Thank you! I'll check it out :)

I think a mid-tone or light (as in your sample box) is a great idea. I would hesitate to use laminate in a kitchen. Vinyl is going to wear much better than laminate in the wet areas (such as entrance and kitchen). If you feel that laminate is the floor you want, I would HIGHLY recommend you purchase enough extra to replace the entire kitchen (if the kitchen is 100sf ... then purchase an extra 110sf over and above your wastage allotment).

The reason: the biggest chance of problems will occur in the kitchen. A dishwasher leak or fridge malfunction will cause you to repair most if not all of the kitchen flooring. Laminate has been known to bubble and peel in front of dishwashers inside of 4 years. This is due to the expression of heat/steam multiple times per week for several years. The accumulative damage shows up inside of a few years. By that time, your flooring will have been discontinued.

If you like the laminate that you choose, please purchase enough (and then put into storage) to repair the entire kitchen. If this means the costs of the extra means you can move into a nice vinyl...then I would recommend you go with the vinyl.

I ask clients to consider buying two extra boxes of flooring and those that did have all thanked me years later. the others are running around trying to get a match or replacing everything.

I do like the flooring you have in your picture: it works in a smaller country home. The paler stain has enough grain interest over a darker stain floor. It looks practical and warm.

I like a walnut floor finish (can translate into laminate). It's a true brown... It flows better with black/white and every color imaginable, warm or cool.

Thanks for everyone's input. As of yet, I haven't chosen anything. I have literally, probably 200 samples (not kidding!) of both laminate and hardwood from various places. I also have a stack of full size flooring store samples to consider and a person from Costco coming over tomorrow with hardwood samples. My husband would really like wood instead of laminate now because he's also concerned about something leaking and the floor warping. So the hunt is still on. :) I think I am totally burned out and may just put it off for a while and concentrate on finishing landscaping the back yard! I'll keep you posted :)