First I have to tell you that the previous owners of our house put hardwood floors down on an existing floor in the kitchen and that ended up trapping the dishwasher. We can't get it out to service it without breaking the legs off, and if the legs are broken we can't put it back. We also wouldn't be able to get a new one in without taking off the counter. So think this through no matter which direction you go in.

Second, as per Patricia, there are a lot of people who don't like tile floors. However, I prefer them in the kitchen. I get what she's saying, but I still find them to be more practical than wood and I never spend hours standing in my kitchen. Of the two options you mention, I think the travertine option is better, but there are many people who are busy ripping out their travertine look alike floors in this decade because they are so 10-20 years ago. I don't know if that matters to you - it's your kitchen so I always tell people they should do what they like unless you know you're going to be selling in a couple years.

As far as I know, the last time the white with black insets style floor was popular was during the last century. They also just wouldn't look as good next to wood floors as travertine and white shows everything, which I think is undesirable in a kitchen unless you routinely wash your floor every day.

If you post pictures of your space so people can see your cabinets and the adjacent wood floors you will probably get some constructive advice.

Thank you for your comments. Here is an image of the yet to be built kitchen. The style is kind of a mix between contemporary and traditional. Does this help with flooring suggestions?

I have wood in my kitchen and like it a lot. Remember that over time, real hardwood can be refinished multiple times; when tile cracks, chips, stains, unless you've planned ahead and saved several extras, it is often impossible to repair; also may be dangerously slippery when wet (depending on the tile). Vinyl wears and needs to be replaced eventually but that is easier to do, and vinyl is easy to keep clean.

Have you looked at the modern vinyl composite tiles? Not wood-look though, because that will be obviously fake next to real wood.

I like the classic white/black tile, but in a kitchen, white does show every speck. It is also a style that speaks to a more vintage house - would it truly suit yours?

If you're replacing your cabinets you won't have to worry about trapping your dishwasher. :-) So some of the cabinets are going to be white and some are going to be a medium to dark toned wood? The picture isn't great for detail, so I have to ask if the style of the cabinets is shaker?

A style between traditional and modern is called transitional. Almost all, if not all of the pictures on Houzz of transitional kitchens have wood floors. However, if the idea of tile still appeals, I suggest a medium gray slate look tile. The currently popular size is 12" X 24". If this is going to clash with your furniture then you will have to consider other options. If there is one convenient to you, go to a real tile store (not a big box store) and bring home several samples of different color porcelain tiles to see how they look in your space.

Thank you raee_gw for your comment. The exterior is craftsman. I like the arts and crafts and even art nouveau looks but in a paired down, brighter, modern aesthetic. Does that even make sense? I plan to put William Morris inspired wallpaper in the powder room to introduce some of the British arts and crafts aesthetic, as well as some bold floral wallpaper between the windows on the back wall of the formal dining room.

I have seen a few Craftsman houses that used large (8x8 or 12x12) marmoleum or vinyl composition tile, in a checkerboard pattern, in soft colors (like, ivory and sage green). I thought it looked very nice.

I wonder if you can get a mock up showing something like that, to see if you like it.

I can't quite picture Craftsman any more pared down, LOL! It runs to simplicity, does it not?

I would do wood. If not wood then do linoleum, a natural material that has been used for decades. You can get it in tiles, sheets or click planks.

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I would continue the wood in a lighter tone. I have had wood or engineered wood in several homes and I cook pretty gourmet every day and no problems. Today’s good engineered wood products are great. Love this look. Black and white with mixed woods. Lighter flooring but medium wood on pantry doors. Very cool but welcoming look.

Another vote for hardwood throughout. I have had a few hardwood kitchen floors and thought they stood up incredibly well and were easy to clean.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. It looks like the majority feel wood continuous throughout is the way to go. I have also considered cork and there is one that, from the image, looks like a travertine and wood parquet mix (see link). Thank you Houssaon for the images. The checkerboard pattern does seem to do well against the wood however, I'm not sure if it's because of the cabinetry, but those those kitchens register as having a country feel to them. @kandrewspa- cabinets are a modified Shaker. I am also considering doing all wood cabinets in the tone that Flo Mangan's picture provided. I don't know if that will read too dark and heavy though.

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I would avoid cork. All wood cabinets will look too heavy IMO. All wood leans to “traditional” look and I think, from what you have said, a less traditional look is your preference.

Flo Mangan- Is there a reason you would avoid cork? Is it because of the aesthetic or something to do with functionality/maintenance?

Several reasons. My flooring folks have quit carrying it due to customer dissatisfaction. Folks on Houzz have posted problems however my main problem is I don’t like the feel of it. So I would have to really research it in today’s market to be very sure. Not crazy about how it looks either. With all those concerns there are many more desirable options out there.

I have a bad back and really love standing on my parents' cork kitchen floor, which they had installed 8 years ago. Their floor has weathered well and they have had no problems. This past year we renovated our kitchen and I looked into cork. The market has changed a lot. A ton of companies have been sold and combined. We got samples and did tons of research and couldn't find a company that has as much actual cork in the flooring as what my parents had. Such a small percentage is actually cork and much more of it is just underlayment material.

We also had a hard time finding really experienced installers - and we live in NYC where you can find pretty much anything you want. It used to be very popular here but since so few people are using it, there are fewer installers who really know what they are doing. It is not the most beautiful flooring for sure, so in the end we really could not find a reason to use it.

@Kendrah We wanted cork really badly too but gave it up because we couldn't find experienced installers. We wanted to do the glue down tiles, which have thicker cork than the floating planks. They have to be sanded and finished after installation and no one I spoke to had done it before. Makes me sad.