I've just pulled out the kitchen...

[Gardeningnotdiy]

Yesterday, in a mad fit of DIY enthusiasm I pulled out the whole kitchen. I filled the open plan living room up with cardboard boxes so we can't sit down but do have access to a tiny annex kitchen so can still eat. I planned to drive to IKEA today to buy a long planned IKEA kitchen. However I have forgotten that the floor needs to be changed too as I have 1950's cork tiles. I want to put down black ceramic tiles; my husband says they will be freezing. My dilemma is whether to put in underfloor heating pipes now which will raise the floor height by 16 cm. This will create a step into the room and has to be done before I make the kitchen and could take weeks. So:1. What do people think about a step between rooms (the step would end up being between hall and open plan kitchen/ living) 2. Should I wait and put in underfloor heating? 3. Does anyone have ceramic tiles throughout the whole open plan kitchen/ living area and like them. I'm in a panic, my husband is seriously unimpressed and the kids think I've lost the plot. The flip side is I'm watching the sunrise for the first time in years and it's beautiful. Any advice please?

We have ceramic tiles and they are cold, my dogs love them! However agree with Pps, stigma anything on them and it will shatter into a million pieces, also the tiles chip easily. Mine are slate grey and can't wait to get rid of them (were here when we bought the house)

Not sure how my phone turned drop into stigma 🤦🏼‍♀️

Get the tiles.

Wear slippers or fluffy socks.

Don't enter the kitchen while drunk (trip hazard)

Enjoy new kitchen.

Hth

Thanks so much to everyone. I feel better just having shared my thoughts. I spent the day changing my mind about materials but black is now out as a colour. I really would like engineered wood but it doesn't seem right for a kitchen and pets etc. but wood laminate might work. Light grey all over pattern tiles still in contention but I hear you all about dropping things. I have uninsulated concrete sub floor so even electric or low rise wet UFH would require a bit of a build up of insulation. Thanks for all the ideas . I might go for electric UFH used to warm the floor not the whole room ( and put the bin in a cupboard) Thanks for all the help

Wear slippers

Ceramic is bloody freezing. It also cracks if you drop something heavy on it.

We have a small step between our kitchen and dining room, for different reasons One of miscounted brick courses on an extension from what I can make out! We don't mind it, but it has knobbled all of us when we're not paying attention, at some point.

Cork is back in fashion..

Porcalin is much more hard wearing than ceramic.

I have engineered wood in my kitchen (with piped underfloor heating). It feels lovely underfoot. Is ok to clean. It's vacuumed daily and mopped every couple of days. However you are supposed to wax it every year and we usually only manage that every two years (it looks amazing freshly waxed though!!!)

Electric underfloor heating is less bulky so that might not create such a step into your kitchen. We have electric underfloor in the bathroom (under stone tiles). It is such a treat! I'm a huge fan of underfloor heating. And it does away with bulky radiators taking up wall space 👍