Would I be mad to have white oak flooring downstairs?

[fluttershyby]

Hi,
I need to choose flooring for a new house. I've fallen in love with a white oak laminate but am worried how easy it is to keep it looking nice.
We're a no shoes indoors household, children under 10, currently no pets but thinking of getting a cat.
I'm not a big fan of cleaning and do not want to mop it every day. Has anyone got light flooring in the living/kitchen areas? What is it like?
Should I just stick to the white oak in the bedrooms and pick something darker for downstairs?
Have you got any recommendations? My sofa is a dark brown and furniture is Mexican pine. Budget it around £15sqm.

[user1471549018]

darker flooring shows the dust much more quickly ime. The best way to hide dirt is to make sure it's not a solid colour- as long as there's a bit of a mix (like wood grain) it's difficult to spot the dust. Laminate doesn't tend to do well in kitchens although I don't think your budget will stretch to karndean type flooring

[mintthins]

We're in the process of putting down new wood flooring and I was advised to avoid the white because scratches would really show up (dogs though not a cat). It might be different for laminate but worth double checking.

[fluttershyby]

Thanks, it's not a solid white, kind of white/grey wash. I've attached a pic with the furniture colour next to it. It said it was suitable for kitchens...
I don't think I can stretch to karndean as need to do all of the house.
I guess I could put something different in the kitchen.