TanCalGal Here's a beautiful kitchen with dark cabinets and lighter floors. I'd go with the lighter floors. I have dark wood and I think it shows more dirt than the lighter flooring

cmjg69 I guess it all depends are you going to be replacing your furniture in the near future? Do you want your furniture to contrast or blend with the floor? If you like the white wall look i've seen lots of modern looks where the floor, doors and furniture wood match and the counters are all white. If you are going more for the colourful or lofty/rustic side of ikea go with the light floor, after awhile you won't notice the grain. Personally, large format rectified white tile in the kitchen would look the most modern. Talk to your builder maybe he could give you a kitchen cabinet budget and you could pick your own cabinets. Or replace the uppers with some open shelves or flat white cupboards. Maybe that could save some money toward the floor you really want. If not pick a combo of the light and dark and paint the light ones white. If you really want a different floor isn't there any other part of the house design that you can forgo or some work you can do yourself to "trade" with the builder.

Marie Hebson's interiorsBYDESIGN Inc. HI rika99, Marie here. I think you need to find your inspiration photo for your kitchen. Houzz is a great place to get ideas, or simply punch in "images of modern kitchens" in google to find your perfect kitchen with flooring combination. You don't need white cabinetry to have a modern look - in fact, most true modern kitchen has a natural wood grain finish in a horizontal grain - very sleek and sophisticated. As far as your floor goes, you will know once you see a dark cabinet with light floor, or light cabinetry with dark floor - but BEWARE, dark floors are on there way out because of the maintenance for busy families. IF you want a dark floor, I suggest going to a tile floor, lots of gorgeous tiles that look like tile - my favorite is Impronta No. 4, comes in four colours and has a natural semi-gloss sheen to the tile that makes it really look like hardwood - but you get the durability of tile. Can be a bit "trendy" though, but tile is always a great alternative to hardwood for durability.

pollyannagal Talk to your builder and work to find a floor you can afford and like. He may be reluctant to source alternatives but if you do the research it shouldn't make any difference to him what timber he actually lays.

From a practical point of view, dark surfaces do show dust, pet hair and fluff more so it depends on how frequently you are prepared to do the dusting (and does your cat match the floor?). Also a dark surface stain on a lighter timber it will wear and show scratches etc whereas a floor that is the same colour throughout shows less traffic marks. Light wood floors will darken slightly over time but the grain will not go away so if you don't like it you'll probably find it always bugs you. Light rugs certainly don't stay light for long with kids running around. A dark floor will make the room seem smaller than a light floor.

I would avoid a dark floor/dark cabinets or furniture combination unless you like the look of living in a cave or nightclub. They can be dramatic but unless your room has masses of natural light can be very oppressive and doesn't sound like your style.

The floor is such an important part of your home and one you really shouldn't compromise on. From bitter experience I know that if you don't like your flooring nothing else in the room will look right and its not cheap or easy to change! I agree with 'cmjg69' that perhaps you need to see what else can move in the budget or what elements could be left out for you to add later as funds permit.

pauli12 I don't understand why there is no possibility for white cabinets. The builder needs to accommodate you. Building is a long process and he has a 'C' on his report card and it is only the 1st 9 weeks.
From the tone of your post I can tell you want what you have now in flooring. The airy maple. Would going to a laminate be anything you could live with if it would keep you in your budget? Isn't there any engineered maple floors in your price range in a maple look?
I hope you get all this to your liking. We just finished a house and I know what you are feeling.

alex511 I had light floors in my prior home. We moved to a new house and we did darker floors. I wish I had done the lighter floors because I can see the scratches and the dust easily. My floor color is similar to the coffee bean your picture shows. Just something to think about.

