iI

i want to keep the tile border.

Raise the floor so whatever you do, there won’t be a step down. Safer for kids and older folks.

debra

even if you keep the border, runn the flooring in the same direction as the existing floor, so it doesn't draw attention. Herringbone is too busy.

I would raise the floor and then use wall to wall carpet. If you use tile, you'll still want to likely install an area rug and that's just too much going on for the space.

definitely NO carpet. I live in Scottsdale, AZ and just having carpet is a dust magnet. and it's so much harder to keep clean. I don't even want an area rug but that's easy enough to add later. I am considering either an diagonal or vertical pattern

tt

If you cannot match the floor so the room floor appears continuous, I don't see the benefit in raising the floor for such a small area. I'd leave it.

Additionally, windows less than 18" above the finished floor have to have tempered glass.

Your inspiration photos are a wood floor showroom with large laid sample areas and a kitchen-great room done in the same wood stain but with a different size/pattern. If you can't find more of your existing tile .... just mixing in a random tile with what you have now, is not going to give you the same results.

How much area do your current tile floors cover? Is there a better location to do the break? Maybe at doorways?

@BeverlyFLADeziner my 82 year old mother lives with me. the sunken living room is a trip hazard.

and as my original post indicated, I'm looking for suggestions on the layout of the new TILE or WOOD planks, nothing else. thank you.

I have heard of people who replace such carpet with marble. Could you move your dining area to the newly raised floor, with perhaps a marble floor, and use the original higher area as your family room?

@chispa the ENTIRE downstairs (probably over 1500 SQ feet) is covered in this tile. not looking to tear up my existing floors, just looking for a wood-look tile that will compliment the existing floors.

@jackowskib thank you for the EXCELLENT reply! yes the idea of soft cream that doesn't have much of a grain would be good. that color wasn't one I even considered. I was going towards a grayish or taupe colour but I like the cream idea. I will see if there is a Tilebar close to me, hopefully they have a good designer that can help me pick out some tile floors.

I would not want contrasting flooring in that space since it is pushed in a corner - if it were me, I’d try to pull current flooring where i could (closets etc) and see if I could shrink the area that needs new material,

for the new tile I would choose something close to the existing tile and use an area rug to cover it the bulk of it -

at some point I would replace all the flooring and fix my short term solution

I think you will have a hard time finding something that will complement your current tile. It is going to look like an odd patched area. It is what it is.

Have you had a consultant from a tile store come to your home and give some suggestions?

@Valinta I have an appointment tomorrow at the store for ideas.

@la_la Girl thanks for pointing that out! I didn't think about that space pushed into the corner. I figured it would be an easy replacement because that space right now already has carpet which of course does not match the rest of the flooring downstairs.

unfortunately since the existing floors are essentially ceramic tile, there is no way of removing them intact. I also have no plans of re-doing the entire downstairs just to match a small space.

I will ask the designer at the tile store and see what she says about what you pointed out.

Are you going to keep it empty for playspace or will you furnish the area? If you have plans to furnish it then I think once a nice large area rug and furnishings are added you won’t notice a tile that it’s bit different - a perfect match would be ideal but sometimes we just have to make do

just remember it’s pretty much empty now so the flooring seems central - I think it will play a smaller role with large area rug, couches, tables, lamps, armchairs….

FWIW we lived in a home for 3 years before noticing the master bath with slightly different floor tiles in one area (prob a different lot) I am pretty observant and didn't notice it (neither did the couple who bought the house from us 😅)

Maybe a Hexagon tile would blend. You could treat it like an area rug.

Bedrosians Makoto Hexagon 10 in. x 10 in. Matte Tatami Beige Porcelain Floor Tile (10.76 sq. ft./Case) DECMAKTABHEX10M - The Home Depot

I'm curious what the consultation yielded. I like your idea of a slightly contrasting wood look tile placed on a diagonal. Then you would need to intentionally place your furniture in the area the same way you would as though it were an area rug that is defining the space.

Kudos to you making your home safe for your mom and keeping the dust down!

Have you checked out what is required for those windows once you raise the floor . I did this for a client years ago and they had to replace all the windows either choice was new all safety glass or raise the windows . As for the flooring I sure do not like that herringbone accent in the inspo pic so no to that idea . How close to what you have now can you find? I have sometimes been able to just run a new floor in another direction and have it look okay. Then add a huge area rug to take your eye aways from the mismatch.