Hi all - I have a real challenge for you, but I think you Houzzers are up to the task.

We're getting ready to re-do the floors in our 1968 home in Northern California, to get rid of the mish-mash of tile (two different kinds!), wall-to-wall and wood. We'd like to unify this big, bright, airy space with an all-wood floor, but whatever we chose must fit these criteria:
- resist scratching by Tonka toys and dog nails (our friends have young children and we have a playful 60+lb dog)
- accommodate wet and sometimes muddy feet/paws (this is a casual, country place with a pool just outside the back door)
- be cleanable with a steam mop (did I mention the muddy paws?)
- not be stratospherically expensive

Aesthetically, the house is warm modern, so we don't want anything too rustic/cottage-y. On the other hand, although the kitchen cabinets and living room bookshelves are Ikea blonde, we don't want to go that light with the flooring,for fear the overall effect would be too cold. The front door is a reddish/orange wood (possibly cherry or maple with a cherry stain). Ideally, the floor we choose would have enough variations in color to unite the two existing types of wood, without having such an active grain that it would be dizzying over such a large space.

Thoughts?