K.O.H. Construction Corporation The problem is the budget. The builder uses a standard product for pricing and that product is on the low end scale. The wood is grainy and really shows it in a lighter color. The darker stain does show scratches. There is no simple solution. If you want the floor of your dreams then you'll have to bite the bullet, Sorry

pamquin Bamboo is light and does not look grainy. It is also very affordable and kid friendly.

barilynnday I don't know if you HAVE to go with wood... but in the kitchen and bath, if you have any water issues ( broken water line, fridge or dishwasher catastophe, toilet/tub overflow) floors are damaged. Make sure you ask your builder or your flooring insaller what one would do in a case of water seeping into the floor( especially engineered floors) could they replace the damage easily and make sure you have extra to keep incase. ( can you tell this has happened to me before?) It is a gamble, their are so many tile/concrete/slate choices that are easily cleaned and kid friendly and look great. Whether you keep them the same light tone as the wood, or go for a contrast. Also keep in mind the finish... kids running, wet shoes, stocking feet.... you do not want slippery!Just a thought from someone who learned the hard way :) Good luck

skminamherst Upgrade to the wood kitchen floor that you want. I have 4 kids & LOVE my wooden kitchen floor -- maple. It's comfortable & quiet--wipe spills promptly & it's well worth it.

Rhonda Kieson Designs A light floor with light cabinets works well when you anchor the room with a dark countertop. If you can afford adding stainless steel appliances, this will also add to the warmth and cohesiveness of the room. A dark floor shows everything, while a light floor does not. And, as pollyannagal mentioned, it always helps when your pet matches the color of the floor.

feeny If you can possibly afford it I would go with the floor you want (a lighter maple) and also the lighter kitchen cabinets (which I think look very simple and attractive in the photo). You can always do a dark countertop for contrast in the kitchen. Given the aesthetic you've described, I don't think you are going to be happy with the darker floors, and they do indeed show dust and pet hair and scratches more. Although it doesn't sound like you like the more visible grain of the lighter red oak, if you can't afford the upgrade to light maple on the floors I'd probably choose the red oak as the most practical solution. I too am not fond of that grainy look, and it isn't nearly as pretty as maple, but it sounds closer to your style than the darker version.

If, however, you go with the darker floors, then definitely use a large, light area rug to contrast with your furniture. It will look beautiful--just less practical.

P.S. Just have to say I love wood floors in kitchens. My own white oak kitchen floor is 90 years old and going strong. No problems.

feeny A few light maple kitchens with light wood floors:

feeny One final thought: white oak and red oak are often similar in price for the standard width flooring. But white oak is usually more uniform than red and will look a bit closer to the maple you like. See if there is a price difference with your contractor between red and white oak. It won't be exactly what you want, but it might be an affordable compromise.

marineface White oak floor looks best. If you have animals, less fur will show.

kobley Light floors and darker cabinets for all the reasons already posted.

betsyweisberg

I have 3 kids and lighter floors are the way to go! If you can't have your white cabinets go maple and use white Caesarstone countertops.
Good luck post pictures of your finished space.

sydneyhu I told myself that I would never put hardwood in the kitchen, but we did it anyway because we wanted continuity with the dining room and hallway. They are beautiful - golden maple with Brazilian cherry border and diamond inserts. However, we have two cats and very quickly they were scratched up, plus the maple is quite soft so we have dents from dropped utensils and from moving the fridge out for repairs. These can not be repaired unless we redo the surface. Someone suggested bamboo, which I think is a harder wood and looks quite modern. I agree with most of the comments that a light wood is better for not showing dirt. I will probably not put wood in the kitchen again. Have you considered slate (which really hides the dirt and is very durable) or cork? Good luck with it!

alwaysdesigning we are also getting ready to build and are researching floor material. I was just in a model home with wood look TILE planks. They looked fantastic. There are different colors and textures, like Bamboo. Use dark grout. They come in thick or thin width planks. I am seriously considering this option. They don't warp, scratch or dent. Water compatible, like for bathrooms and kitchens. Also used as accent walls. Take a look http://www.woodlooktiles.com/

sydneyhu Wow - great idea! Thanks! I will definitely consider this option next time and you can even put them outside.

jamisonw Our prior home had quarry tile in the kitchen--thick, beautiful--terrible for standing and cooking, no cushioning ability. Our present home has a beautiful light-medium oak throughout the kitchen and entire first floor. So comfortable and easy to keep clean--especially in a home where shoes are left at the door!

rika99 Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! Also the pictures were all really helpful--I hadn't found many of those yet. It didn't dawn on me that I could break up the light floors/cabinets with a very dark countertop. And some of the pics of light floors with dark cabinets were really stunning (like Jason Ball's). Also, everyone overwhelmingly has affirmed that dark floors will be really hard to keep clean and not the best choice for pets/kids, so I think we're going to go with light flooring for sure.

