It depends on what tile you use. I think a travertine tile like in your last photo would look good;) rest arrow on pic to enlarge

Thanks folks. I love the look of an 18 inch tile but was worried it might be too large for the area entering into the kitchen. It is only 36" wide in that spot so can only fit one full tile on the diagonal. Won't that look strange? I love the staggered look in some pictures, such as this one that I'm attaching, but in the drawing it
actually looks quite busy for my area.

Ooops...I attached the wrong pic. This is the one I meant to attach. I really like this tile look but not sure if it will work in my area

Go for something like this....
It is an awkward space.

I really like light Color on the entrance , maybe something like this will work for you :

Decorative...I didn't see an attachment...

I suspect it's not so much the tile you hate as the grout lines. Aim for something that looks more like a solid surface. Margo's Mignon Road photo above is a good example. A stone with not too much color variation and a grout color that matches ought to do the trick.

Call me biased (again) but with the wood staircase & railing, that area screams out for a nice parquet pattern... something produced to a "scale" that would make the small area look larger without overwhelming the eye.
No groutlines and unlimited flexibility in sizes & colors.
And for the record... NO, I'm not trying to sell anything but ideas.
There are plenty of people who offer what we do... (they just don't do it as well. lol)

I think that Margo's picture is my favorite! It think it goes well with the wall hanging in my hallway as well the decor in my living room (see attached--already Christmassied up!).

The hardwood patterns are beautiful except I live in Canada... Hardwood at the front doorway is always an issue. Most people up here in the Great White North put a small area of tile at the front door which would chop up my space even more. In theory, it is easy to tell people to take off their shoes. But when hubby is bringing in groceries from the car and tracking in the snow from the front door to the kitchen I do not want to be following him around with a towel to dry up the puddles! I spend enough time picking up after him and the kids!!

Understand completely.
Perhaps the idea of having the poor guy slip & fall on wet tile with a load of groceries is more appealing to you! haha
Just kidding, of course!
I'm just committed to the concept that there are so many options available in hardwood nowadays, which make them much more feasible than in the past... even under very harsh conditions. I'm sure you'll find the tile of your dreams.

Too funny...my husband actually DID fall last year carrying groceries downstairs into the basement fridge. He missed the last stair and pulled the tendon right off the kneecap! It was not 'ha ha' at all, especially as we had to cancel our trip to Mexico planned for the following week! But all is good now because I have upped the insurance policy...

Okay, so I have made a decision. I'm going with the 18 x 18 tiles laid straight in an offset pattern. (See diagram). I have also chosen my tile and attach a picture. My only question now is about my baseboards. I have a choice to install new ones that would be an inch higher (5-1/4). (I would love to go with the 6 inch baseboard but have a return register I have to work around).

Do you guys think I should spend the extra money to increase my baseboards 1 inch? In the alternative, should I use a tile baseboard instead? The look of this third picture really appeals to me and I think I could get this look with tile. Can I have a completely different baseboard in my hall than in my other rooms or would this look completely ridiculous? (I reattached the pic of my hall for ease of reference).

None of my decisions are set in stone so, if you have an alternative suggestion, please go ahead! Thanks!

I used a tile baseboard in a bathroom once, but I always felt the bathroom was like a commercial bathroom. I would not do the tile baseboard again. I would also stay with the height of the baseboard in the rest of the house, unless you are planning to replace all the baseboards??

Thanks, Margo! I think you may be right about the commercial look of tile baseboards. I am going to put tile baseboards in my mudroom but I think you are right to keep the wooden baseboards in the hall. What do you think of the tile I am leaning towards?

I think it is very pretty. What is the material?

It is a porcelain tile

I like the porcelain tile you selected but feel it is too large for the small hallway.

Really VJS12? I was under the impression that a larger tile actually makes the area look larger? No? Anyone else that can weigh in on this? I really need to tell them which tile I am going with quickly as I want this done by Christmas!!

I'm glad you picked porcelain tile, easier to clean. I have stone with larger grout and wouldn't do it again (in garage hallway). Like the larger wood trim. We added a small separate trim piece about an inch above the existing baseboard trim to make it appear taller - cheaper and easier to do - then paint the new trim and the inch of wall to match the old trim - looks like one piece.

Thanks MSUBreeze. What do you think of 18x18 tile in my area?

Hi---larger tiles will make the room look larger. Of all your diagrams-I favor the square tile on the bias. Good Luck!

option 1 paint in black with antique gold staircase, floor French style traventine

Yes, larger tiles do make a space look larger; but the dimensions of the room should be considered to determine how large of a tile to use. I do like your drawing with the 18" tiles laid straight in an offset pattern.

Update: Done!!! (In the pic, the colouring tones appear to be off a bit, but it's actually a great match). I'm so happy!

Looks great!!