Catsanddogs11
Does it matter if it is vinyl tiles or not?
I can't say as I'm obsessed with it but we are about to have our kitchen done and have chosen Karndean flooring so I can give you our reasons for doing so.
Firstly I'm 45, I have never had a new kitchen before and I probably never will again. Having waited my entire adult life to be in a position to have the kitchen I want I am willing to spend the money on a better quality finish including flooring. For that reason the lino we've always had previously is out. Not that there's anything wrong with lino, it's done us proud for decades.
Secondly neither of us like laminate flooring so that's out and we don't want other wood options as there is already a lot of wood in the units so it would be too much we want tiles.
We love the look of real stone but it is cold on the feet and I generally go barefoot at home. Plus it is very unforgiving if you drop anything so real stone is out.
We looked at porcelain and ceramic tiles but again they are cold, and one of them (I've forgotten which way round) prone to cracking if you drop a heavy object on it so we ruled those tile options out.
Which brings us to Karndean. It is the best quality non stone stone effect option that has a warmth to the touch, won't crack when I drip a pot/tin of beans on it, might have some give if I drop a plate/cup on it and comes in a realistic looking effect that matches our other choices.
My partner's aunt has had Karndean flooring in her flat for 12 years and it still looks good as new so we know it is hard wearing. Not being the sort of people who chop and change décor every other year it is a good, long lasting option for us even if it is pricey (though we do get it at cost as a family member runs a flooring business so that cuts the price a bit for us).