Love the marble, keep that and use the wood instead of the tile. It looks like your front doors are wood right? If so maybe have your front door the same stain color as the wood in the kitchen to tie it in, but that marble is gorgeous and a nice contrast too.

I'm so happy for you getting rid of your dated white tile! I had the same situation with marble in the foyer and powder room but wood in the formals and that awful white tile from the utility room through the kitchen and the entire wet bar/breakfast room/den area. We kept the marble in the foyer and powder room but installed wood through the entire back of the house where we jacked up the unfortunate tile. The wood in the formals is the original, and the wood we installed in the more casual areas of the home is wide plank, more rustic looking. I vote for a compromise of keeping the marble in the entry but changing to wood everywhere else.

That living room area is a laminate floor. That floor would be taken up to match the flooring we put in the kitchen. It is pretty scuffed up, I'm guessing from moving furniture around. It looks like 15 people have voted, but I can't see the poll results.

I love the marble in the foyer. Wood tends to get damaged (graying) with all the moisture of coming and going. The rooms are large enough that having a break of materials will look great.

I'd advise putting hardwoods in Kitchen and adjoining areas while keeping the beautiful marble in the Foyer. Since your kitchen cabinets are painted, the hardwoods will provide warmth to the stylish black & white scheme. Also, you'll find the hardwoods much easier to stand on. I have never had any clients complain of issues with moisture or buckling of hardwoods in wet areas like Kitchens & Baths. I do suggest, though, a small rug or carpet runner (preferably something washable) for any spot that could get a lot of traffic & wear, like in front of the sink or stove.

I agree with Laurie. The hardwoods will add that warmth it lacks. It is rare that problems happen. I had a friend whose icemaker leaked and it damaged the wood floors but that was a fluke. I've had wood floor in several kitchens I owned. It does get wear and tear from the constant back and forth so recommend rugs and runner as Laurie suggested.Enjoy! Keep that marble!

While the marble entry is lovely, lifestyles are getting more casual and I feel that hardwood floors fit that casual attitude better.

Another vote for hardwood and keeping the marble. Natural materials always work so well together. By some fluke your fridge should leak or you should have a catastrophic plumbing issue, your home owner's insurance will help and hardwood can be repaired. It's beautiful, warm, easy underfoot, for me it's always a no-brainer.

oh oh the marble is stunning. your picture reminds me of Masterpiece Theater :)
do you mean you really disagreed about the marble? :) we have maple flooring throughout our older home and recently had the kitchen, hallway and steps restored. it's lovely and so much nicer than the horrible nevermentionagainlinoleum. we spill ice on it all the time, and food and drop things and it's fine. it's got some marks from years past before we lived here (our house is 100+ yrs old) I agree about homeowner's insurance, that was a good point.

So nice to hear the positive comments on hardwood in kitchens I am also trying to make a decision on kitchen flooring between putting in porcelain tile or hardwood. How do you find the best way to clean hardwood in kitchen as its apparent that it will get more abuse than in living room areas. Thank you

Why not do the kitchen only first and see how you like it? You can always do the rest of the rooms later!

Thank you so much. I already have white oak flooring in rest of house except for foyer which will be porcelain. I thought I would also put porcelain in kitchen because of concern that hardwood would not hold up. But after all the positive on hardwood in kitchen that would work out best since the kitchen is right next to the other hardwood flooring in dining area and I can continue through for probably the best look.

Keep the marble!
It's very 'in' right now
You can do wide hardwood floors in the kitchen with jacobean/dark walnut stain.

So sorry I realize this answer was for original question and not my comment. I got caught up in the discussion.
I vote for keeping the marble in foyer it will be nice to have that flooring in entrance and since you already have owned hardwood in kitchen and liked it I would defintely go with the hardwood and while you are at it why not do entire first floor except for foyer. That is what I have also learned from your question as I have the same.

one thing i probably shouldn't mention :) is that when the linoleum was removed from our maple floor in the kitchen there was tar paper of some kind that had bonded to the flooring (as had the old padding under carpeting in other rooms--it was like stone) the floors are all refinished, but in the summer heat, the kitchen floor does have some leaking in the cracks of tar. it comes up and it is hard and i have to scrape it up. hopefully, someday it will all be gone.
you had asked about cleaning and all i could think of was--well, cleaning is relative :)

karrol-for warranty reasons, follow the cleaning instructions of whatever manufacturer you go with. They may offer their own brand of cleaner. If they don't offer anything, bona is a good brand. Do not use murphy's oil soap, mr clean, mop and glo or any multipurpose cleaner. You will leave major residue on your floors. I use 1 part non sudsing amonia to 3 parts hot water in a spray bottle and a microfiber mop on mine, but I tested it first to make sure it was ok with the finish and it was. For the most part though, just dry dustmop and wipe up spills as they happen.

