This is really funny, because it's like I'm you in some alternate universe. I have a small 15 x 8 kitchen, hardwoods throughout my 1941 Cape Cod, and the main entrance off the garage comes into the kitchen (so dirt is always getting tracked in), and we have a dog and a kid - so my situation is almost exactly the same as yours. Coincidentally, for a while I considered Blue Pearl for my galley kitchen (it's very pretty stone!) To go with it, I found a pretty gray 13 x 13 porcelain floor tile at Daltile. That tile was called Veranda, and there were two different shades that would have worked with the Blue Pearl. There were several other gray floor tiles, too, and I think they all come in other sizes. I was going for gray because my LR and DR are gray, but Blue Pearl is pretty gray too. And I think gray will help hide dirt, and you can use gray grout, or a darker charcoal grout, which is convenient since it's going to turn gray anyway. I thought it solved a lot of problems at once. I probably will still end up with a gray floor. Oh, and I was a going to lay the tile in a brick pattern horizontally staggered, or you could do the diagonal. Either way, the room looks wider, supposedly.

I think something with a gray or cool base might work.
What do you like for colors? Other than your blue what
colors do you have in your kitchen? Do you have a pic?
Do you like slate? Or Travertine? Or a ceramic tile?
Here are some ideas...hope they can help you.
~boxerpups

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and pictures. I wasn't sure if I should bring the color from the counter to the floor or continue the cabinet color on the floor. The photos were a great help. I really do not want any type of ceramic - to uncomfortable for standing for me. I am looking at Duraceramic by Congoleum or Adura by Mannington. A dark tile won't make the space smaller? Adura has 12 x 24 tile - I love the floors that are railroaded also. I will try to post a picture - still don't have the doors back on the cabinets as we don't know what type of hinges to get.

We are doing Blue Pearl for our countertops as well, but with dark chocolate cabinets. We just had these floors installed (with the same doggie dilema...so no wood for us). They are rectified porcelain. Our kitchen/eat in are is 11'x18'. We did 12"x24" with charcoal grout:

They have a couple lighter shades of grey available as well, but I have to say that the Nero was the most stunning with the Blue Pearl sample we took in.

Good luck!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tile

ginger, We too have a small kitchen (8x12) and while this floor won't work for you, A. because it's slate and B. because it's probably too dark, it will give you an idea as to how using large dark tile can make a space feel larger. This is a shot of our pantry area. It is only 3'10" wide. The floor tiles are 24"x24"

Hope this helps.

KayceeFL, do you know the name of the company that makes your tiles? Boxerpups,thanks so much for all the pictures. I really don't know what other colors I will use at this point. My husband does not want ceramic or porcelain or any such hard surface - so it looks like duraceramic.

The link at the bottom of my previous post will take you to the website for the distribution center my tile came from. Saime makes it, but its Italian porcelain, so your hubby may not go for it. Here is another link with more info on the tile (but the cost shown is way more than I paid).

Here is a link that might be useful: More Info on Tile