hydrangea; first..lucky you to have such an accommodating hubby.
second...I'm always taken aback when someone responds to a post that says I don't want this and the responder tries to argue the poster into changing opinions. And yet, here I am about to do it....or at least to ask if you've had some bad experience with tile and grout that may not be the norm?'

I envy those who can care for wood in their kitchens...even in my dining and living rooms...much less heavily trafficked, mine always seems to be scuffed and scarred and the finish wearing off. So other than some earlier-in-life kitchens with vinyl, I've never had anything BUT tile in a kitchen. For a family with boys and dogs tracking in mud and snow, I can think of NOTHING that is more carefree and indestructible. Big puddles of dirty wet muck are easily mopped up...and can be done AFTER the hot chocolate is made and the fire lit, without any harm being done. As for the grout, it's really just a matter of picking something that won't look dirty...not a white or light color...and periodically sealing it (which is basically just a mop job).

The biggest downsides: Cold, which can easily be offset with not very expensive electric heat under the tiles. And hardness...well, yes, but I just wear crocs or other "gushy" shoes when standing a long time in the kitchen.

You may well have thought this through really well and knowledgeably decided tile is NOT for you. If so, please don't be offended by my urging reconsideration.

Melissastar - No worries! We've gone back and forth on tile. DH hates it. I like it one moment, and the next I hate the thought of cold floors, and dealing with grout. We thought about electric heat mats under the tile, but were told that it would be about $2,000. Don't know if that's realistic for a 12x12 kitchen or not.

I'm really open to any and all ideas...and am willing to reconsider any original thoughts. I also like the thought of slate, but DH wants to go lighter, and with the cherry and soapstone, we might want to go a little lighter just so it doesn't turn out like a cave!

So much to think about.

How about a rectified tile with almost invisible grout lines?

I can't think of anything tougher than a good quality laminate for the kitchen. We had it in our previous house and it wore like iron! Emphasis, though, on 'good quality.' We used Wilsonart Estate plus. (High pressure laminate is the phrase to look for) 8 kids, large dogs, dirty muddy feet, and boys' trucks and sports cleats...Nothing phased it. Our friends, though, put in a lesser quality laminate and dropping a can of veggies made a cut through the top layer. Also, it is best to get a high quality acoustic pad for underneath so you don't get the plasticky clicking sound.

We have Marmoleum Click now, which is also great and comfy on the feet, too, since the Click style has cork backing. Not quite as tough, but a softer look and feel...Still durable, though, and easy care for a family with 8 kids, 2 big dogs, and lots of activity. (We don't have a 'take off your shoes' house and our landscaping is still 'rustic') It's a little less expensive than the laminate, overall...The Marmoleum was more than the laminate, but you don't need such a good pad underneath...That added over $2 per sq ft. We DIY'd both.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wilsonart laminate flooring

I really like sheet marmoleum. In older period homes with kitchens that are not open to other rooms, I think it is a great choice for flooring. They realy look good, IMHO. You can do pretty inlaid borders and such if you get a really good installer... They repair well if you get rips. They are cheaper than other surfaces. Softer on the feet than tile.

You have to think seriously about what laminate flooring is made of how you are going to use it. Cheaper laminate flooring is made of lower quality particle board substrate. If the water gets between the seams of two boards and the substrate gets wet, it will swell and look terrible. In a kitchen, not being able to deal with water is probably not acceptable for many. So you have to be realistic how likely you will spill water and let it sit there....

The more money you pay, the higher quality the sustrate will be and tougher the "picture/plastic" layer on the top will be. There is such a huge variation on the price, I think this is really hard to know what is "good enough".

Obviously, you will have a similar issues with wood. However, most hardwood solid boards (not engineered) that swell will go back to a reasonable looking floor, unlike laminate.

We husbands have been known to come round on things before. Even things we've sworn to never like. We're a fickle bunch.

I'm a big fan of your choices and would think a nice high quality laminate that looks like wood and is laid in planks might work nicely.

As for the soapstone, personally I like the Python. It's basic but can be elegant. Mumbai is certainly quiet but it always reads a meh quiet like it's kind of just blah filler. Obviously this is just my opinion and as a husband I'm used to it being categorically ignored.

For hardware what about a rope or twist like solid pull? If you did a rope detail then rope ringed knobs would work nicely with it. It would give you the detail like nature of birdcage without needing a pressure washer to keep it clean.

Something with a twist like this?
{{!gwi}}

Or roped like this?
{{!gwi}}

I have that rope handle, in a more weathered finish (aged pewter?) on cherry cabinets. It looks great.

My mother has the birdcage knobs and hasn't had any trouble keeping them clean. That could be because she is a neat freak, or because she doesn't do a lot of messy doughy cooking.

I have to agree with all the advice above and esp like the "rope" hardware.

Armstrong also makes some great flooring choices.

I know HD carries some good commercial type flooring tiles that are cheaper than the Marmoleum (which I agree is gorgeous). They are made to withstand the toughest traffic.

If you get the laminate kinds of floor, at the first dishwasher overflow or kid mess that they walk away from, the structure of the floor can be ruined. It can cost more in the long run than getting a tougher surface, IMHO.

