Kitchen floor - paralysed by indecision!

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I have to choose some kitchen flooring very soon as kitchen installer starts next month.

It's a small kitchen woth doorways to the living room and to a large room (extension) that runs the width of the house.

I'd like the same tiles in the kitchen and in the extension room.

Problem is that the living room is oak floored.

Oak and laminate is ruled out because the garden is accessed via the kitchen and the extension and existing lamintae has been water damaged by rain (kids leaving back door open).

I don't really want vinyl.

That leaves tiles.

So I need a tile that:

goes well with the oak in the living room
is non-slip (for kitchen)
looks good in larger extension which is a room used as a reception/TV room
goes well with new kitchen units - which will be Shaker Ivory (with ivory plinth)
isn't too large - as the kitchen is small
is not too light in colour
is porcelain for durability

Do I

a) use different tiles for kitchen and extension
b) run the same tile throughout
there are doors separating both rooms

For the kitchen I am considering Wickes Capri which are a nice caramel colour and have matt/ slighty gritty surface.
These could work throughout kitchen and extension room.

Or Oak Effect Tile
Which I don't think would work in the kitchen but do work very well with the existing living room oak planks (have tried a sample)

Or any other ideas gratefully received.

Thank you

By the back door, put in a BIG mat well - the width of the door, squared - you can by doormat off the roll at B&Q
that's the rain problem sorted
then have whatever floor you want fitted to be flush with the top of the mat or slightly higher
I have bamboo and love it

"I don't really want vinyl.

That leaves tiles."

Have you considered Karndean/Amtico. It is technically vinyl but is warmer than tiles and hard wearing. Water no problem (you need to mop it because it's slippery but so is every hard floor). Comes in wood effect or tile effect.

Was just going to suggest Karndean or Amtico. We are getting kitchen and conservatory done in a limestone tile effect. You can order a brochure and 6 samples from their websites.

We considered Karndean etc, but in the end I decided I wanted something that wasn't trying to be something it wasn't, if that makes sense. So we've just put down natural slate tiles. They're a relatively light colour and so far I really like them. Depends how bothered you are about warmth etc, but at least with a natural material you know what you're getting.

We got Parmesan for our kitchen and bathrooms. It's very practical. Easy to clean etc.

We had slate tiles before but it was too cold for my feet in a morning and I am clumsy and kept a smashing stuff on it.

I mean Karndean not parmesan

Why don't you want vinyl? Karndean or amtico is brilliant stuff and so much warmer than tiles. I know it's not what you asked but I'd definitely at least consider it, it's brilliant stuff. I have a very cold kitchen and bathroom and I cannot wait to replace it with karndean. Last winter was baltic.

Really not struck on Karndean /Amtico / Parmesan /laminate type solutions.

I have a tiler arranged to tile the kitchen (at least) and could ask him to continue tiling into the extension room.

The extension room is south facing and absolutely boiling in summer - so tiled floor would keep it cool. It's not a conservatory - it's a proper brick wall and tiled roof extension so I'm trying to be careful not to pick tiles that could make it llok like a conservatory.

Basically, the question is - What colour goes well with ivory kitchen units and golden oak floors?

The door mat from B&Q is something I shall look into Talkinpeace - thanks

my back door mat fits seven pairs of dumped wellies with room to step over them. I love it !

What about cork? I don't have it but wish we'd know about it when we had the same flooring dilemma as you after an extension. Alternatively, I'd just used quarry tiles now. The ones about 20cm x 20cm.

I can undersatnd why you don't want vinyl. It is that thing of one thing pretending to be something else...

We looked at cork - but once the surface is damaged its a wreck.
Our bamboo is 13 mm thick - so if needs be we can have the whole lot sanded back and re sealed ... and it looks like nothing else except bamboo - the tight grain is VERY forgiving of scratches (luckily, as we are a boots on house)

I've been googling images og Shaker Cream kitchens and there seem to be

a) wood floor - similar to the wood worktops. Well that's out as wood would just not work for me with an outside door and 2 cats.

b) cream coloured tiles - which actually look OK and could probably work in the extension, which is white walls and beech furniture

c) black / grey tiles. I don't think these look too good next to an oak floor and are too dark for a small litchen. I wouldn't be able to have those in the extension - it would make it look too small.

So Cream, Porcelain, Matt, 30-45cm square Tiles.

I don't want to lay in brick bond / staggered style - just traditional style.

Can anyone recommend a good tile?

Thank you - you are all actually helping me to narrow this down.

I came on to say wood - we have walnut in our kitchen and I would never have anything other than wood. It's warm, doesn't shatter things if they drop and hides a multitude of crumbs.... The room also opens to the garden and we have three children and a large dog (plus a 'turtle mat' at the back door.)

I do get that you've decided against it though so, sorry, I'm no help!!

(Oh and I have a pale porcelain tile in my walkway and it drives me bonkers as it shows every wet footprint)

Arghh! Trouble with wood is the dents. My oak living room floor was laid in April and already has 2 quite large dents where things have been dropped. Not worth sanding out but very irritating to look at. It wouldn't stand the rain driving in when the kids leave the back door open either - although still looking at the doormat option.

Has noonw got any nice beige / light tan / tiles?

But karndean really does look like wood.

view.pagetiger.com/UKResidentialBrochure/issue-two

see what you think

That floor is niiiice

I am fancying the same floor throughout my downstairs. Hmm. Interesting thread

Oops that was meant to be niiiice

Can you get that Sarah Beeney show (double your house something or other) on catch up from last night? They showed the most amazing kitchen flooring - some type of poured stuff. Sorry - very vague - looked fab though!

If anyone is looking for a cheaper version of karndean, tlc is apparently just as good (made in the same factory) but half the price. Not as much choice though.

Could you not just go for a stone-effect porcelain tile, textured not polished, and in a warm light brown/slightly terracotta that tones with the oak floor. Take a bit of flooring to a local tile shop or borrow some samples from them.

If you want to look online, have a look at Marlborough tiles porcelain floor tiles, they are lovely IRL, I had some samples for my floor although in the end they were a bit too pricey. But tile shops always have hundreds of different tiles, loads more than Wickes.

I don't see how anything can fail to go with cream, it's a neutral colour.

we used karndean in our kitchen. its wood effect and everyone who has seen it asked where we got our wood from - it looks very realistic. we also used it in our hall, which is a different pattern to the ones in our kitchen, and love it. I wouldn't go back to tiles in kitchen now ive used karndean - they are too cold and too hard.

We have wooden floor (Kährs) in our kitchen-dining room, with a long mat at the sink and one at the patio door (which gets used as access by everyone, as we use the garden gate to go to shops/bus/train).
After one year the floor looks new. No damage at all (3 dc, 1dog).

I love wooden floor and we have it throughout the house, but never had it in the kitchen before and would do it again.

We are barefoot people (well, socks from November-March) and tiles are just painfully cold in a room we spend most of our time in.

If tiles, then Villeroy&Boch. Have those in the bathroom and they are great. Remember to get tiles that can stand having stuff dropped on them, my sister's kitchen has quite a few chips in the tiles.

Went to flooring showroom thsi afternoon to look in detail at the options.

Decided on steel grey, square porcelain tile.

All the beiges either looked to pinky / too yellowy or just too 'cold'.

If I really can't live with it when it's been laid I shall cover it with Karndean. (Didn't realise that Karndean is a bit like lino).

The extension will be a very realistic wood effect tile that's in planks of 15 x 90 laid randomly. It's exactly the same shade as the real stuff in the living room. I think the grey in the kitchen will be a good contrast that defines the different rooms.

Thank you all for your help. Appreciated.