help with flooring issue in multipurpose room

[Thandeka]

Hi,
We are buying a house with a room off the galley kitchen which is going to double as eating/kids play/my study and probably informal seating area (ie. will have a sofa and TV) so really its a family room. I am having issues deciding on flooring (I loathe laminate) but think it needs to be something easy clean (so not carpet) around the dining area but then a HUGE rug in the half of the room that isn't an eating area so its a bit cosier. (knowing what the area under DD's highchair is like under current carpetted area- then it just can't be carpet throughout the room- though DH thinks it will be fine - he is anti any non carpet option.

Alternatively we have split flooring so have a "walkway" of easy clean lino/laminate or something on the half of the room from kitchen and to door opposite, then the other half of room capetted but I think this may look very odd?

Any ideas advice?

We have a large kitchen, dining, sofa area room, with access to the garden. We have Amtico. It is hard wearing and easy to clean. Where the TV and sofa is we have a rug to make it cosier and nicer for DS2 to play on the floor.

proper lino/amtico/karndean stuff. under floorheating if cold an issue. large rug to define the seating bit as a sep area. carpet in it- burning money. Specially if the room has to be walked through from back garden to the loo.

I wouldn't split the floor up..have you considered engineered wood