Light gray porcelain tile and marble on the fireplace?? I love fireplaces with glass but I think that might be too contemporary for your space.

i love a good slate floor. bring along samples of your counter materials to see how everything works together.

can you post a layout showing the relation of the fireplace to kitchen?

I forgot to mention that I'm considering doing the island in a medium wood tone.

I wish I had a sample of materials, but don't yet. My soapstone supplier is getting a large shipment in soon and I'm really hoping for a stone with some caramel veining, so I'm holding off on the samples until it comes in.

If you take a look at the floorplan, that weird, boxy thing at the bottom is the fireplace. Sorry, homemade plans :) It can be seen from the kitchen, but really is a part of the eating area. Oh...and the floating rectangles are a bay window (will have a window seat there as bench seating on that side of the table.

jessicaml suggested in a previous post (linked below) that brink would look nice. I love that idea, but think it would be super hard on the feet and tough to keep clean.

Is there a ceramic tile that mirrors the look of brick? By losing the brick texture, would it be a good choice?

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Post

Our floors are Montauk Black slate, probably too dark for you. Slate is a great flooring material. It cleans up easily and is dog, child and almost bullet proof.
You may also want to consider a porcelain tile. They are also very durable and come in many different styles from slate look to wood look.
As for the fireplace, if you use it, I would stay away from anything too light unless it's glazed, as over the course of time, it will discolor from the occasional bit of smoke that sometimes escapes.
Here's a shot of our kithcen to give you some idea what yours might look like as we too have white cabinets and dark countertops.

I think a slate gray tile would look nice.

I have seen these tiles in person and they are gorgeous. My favorite is the Kaleido in Cenere or Grigio.

Here is a link that might be useful: Happy Floors

I love natural stone tile, especially slate and limestone.

I just installed a similar Ostrich Gray Slate/Quartzite tile in a powder room / laundry room / pantry remodel. I intend to use it in my kitchen when I eventually remodel. It is very unique, durable, and beautiful and feels quite nice under foot. Sorry that I do not yet have any installation pictures, but the tile looks much better in person than this picture I found.

I also strongly considered limestone. I loved arctic gray and vein-cut chenille white.
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

You might also consider selecting a tile only for your floor and using the slab soapstone or backsplash marble for your fireplace.

I'm here to tell you DON'T pick limestone for a kitchen unless you really like a very, very variable look with lots of occlusions, veins and and what not. I have limestone in my kitchen and it fits that bill...and thank god it does. Because despite three coats of Porous Plus (the best sealer you can buy), the sucker still stains badly from almost anything that's dropped on it and stays more than 10 seconds.
We've had a major berry stain issue...seems like blueberries and blackberries INSTANTLY and permanently stain. (I have a slobby teenage son).

Now that being said, I can't tell which marks are stains and which are natural, but my floor is SO varied that a lot of people wouldn't like it.

I will definitely see what my flooring guy has in grays. That might look really nice. The tiles you guys have suggested so far are beautiful.

melissastar - Thanks for the honest advice. My GC and flooring guy both recommended staying away from natural stone and look for something ceramic - possibly porcelain. I think it will hold up better in my house. (I have a slobby teenage son, a slobby pre-teen son and two slobby dogs! LOL)

I'd still love to see pictures of any cream and wood kitchens with tile. I have such a hard time visualizing and all of the great pix help me so much :)

No suggestions re: floor tile (although I love the slate tile posted by pricklypearcactus), but I wonder too about a soapstone fireplace surround. We're planning to build in the next couple of years, and my "dream" kitchen has white cabinets and brushed aqua grantique countertops. I want to use aqua grantique tile for the fireplace surround.

Thanks mommytoc!

I've seen pictures of fireplaces with the soapstone surround and it looks a little dark to me. There's already a lot of black going on there. I love the idea of bring the soapstone over to the fireplace, but not sure how much I want to commit.

The fireplace is 2 sided and I need to do something to the equally boring Family Room side. I think I may do a soapstone hearth in there and possibly marble surrounding it.

I was looking though Country Living and found this kitchen. What about a floor like this in a soft gray? (as if I can wave my magic wand and have the exact thing I want sitting in the store when we arrive!)

