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Flooring Design Dilemma Kitchens

Can you do faux wood look flooring with real natural wood cabinets?

charmshousestuff

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Our kitchen is mixed, white shaker with gold hardware, and white oak with black hardware. Open concept. Kitchen, dinning and living is all the same room. We live in Florida and the floor is concrete- Cant do real wood because of needing to add sub floor etc and door heights. What tile flooring would look best with my real white oak cabinets? Feeling like wood look will look that much more 'fake'. And we want the custom island to stand out more than the flooring. Photo is island color- dont like the grey stone floor.

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Comments (5)

Sharon Fullen
2 years ago
Faux wood in any form just doesn't hold up to real. If real wood isn't possible, your next bet is concrete, ceramic or porcelain tile with slip-resistant surface. You aren't wild about grey but do other colors appeal to you. Take a drawer with you to a local tile dealer and let them help you find a neutral tile to let the wood shine.
mojavemaria
2 years ago
Our engineered hardwood flooring is floated over concrete floors. No need for a subfloor just a thin underlayment which can be felt or foam. The wood isn’t attached to floor but is glued to its tongue and groove sides.
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I had the same dilemna. I have golden oak floors throughout the rest of the house, but I wanted a darker floor in the kitchen. I would have loved an rustic, wide plank wood floor. This floor would not have matched the floors in the rest of the house and I was warned that the transitions from one floor to the other would not look so good by the saddles. In the end, I decided to go with the wood look tile because it works better with radiant heat than wood. I am so glad we did. Between the children and dog it was a good choice for us. I still have to stain the saddles at the two doorways that lead out of the kitchen, but it will be fine. If I used any floor other than golden oak, I would have the transition issue anyway. Love my tile floor! So easy to maintain.
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I have to agree with the majority here and say my preference would be to avoid putting any material that is faux next to it's real counter part. Fake travertine tiles next to the real stone, laminate with a granite look next to a granite counter, and vinyl wood look next to real wood flooring. I think each has it's own place and look nice on their own, but they shouldn't be installed next each other. I also have to agree about the wood floors. We have Brazilian walnut in our kitchen and it's held up great. Our electricity went out once for 4 days, the fridge leaked water all over the floor and we thought for sure it was going to require replacing. Within a matter of a couple of days, it had dried out completely and looked good as new. I love having the wood in our kitchen and doubt I'll ever have anything else. If the only reason you are putting vinyl in your kitchen is because you don't feel it's a good fit please reconsider; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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Wendy: that's certainly an even harder combo to find: a galley kitchen with a unique painted/wood cabinet mix! Thanks so much for thinking of me and sharing it! :) arialvetica: you rock! Wow did you find lots of great inspiration photos! I especially like that kitchen by Tineke Trigg. I've saved all the photos I could find of that kitchen and the adjoining dining room. I still haven't 100% confirmed what the final design will be but I do really want to bring in some bold colour somewhere! I love that comment your builder made about your KD. Ha ha...
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https://www.flooranddecor.com/porcelain-tile/truewood-cream-wood-plank-porcelain-tile-100480698.html#srule=Price+Low+to+High2&sz=120&showBrand=true&start=1 There is also this one at about 1/2 the price. https://www.flooranddecor.com/porcelain-tile/bradford-natural-wood-plank-porcelain-tile-100503457.html#srule=Price+Low+to+High2&sz=120&showBrand=true&start=43
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Ephma
2 years ago
Your island is lovely. I wouldn’t do faux wood on the floor. Besides, the contrast between the gray floor and the island is really nice. But I like the gray tile.
julieste
2 years ago
Go to a real flooring store (not a big box store like Floor & Decor) and take a look at high quality SPC (luxury vinyl plank with a stone core). Today's higher end SPC versions really do an excellent job of mimicking real wood, and in many cases it takes a very discerning eye to tell the difference. Despite knowing that for my scenario a SPC would be best, I temporarily listened to people here who kept insisting that engineered hardwood is much superior. I went to a flooring store to compare the SPC I was thinking about with engineered hardwood. Unless I was willing to spend at least double the cost of my higher end SPC, the engineered wood didn't have nearly as nice a look and it needs more care and babying.

This comes from someone else in Florida. We aren't right on the water but pretty close to it, and we have a cement slab. I didn't want tile because it is so hard on your back.

I am putting in natural maple cabinets with Karndean SPC flooring in a French oak. Also, our association has warned homeowners who are on the first floor with a cement slab (like we have) about problems other owners have had with engineered wood and moisture.

The color I have chosen probably wouldn't work for you because it is too close to the color of your cabinet, but I thought I'd show you an example of their products. They have some truly lovely, very realistic products.

Van Gogh - French Oak (VGW85T) · More Info
User
2 years ago
I personally like finished concrete floors, but it is a more modern look. I also like the slate tile in your inspo pic, but it sounds like you don't? why not?

personally I wouldn't do a faux wood floor of any kind next to real wood cabinets, but perhaps they have some really good ones now. don't try to match the cabinet color, that will be the worst. shop around. if you find one you like, check the return policy, and order one box so you can experience a really large sample. lay it all out right next to the cabinets and live with it for at least a full day, so you can get a really good feel for how it looks as the light changes. what's important is if you like it. if you don't like it, return it!

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