I am not crazy about tile. It's hard on the feet and legs. I also don't like cleaning the grout although you can make the grout line very small and dark so that would make it easier to clean. I do love wood. I just think it feels nice underfoot, and I think it gives a warmer overall look. Wood is pretty easy to keep clean. I just use a damp dry mop on mine. My dogs are big and have scratched my wood floors, but it doesn't bother me. One day I will have them resanded and stained.

The person to ask about pricing more hardwood and installing it is your hardwood flooring professional. Ask them what his labour/material costs would look like if he laced in new hardwood into the kitchen and then sanded/refinished everything at once. So long as you can find the same plank width, cut and species (very important) it is very possible this can be done for less than you think. These narrow planks are relatively cheap because they are not in fashion. Sourcing them may take a bit of time (especially if they need to be milled for you) but other than that, it isn't a huge impact on the budget. It should be less than a tile floor.

Can anyone see this besides me (the OP)? I can only get to this thread via my own account -- it does not appear in the KITCHENS forum.

"oak trim clashes with everything". why is painting it now not an option?? it's the one thing in that room that doesn't go w/anything. painting all that baseboard white, as well as the trim, will look so much better. The staircase could also look 10X better with either a new stain, or paint it black. at the very least, do the risers in black or white. Using your rug as a jump-off point, here are some other decor elements. you could use your camel leather sofa, ottoman, and just add some other black/white elements. Gravity is a purple gray. you need to find more of a neutral gray shade that works w/the flooring. (but you'll still need to paint out that trim! ) . Crushed ice is a nice gray, but very light. I love these color combos in your room. they would look great w/your wood ceiling and white trim if you feel you have to have orange trim work and baseboards, try a warmer gray in this color family. bring in some other warmer shades, as long as they work w/the gray floor. also, if you want to keep all the wood along the stairs, it might be worth stripping off the clear coat finish. over time, the clear coat yellows, giving you the orange tint. if you took it back to raw wood and finished it in the same tone of your ceiling, it might look a bit better. but I'd still do the baseboards in white. Here they are against a polished concrete. so much better looking. notice the oak in more of a natural finish. your could look like this.