I like continuous floors as much as possible. My whole house is hardwood including kitchen and foyer. We get quite a bit of rain and a little bit of snow. You would need to protect your floors from wet, snowy shoes and boots. I end up using old towels when the weather is really bad. Everyone takes their shoes off on the towels and I throw them into the washer.

I would go with the hardwoods. It gives a more rich and warm feel for the entry of your home which you want to make as inviting as possible.

I live in Toronto, and having hardwood at the front door would drive me nuts in the winter as I would be constantly wiping up any wayward drops of water or dirt. You can cover it with a mat and/or plastic runner. Currently, I have marble in the foyer area, but hardwood elsewhere.

I used wood look ceramic tiles in my entryway. It gave me the look I wanted and the durability for the wet pacific NW.

Hi Donna,
I also live in Toronto and know about weather and the messes it causes! No matter what material you put at the front door, you will want to have a rug there to step on to. Rather than ceramics, I'd go for porcelain tile. The grout lines can be tighter. I agree with your idea to put the tiles just in the foyer area and then add a durable patterned area rug as they tend to be more forgiving where dirt and slush are concerned. Then continue on with hardwood ...the same colour as your existing rooms off the hall. Down the road, I'd address the staircase and either stain it the same colour as the new hardwood(dark) or paint the pickets and stringers white...handrail same as hardwood colour or a dark painted colour. Treads ( the part you step on could be stained to match the dark hardwood and the risers can be painted white. That will finish the look. If all the staining and painting is too daunting, carpet the stairs and paint or stain the pickets (stain dark).
Best of luck!
Shaila