I am going with tile for my new kitchen but will be using dark gray or black grout. Our contractor is putting in toe kick heaters for our kitchen which will help keep the floor from being cold. I am in NY and used to cold winters, but we heat the house (lol) and cold tile is not such a big deal. I love the coolness in the summer, btw.

With 2 kids, a husband, and 2 dogs, you need indestructible. I don't think laminate fits that description.

Another plug for marmoleum. DH and I were sitting here reading the post and he asked "has anyone suggested Marmoleum"?

Thanks everyone. I finally got a few minutes on the computer today.

I seriously love that twist hardware, so I think I'll check that out.

I talked to a flooring guy today who said that if you buy a better laminate, it will withstand the wear and tear, but there can still always be an issue with water damage.

I've looked at Marmoleum before online - the closest place to get it is about 90 miles away from here. I'm going to order some samples and see if they are something my husband could live with. (Doubtless, but "maybe he will come around!")

Brickton - you crack me up! I think python it is. That was really what I was leaning towards, too. Why is it that when I think of my chemistry lab - oh so many years ago, that I can barely remember the countertops? But here I am practically drooling over the thought of soapstone countertops. It's a sickness, I tell you! :)

Thanks all!

For the kitchen floor, may I recommend tumbled slate with a gray grout?

I did this in my bathroom against the contractor's recommendation 10 years ago, and I LOVE it.

Unlike ceramic tile or granite tile, it does not conduct cold well so it never feels cold to the feet. The gray color and the gray grout hide dirt (I still mop it weekly, but in terms of your kitchen, you won't have to worry about it looking filthy when your kids step inside.)

It is naturally non-skid!

The only maintenance I do is reseal it with a liquid sealer (very easy) 1x year.

It looks good with most cabinets, too, and slate comes in different shades - some with more red or brown, some more gray.

Get a sample and put it on the floor and touch it with your bare feet - I love the feel.

Yet another vote for Marmoleum---we just went last weekend to pick out colors and they had both the tiles and the sheet installed in different parts of the store; it really is great to walk on. The sheet is quite different from the Click tiles, though; the tiles have a cork underlayment and are designed to be floating (so they aren't glued down), whereas the sheet is installed more like vinyl would be. I liked how closely the Click tiles fit together, though---benefits of tile without any grout. I REALLY wanted wood floors, but we have a big dog who's already scratched up all our beautiful oak floors and the kitchen is where he does his morning happy dance that involves spinning around in a circle three times before collapsing on the floor, so DH was adamant that it be some form of tile. It's really grown on me since then. Flickr has some galleries of all the things people have done with it---many quite impressive!

For budget reasons, we are doing vinyl. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's not anything like the shiney, sticky vinyl floor I grew up with and have had for the past 18 years in our home. (it came with the house). Before ruling out vinyl completely, check out the better brands. Ours will be Stainmaster in a pattern that looks enough like slate to fool the gal at the tile shop. :-) Just a thought.

Cj

hydrangea, I had exactly the same issues you do with flooring - I don't like grout lines, tile is hard and cold and more expensive, I need something low maintenance, etc. I went with a Mohawk laminate that looks like tile, but I chose not to have it grouted (which is an option). I don't have a close-up shot, but you can get a pretty good idea of it from the pix in the thread I've linked.

Here is a link that might be useful: My kitchen pix thread

It's scary when the hubby suddenly knows the "lingo" isn't it? Do you wonder if he might be on here using a username of his own????

And yes brickton, they truly do have a way of "coming around". My husband who truly believe wood should never be painted went on one kitchen tour and "BAM" he was all about white painted cabinets.

Regarding the floor, I have cork, very warm, cushy. It's not recommended for a bathroom so I can't say how it would work with lots of snowy feet. We finished installing ours and then we had the first of 3 blizzards this winter. I had lots of beach towels by the sliding glass doors! Lots of microfibre wiping up too. But we love it.

Oh more ideas. Now my head is spinning! :)

I love the thought of slate. I was looking at it a month ago, but I'm not sure I can bring my husband around. I was looking at a BHG magazine at my mom's today, and was admiring the stainmaster "tile" vinyl. It looked great in the ad.

I would love to have cork, but I'm afraid it would NEVER hold up to the wear and tear in my house. I'm sure whatever we pick it will be better than the vinyl with holes that we currently have.

We have to have toe-kick heating, too. In the past our kitchen floor has been very cold. Am hoping that in this reno we can do something about that.

Did I mention that we also live in a rural area, so finding what we want and seeing it in person is a little difficult. Whatever did we do before the internet?

Okay, off to look at more pictures. Thanks everyone!

Chocolatetruffle -

Love your kitchen! It's gorgeous! Thanks for showing me the flooring. It's beautiful.

Hi hydrangea

Just want to say I love my Pergo Select flooring. I have had it for 7 years throughout my home, and recently extended it into my kitchen...It withstands any abuse including longstanding liquid accidents..
They have some great looking colors these days. Mine is a discontinued color, but I'm still very happy with it.

KA:)

cork is wonderful
if you seal it after installation you will not have a problem with seepage between the joins.
cork itself is naturally water/liquid repellant. think corks in wine bottles!
I love my cork and it is warm and easy to clean

I have the duro- design make which seals after everything is laid down and clean up is a breeze