roygbiv, this was exactly what I planned on doing. I have had the HARDEST time choosing between cream painted cabinets or the cherry... but for now, I am saying Cherry (but I so love cream too!!) and I will do the island in cream. jejvtr, thanks for all the links.. I got "stuck" on the rate my space, and spent a couple hours on it!! (of course, 2nd guessing myself again!) I did have hardwood in the kitchen in our last house, and I did really love it, however, I only lived there 7 months - barely enough time to settle in. The flooring is a Spanish mahogany, so it is a different wood species, yet I am not sure if it has enough of a contrast, or if it doesn't really matter much if I am going with a lighter (either in the gold or beige) granite and doing the island in a cream glaze.

Thanks for all your responses. 1. I will replace the door casing once I am done dealing with the transition issue. 2. The problem with the transition piece and its resolution depends a lot on whether I can safely remove the piece - I installed it (and the tiles about 8 months ago) so it certainly is firmly seated. So, is it possible to remove it, without doing much damage to the surrounding tiles? 3. If i can remove it, then I want to proceed as follows (please see figure below for directions): . (i) Once I remove the transition piece, I will extend the tile from the bathroom (I still have extras left) by 2" into the doorway (see "A" above). (ii). Note, the laminate planks were not finished evenly either .. "C" is a bit wider (about 1/2", while "D" is a bit tighter, about 1/8". So, I will first straighten the laminate ends by trimming it evenly at the "C" level. (iii) Extend the laminate tiles to cover "B", using a 2.5" horizontal plank. (iv) Alternatively, I will just replace the marble transition strip with a slightly wider one (about 4.5"). (4) But If I am unable to / or it is not advisable to remove the transition strip safely, then, I will even out the gab between the transition, and the laminate tile, and use the caulk as suggested to cover any residual gaps. thanks again and please, let me know your thoughts on my plans thanks - Oyiwaa

Not sure I'm following with the "age of the hardwoods" issue, but I've never seen the traditional wood tile look anything remotely close to actual hardwood (grout lines, repeating patterns) - but one alternative: they make some interesting parquet type wood tiles. https://www.tilebar.com/barberry-decor-nocciola-24x24-matte-porcelain-tile.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrfwSflz_oEHC6XQTPXeJvsJm_UWSWm355e1emzHFzt5DxvLVZ6ZJNsaAumiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Depending on the style of your home, if you found something like this in a similar stain/color, it could work.

Well the kitchen is almost done. The floor is my favourite thing! Absolutely love them! It is porcelain wood plank layed herringbone butting up against the hardwood floor. The hardwood and porcelain floors do not look the same but they do have the same tone. I think they look great together. It was hard to get a good pic because the lighting is different in the kitchen vs the hall.