Thank you all. I had a talk today with a friend who fixes up old houses and sells them. He sided with the porcelain tile crowd. He suggested 18" or 24" tiles because there are less grout lines, narrow gap for grout, and dark grout. I saw a show on TV recently where the man laying tile mixed the grout 1/4 water and 3/4 sealer. That way the grout is sealed all the way through and sealed permanently. My friend also said he'd would help me do the tile - he suggested laying them on a diagonal since my bathroom is small. He said it would give an illusion of more space.

Stuck to them in what way? Like splinters? Or things getting caught in between the boards? Either way, it doesn't sound like they were installed or finished correctly. Properly installed and sealed hardwoods are fairly easy to maintain. But if you don't want hardwood, go for tile. There is nothing wrong with tile in a kitchen and for years it's also anybody would even consider putting in there. Go with what will make you happiest.

Definitely no to two conversation areas, but yes to opening it up and taking advantage of the entire space. I'm not sure how far you are on your selections, but Ethan Allen offers Complementary Design services with your purchase, and I can honestly say working one on one with someone to create a tailored, cohesive space for you down to the exact measurements and circulation of a space plan is very valuable for pieces you want to own and fit for a long time. If you want more info, you can PM me. Otherwise, good luck with your space and congratulations on your new home! I like the idea of sofa + 2 chairs or Sectional + 1 or 2 small chairs.... not everything has to match, just balance well!

You need to see the packaging. It MUST SAY: "Safe for use with Hardwoods". Latex or man-made rubber products have 'plasticizers' in them. These are chemicals that allow the rubber/latex to stay soft and pliable; in a word 'rubbery'. The plasticizers are the things that cause chemical reactions with the chemicals on the wood (aka. polyurethane). The OP asked if rubber was ok if it is moved around 'a lot'. The answer is: it will make it LESS nasty in 10 years. And by 'a lot' I mean you move the mat 10ft over here. And then the next day you move it 10ft over there. And then maybe the next day you move it 3ft back. And then 3ft forward. If you mean, I pick it up for 5 minutes and put it down in the same spot (or within a few inches of the same spot), then no. It won't help - at all. Rubber damages hardwood floor finishes. Unless the company SPECIFICALLY states "100% Lifetime guarantee Not to damage your Hardwood flooring", then leave it on the shelf. Because if it doesn't come with the guarantee than you can be guaranteed it will damage the floor. As for 'high wear' areas, wood does just fine. The finish will take the abuse (which is why it is there in the first place) and when the finish wears through (10 - 25 years or so...depending on the finish) you simply pay someone to sand and refinish your flooring and you have another 25 years of life. @ OP if you have a link to the company, I can tell you what type of finish and what type of longevity you can expect. I've tried looking up "Hardwood Canada" and it comes up as generic...which means it is an off-brand from somewhere. I've seen the name many times but have been unable to pull up anything meaningful about the floors (ie. where the product is made, who carries it, the name of the finish, the species used, the Indoor Air Quality Controls, etc). Please send a link. I'm dying to sink my teeth into these guys. I'm in Vancouver BC...so 'Hardwood Canada' should be something I can access easily.