I like your idea of the 1 part non sudsing ammonia to 3 parts hot water in a spray bottle when its needed. That sounds like an easy, effective and very doable way to go especially for a kitchen area . I appreciate your sharing that Thank you.

The marble is beautiful! No need to elimate a beautiful element just to have it match. It is common for foyers and halls to have different flooring than kitchen/living/etc. It would be downright wasteful to demo something beautiful just to make a more boring decision to match all. I feel passionately about it!

Hate Hardwoods in kitchen--one big mess to clean up with children, dogs, food and water spots---doesn't matter if they are flat or shiny, light or dark or white hardwoods-- wood is wood , which is just a plain mess, if you are constantly gathering and entertaining in kitchen! There are so many products on the market, today, that are great looking and much more durable for a high traffic areas, that can be used in a kitchen!

We are refurbishing an older home- it's a mid century modern style in Hawaii.We will be refinishing the Ohia wood floors throughout the home.the kitchen had old but hi quality Congoleum vinyl,but after 50 years it was pretty beat up! We have 5 large dogs and after much research we are installing rubber tiles in our kitchen! Tile would require radiant heat$$$ for a large space,wood is too fragile and the vinyls don't hold up.Were excited and will include pics when project is done. We're using the Mannington color scape product and their rep said the flooring is suitable for a residential kitchen!

This discussion is from 2012. Really????

I, too have a similar set-up. But I hate tile in the kitchen since it's hard on feet and legs & anything that drops shatters or becomes dented. I have wood floors in my kitchen and love them. I would suggest using dark wood and painting the wood HUGE diamonds in light gray and dark charcoal. You have huge spaces in your kitchen and that pattern would help fill it up!

We go through this all the time with Clients. You may want to consider laminate wood finish flooring from Amtico. Not only does it mimic hi quality wood species that otherwise may not be affordable but with a little prep to existing floor, laminate flooring can go right on top.....is cost effective, beautiful and efficient with little personal disruption & is available as plank. Patterns are infinite & can be simple or complex such as herringbone....In your case I would keep it simple.....I would also run the planks with the length of the kitchen. Hope this helps! EBKGROUPltd.com

I know it's the trendy thing to do, but I just can't wrap my head around wood floors...the care, the maintenance! That's why people use coasters, doilies, etc., on their coffee/end/dining tables. Water rings, scratches, stains, dust, et al. Take all those issues and transfer them to flooring that takes a beating? I have 20 year old white (with some marbling) gloss tile in the main entry, kitchen, dining room, and 2 bathrooms. Love it. Even when the floors are dirty, they look fairly clean. Someday, I will replace it with wood-look tile (Tesoro Coconut). To each his/her own, but I'll pass on this trend.

Have you thought of black and white checker floor for kitchen, very classy! The marble entrance looks fabulous, don't change it.

stop this madness - 2012 post

Hardwood in the kitchen. Excellent warmth enhances the black and white. Might want to consider wood tiles.

Stop this madness #2 - 2012 post

Wood adds a wonderful warmth to rooms. And the hardwoods they use today have a baked on finish that stands up well. As for maintenance, just sweep and mop - not a biggy. I had a lady clean my last place and she used Mr. Clean Lemon on the floors - they came out sparkling, and the whole place smelled lemony - love it, and still use it since moving.

As for the marble, I voted to keep it. But looking at the pictures, it's really a very stylized look that seems a bit dated. I could go either way with keeping it or loosing, but if you do remove it I don't think you're loosing a really great period detail - like marble laid down in 1910 or something.