Rusty's right in that the builder basically has bulk pricing for certain items, so part of the reason we can afford to build a house is that this isn't totally custom--we get to select finishes within a range of them, and if we have him credit us back stuff like cabinets, we end up losing money as the stuff he's giving us is of higher quality for a lower price. So for example, the base wood flooring option is one kind of 2.25" red oak (and white oak is an upgrade tier 2, as is maple or bamboo). And if we end up going DIY and replacing standard stuff after we move in, we can't roll it into the mortgage--we'll have to pay cash.

I have tile in my kitchen now (with light maple everywhere else) and I love the way the tile wears (that wood-look tile is amazing!) but it is hard on my back--and I cook a lot--so I have to think about that some more. It would be an easy fix, as I could put dark tile floors in the kitchen, light wood in the rest of the first floor, and light cabinets (which is what we have now in our current house--5" engineered light maple, and a terra cotta-like tile in kitchen). The builder is charging so much to tile though that I'd just have him put standard vinyl on the floors, and get someone in after the house is built to replace it. The only thing that would also make that a bit awkward is that the family room and kitchen are one contiguous room, and I kind of like the idea of having the same flooring in both to make the space more fluid.

Does anyone out there have strand-woven bamboo? How does it wear compared to wood?

Also, will dark espresso-maple cabinets seem dated soon? That's my only fear about potentially doing dark cabinetry in the kitchen....

pollyannagal Hi. Sounds like you're making some progress with your dilemma. You asked about how bamboo wears - I love the look of it but after much research and talking to friends who had it we decided against it (went for light oak) as it is susceptible to denting if you drop things on it (not good in kitchen) or if people walk on it in heels. Also pet claws are supposed to damage the fibres it easily so not good with a cat. The darker colours wear less well due to the colouring process but as you have decided on light floors that's not a problem. Suggest you google 'bamboo floor reviews' and see what you think. As with so many things, the more expensive versions tend to wear better.

I would go for the light cabinet with a dark worktop as this will not date. Worktops are worth getting the best you can afford as not only do they have to stand up to a lot they are a surface you see a lot but also touch so you want something you love.

sydneyhu If you go for dark counters, don't get glossy or a solid colour. You will forever be wiping and then buffing it to get every little mark off and then the streaks left from wiping with your wet cloth. Go for some kind of speckle or granite look and mat finish.

K.O.H. Construction Corporation kudos to feeny for the pics and design. the dark counterops are very nice. I had installed distressed strand dark bamboo floors. One house was 2,500 s.f.and the other 1,200 s.f.
The home owners are extremely happy and the foors are beautiful. The color had some lighter shades in it, which added interest. The floors are very tough. I talked to the folks 6 months after the flooring was down and asked how hard was it ti keep clean and is there an issue with scratches. Both said cleaning was not a problem no more than any other floor and if there was a scratch it barley showed or a small dab of Old English fixed the issue. Rika, the main reason that I'm telling you all this is. Sometimes we need to wait a little longer and and save our pennies to get what we want. I don't know your financial
situation and I wish you the best. I just hope your dream come too.

stacy1061 I LOVE the look of my dark hardwoods and I have 3 cats, 1 dog and 2 kids. I do not spend all my time cleaning my floors, just 1-2 a week. Everyone who comes into my home comments on how gorgeous they are. My moldings and cabinets are all white and the contrast keeps it from feeling like a cave. Do what you love!