Thanks Jerzeegirl. Yes, I was thinking the same thing about the darker tile tying it all together. Plus the idea of easier to maintain dark grout is very appealing. I've got the Marazzi tile samples in my bathroom now and like the look, but am concerned about it making the room dark. So hard to tell how bright the room will be after the can lights are added. The bathroom has a South facing window, but I live in a 1950s ranch with a good sized roof overhang which dims the natural lighting a good part of the day. On a previous post someone mentioned that dark floor tiles can make the room feel larger by drawing your eyes upward. This would be a plus. You're right about the floor tile, very hard to find something you love that goes with the other design elements.

check out DDCC laminate its all 12mm and they offer a huge selection.

I had decided on the oak and was going to purchase today and then made one more trip to the local flooring store and found the maple. I thought it might look better but I really have been wanting the R&Q natural white oak. The cabinets have an orange tone in person. The maple worries me because I’ve heard that it will yellow with age. Thanks

The "Maintenance of hardwood floors with Silk Oil finish assumes regular (daily if necessary) cleaning from dust and grit using a vacuum, followed by a thorough cleaning with Coswick Hardwood Floor Cleaner or other similar product." Is 100% normal for hardwoods. The sweeping vacuuming 2-5 times per week is a normal requirement for hardwood (and vinyl and laminate and cork and linoleum). The 'followed by' part does not mean 'immediately afterwards'. A regular 'damp' cleaning (for poly = water only) is 1/week. A regular wood cleaner (for poly) is 1-2 per MONTH. The Silk Oil will be closer to the polyurethane side of things than the oil side of things. Don't get discouraged by the 'maintenance'. These statements are everywhere for hardwood. The part that is closer to hardwax oil is: "In areas where traffic is most intense, it is recommended to periodically apply Coswick restorative cleaners for oiled floors. Such floor cleaners consist of up to 10% wax, and, in addition to cleaning the floor surface from dirt, they renew worn-down finish." The reappliction of the 'oil' back onto the finish is normal for hardwax oils. In essence this finish is a temporary "ail acrylates" 'polish'. The 4 layers means they have thrown down plenty of waxy finish...that needs a bit of a boost from time to time. My issue is the wire brushing. This is a texture that is known to cause issues with cooking oils and spills. I would personally purchase a box of the floor to test test test the finish out for a few months. After that test, you decide if you can handle the high wearing waxy finish and the wire brush texture. European Oak normally requires a HEALTHY budget. Where are you located and what is your total budget and your square footate?