I love hex tiles and herringbone. Do you think I’m at least on the right track with the color of the flooring?? I feel bad driving my husband crazy with this, but it’s a huge area that needs to be tiled and I don’t want to make a bad decision.
biondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
3 years ago
I don't care for the cabinets and granite together - I would choose a different granite and then worry about the floors. Since there are limitless options for tile it will be much easier to find a tile that works with the other two elements than vice versa.
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
OK...here's the thing with real wood vs. fake. When you put both of them up against each other you will cause EACH of them to look 'fake'. Yep. Even the real stuff looks fake. You really should be looking at stone or tile looking vinyl. Or you go with lino or cork. Do NOT use fake wood floors in the kitchen! Don't. Do. It!

You will calmly and firmly tell your partner to STAY OUT of the kitchen floor decision.

#1. You already have a hardwood floor that will be REFINISHED (not replaced...refinished) later

#2. You have wood grain cabinets chosen = two different woods visible to one another

#3. You have a VERY busy slab picked out and that slab reads greenish-gray

You already have TWO woods that are within just a few feet of each other (cabinet wood and flooring wood). To add a fake wood means you want to add a THIRD wood-look/tone into the same space. That's WAY too much.

IF you want wood-look in the kitchen then use it EVERYWHERE. Rip out the real wood (please don't) and throw down the fake stuff throughout the level in your house.

And please use painted cabs rather than wood cabs....cause it can be very difficult to get real wood (the stained cabinets) to look "OK" with fake (not even 'good'...just 'ok').

So...tell partner that you can have the fake wood in the kitchen SO LONG AS everything else changes. Snort! That will cause MASSIVE upset in the house hold. I guarantee it.

Then calmly state, "OK. So that's not an option. The easiest way to do this is to pick stone-looking products. It is much easier. Everything else stays the same."

Go ahead and google "travertine look" vinyl or tile. You will see HUNDREDS of them on line. Pick one that allows the COUNTER TOPS to be the star...You can only have ONE DIVA in a kitchen. Right now that DIVA is the counter tops.

Everything else needs to be part of the back-up cast.
Athena Nicolaides
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you both! I went down to my basement and found extra tile from when we tiled down there a few years ago. It's basically in the same color as the lighter wood look tile but looks like marble and it's still available if we want to buy it. We also looked at hardwood floors today and none of them seem to work with this color cabinet. I definitely think I like this stone look way more than the wood-look tile look. I guess maybe because it's tile looking like tile instead of trying to be something that it's not.

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