I think a soft gray tile would look great (You could even use soapstone tile for "dots" if you were so inclined.) I found a couple of old threads (from 2008) that you might want to look at, too:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0913092231267.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0818105528272.html

One showed a travertine floor (which I wouldn't have thought of) that looked quite nice.

Well, I think I found a floor that will work -

What do you guys think?

Here are some ideas....
~boxerpups

Brick

Slate

Slate

Porcelain Floor tile called Saturnia

Daltile Ceramic Continental Slate color

Armstrong Tile floors

Daltile has a city view tile: CY02 Skyline Gray. In person this series has a slate look to me. I'm going darker (seaside boardwalk). I've looked high & low for porcelain tile that looks/feels like slate and this is what I'm going with.

I haven't seen the skyline in person, just the boardwalk.

Good Luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tile

ayerg: I don't think anyone has responded to the pic you posted of the tile you found. IMO...it's not really right (assuming the picture of your new kitchen that's in my brain is right). It feels too modern and too mixed color...with the tans and greys...to go well with the creamy cabs, dark counters and white crackle or marble backsplash. Boxerpups' pics of slate floors, the brick floor, and several of what look like porcelain tile floors all work for me (except for that ARmstrong tile floor with the circles on it.)

If you want to stick with porcelain there are many, many slate or stone lookalikes. I'd stick with one that is a variation level of 2 or maybe 3 and is more on the monochromatic side...all blackish, all greyish or all tanish. That is unless you WANT the floor to be a focus point. JMHO...

Boxer - thanks for all the pics. You amaze me with how many you can find! I think, looking through them, that I'm drawn to the lighter floors.

melissastar - thanks for the feedback. I think you're right on the money. I tend to look at the floor on it's own and not think of it in context. I loved the tiles in the showroom, but I think it will be too busy for the kitchen.

I've made that mistake before when choosing tile for a house that we had to remodel before selling. I thought I'd LOVE the floor, but it was the one thing I hated about what we did to the house. That's probably why I'm so gun-shy about picking something out this time.

I'll keep looking - thanks for sending me in the right direction.

Sadly...after getting all the quotes from everyone, it seems I'm going to have to put my reno on hold until next spring to save up enough. It seems my mother was right - I DO have expensive taste. *sigh*

Personally, I think putting a reno on hold until next spring just means you have even more time to search for and consider the perfect flooring. Pick up samples of creamy cabinet colors, soapstone, marble, etc that you love and visit tile showrooms. Ask the showroom designers for help or just browse. Bring home samples and leave them on the floor in your kitchen space so you can think about them. I think giving yourself lots of time to pick the right materials can make a big difference in helping to limit regrets. This could be a good thing in the end.

I'm sorry, but I tend to agree with melissastar that I just don't picture the tile you shared with the materials you have already selected. The materials you've already selected have a largely cool palette of creamy white, black (with a green cast?), and maybe some pale gray. The tile in the picture looks to have a warm tan/yellow hue with bits of gray. And they're quite busy/detailed. Also, the color is a more of a mid-tone where most of the colors in your palette are either very light (white) or very dark (black). So, for me, I have difficulty seeing those tiles corresponding to or harmonizing with the other elements in your pattern. I'm sorry. I am certainly no designer, so I could be wrong. I think it would be helpful to bring all of your materials together in samples to help picture how it will all look in the end.

Prickly - please don't be sorry! I'm looking for honest opinions. You don't have to be a designer to have an opinion of what works.

Thank you to those on here brave enough to tell me the truth. I can't stand the thought of paying so much for tile and then hating how it looks.

After thinking about it a bit, I completely agree that the tile isn't a good choice. I think a flooring store can be the most overwhelming place. So much information crammed in such a small area. Far too much to digest.

We did choose a beautiful rift and quartered oak sand and finish floor (what a mouthful!) for the rest of the house. I'm excited about that, although it is a big reason we have to wait on everything...KaCHING!

I agree, waiting to make sure I know what I want is a very good thing. I just dread another holiday season with my broken ovens. In the end, it will definitely be worth it.