We are going to use marmoleum for our kitchen. Don't like the cold, hard, 13 x 13 white tiles that were installed 18 yrs ago by former owner. Having trouble deciding on sheet or tile. Like checkerboard, but wondering if it will be too busy w/yellow painted cabinets (1918 foursquare house)and whether it will limit future color changes to cabinets and walls. Like lots of the really splattered sheet choices, as it looks like it will really hide dirt - 2 kids and 2 dogs and 2 adults who aren't great housekeepers. Anyone have 2 colors they like for checkerboard patter, or have another geometric pattern they like? Or anyone else w/less neutral sheet? We like greens, blues, yellows and grays.

First, this is a long, narrow plan. The plan is chock-full of windows -- very nice -- but long, narrow plans are typically built in high-density neighborhoods, where privacy is an issue. What I'm saying is, I see some disconnects /some red flags. Overall, is this plan well-suited to the lot? You're allotting a huge amount of space to a very, very large /expensive staircase. Then you're locking that focal point away in a hallway so it can't be appreciated except as you pass through. At the same time, the living /dining room is only 12' wide ... that's the width of a nice-sized secondary bedroom. It's narrow for a living room. If you were to remove the interior wall, you would visually enlarge the living /dining room, you'd allow light to flow through to the staircase, and you'd allow that staircase to become a focal point in your front room. Do measure /place imaginary furniture in this living /dining room. I think you can have a nice dining area and a couple chairs at the end /more of a seating area than a living room -- yes, a fireplace between a couple chairs would be nice here ... but be careful, this is not a big room. Note that you have no place for a china cabinet -- do you care about that? Still talking about the stairs, I don't like the way the stairs jut out in front of the front door. You'll walk in, and the stairs'll be a barrier /tripping hazzard. For the back living area, I'd think about the fireplace on the back wall /flanked by windows. This would allow you to have your main living area to the middle of the house /a small seating area at the back. You don't need two sliding doors side-by-side; doors are more expensive and less secure /less energy efficient than windows. No, I would not put a fireplace in a master bedroom. It's a very big expense, and it'd be locked away in a room that only you see ... and you'd be asleep most of the time you're in that room. No, good sliders are not cheap -- but they are a worthwhile spend. The newer styles are called "gliders"; I think they're trying to set them apart from the old 70s doors.

Riva products are not oiled to my knowledge. If you have soil issues, investigate how the soil is entering the home and try to catch as much as possible at the entries. I know it sound common sense, but many people ignore that step. I prefer some type of scrubby mat outdoors and something soft inside that will catch moisture and residual soil.

Please provide a little more background to your question. You will never successfully match real wood to man made…