The condo I bought previously had white tiles on the kitchen floor. Soon as I washed them they were dirty again. I was so happy to replace them with natural hardwood. Especially with your white cabinets you will be amazed how warm your kitchen will look. Stay away from the trendy "dark/black" wood finish. It shows every bit of dust and lint - and you'll be un-doing it in another 10 years or so when the trend runs it's course...

Never, I say NEVER put hardwood in the kitchen unless you do not use it. We had a small leak in the laundry room next door and water got underneath the floor and it wasn't noticed for 48 hrs sand it was a disaster. It could have been my dishwasher or under the kitchen sink. I have dropped knives and a pot (by accident) and the marks are awful and there forever unless we pay big bucks to call in help. EVERYONE I know that put hardwood in there kitchen swears they wish they hadn't
Laura

Marble in the kitchen? The risk of staining from oils, fat, dropped or spilled food, would be the reason I would not recommend marble in the kitchen. I have seen too many staining disasters, despite sealing. A ceramic wood look tile would best suit your option. Heaps of colors, sizes to choose from, and no worries of warping etc.

Dave @ Stonelight Tile.

It all depends on what type of wood flooring you put in your kitchen. Factory finish flooring will be much more susceptible to water damage than a floor finished on site. Factory finished has 'bevels' that collect any/everything. Unfinished flooring that has an RH of 30-50%(to maintain maximum amount of stability) that is finished with a premier finish such as Loba/Pallmans/Rubio will withstand just about anything you throw at it. My kitchen has hardwood since the 90's and has survived several appliance leaks. Yes it swells (cups) after the leak BUT it always comes back to shape after a few weeks because I maintain the RH and I take care of my wood floors. Good luck!

We have wood in the kitchen and it's a pain. Every drop of water shows... But it's a sacrifice you may need to make unless you want marble in the kitchen as well...

The finish on your hardwood may make a difference for the care. A wax finish is definitely going to show water spots. Hard water is possible too. Do follow manufacturers suggestions.

In addition to ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD 's comment above, in our area (Ottawa Canada) it had been technically against the building code to use prefinished hardwood in the kitchen or a bathroom. It's seldom enforced however. The reason for the mention in the code is that site finished hardwood gives a one piece seal between water and the substrate, whereas pre-finished is only sealed on the idndividual boards, but not in any grooves.

@needlingsisters WELL SAID!! As a pro I couldn't have said it better! I wish that was building code all the way across the country. We would have a lot less problems/claims as a whole within the industry.

I think I can understand this code in Canada. I actually think the tile that looks like hardwood is the best plan.

I agree with the marmoleum recommendation. Easy to keep up, a natural product, a wide variety of colors and they can even repeat the beautiful marble pattern in the kitchen with marmoleum product. I love wood floors - have different varieties in very room in my house, but not in the kitchen! I have a bright, cherry red marmoleum in my kitchen and two other colors in the bathrooms.

Hardwood in the kitchen

Only

they make wood look tile, it is available in dark to black finishes that would complement the marble

Check with your home owners' insurance about putting real wood flooring in. Some will not cover the cost when it's damaged by water.

Personally, I don't blame the insurance companies when they have such a policy. Real wood over a concrete slab is nothing but a future nightmare. Its not a matter of "if", but "when".

And when a small patch in front of your sink starts to discolor, buckle, swell, all because of a simple leak which went unnoticed, you will be replacing the whole floor as you wouldn't be able to match existing.

Best to stick with a porcelain tile. I have witnessed many many kitchen floors get destroyed by something so small.

Real wood has no place in a kitchen IMO.

This post started in 2012, pretty sure the author has made a choice by now :)

2.5 year old post...please let it die.

Do hardwood in the kitchen (and maybe wider width boards?) and consider taking off some of the gloss on the marble tile -- will make it look a bit more lived in (and European -- look at some of the great old stone floors that Paris Ceramics does: http://www.parisceramicsusa.com/type/antique-marble/)...

sdmoeller pls don't post on items that are 2.5 years old - the job is done.

BTW-- If comments are not wanted -- or if the post is ancient-- then Houzz should not feature the conversation in its listserv and elsewhere

Exactly, but for some unknown reason they don't remove old posts - that's why we have to do the monitoring instead of them.