It depends on the room and on your preference. I personally feel that hardwood floors are the best solution for main living areas. Depending on the style of the space and your budget, I would recommend a reclaimed heart pine floor. It's beautiful and doesn't call attention scuffs the way new flooring can.

- Joel

Hi Billie - It really depends on what you like, what you care to clean, and how long you want your flooring to last. Also depends on what rooms you are installing.

Now . . . If I assume you and your family like wood because once it is installed & finished it is easy to keep clean and lasts indefinitely without replacement, go with a real hardwood, NOT a laminate or fake wood. Real wood lasts. It will initially be an investment to install & finish it the way you like it = staining, but well worth it. Next you need to choose which rooms to install it. Usually goes in living, dining, bedrooms, family rooms, sometimes kitchens.

If you have young children, you may want to just go with carpeting. Why? easier on the little toes, and easier on the slips and falls. Usually goes in living, dining, bedrooms, family rooms. Berber wool is resilient on stains, but can be a bit

rough. Sisal wool is softer.

Tile flooring is generally chosen for bathrooms and sometimes kitchens. You would choose the size, color / design of the tile for each room. Kitchen back splashes are usually tiled as well. If you haven't already chosen one, it is the wall in the kitchen right behind the counter tops. It is much easier to keep clean with a tiled back splash vs. plain paint.

Below are some ideas for wood, tile, and carpet flooring to get you started. I hope all of this helps!

Thanks everyone for the advice ;). This is our starter home 25 yrs. old in south Louisiana and is paid for. We are empty nesters with 4 grand children that come visit regularly. We decided to upgrade/remodel, do the labor ourselves and in cash. It has taken 3 + years ... Starting with new roof, removing popcorn ceiling adding cam lighting. My style is casual chic, eclectic with a touch of mid century modern. Lol
About the flooring, my husband wants vinyl planks that looks like wood because of easy care and cost. He has heard hardwood warps and doesn't last. I've only heard the opposite on HGTV
I've attached a few photos

HI -- Go with an engineered hardwood floor - Engineered is a stable product because it is on a plywood base so will not warp and it is real hardwood and can be re-finished a couple of times and will stand the test of time . It is actually better than solid wood floors for not warping with humidity etc.

If you are considering resale go hardwood or engineered wood. If you plan on staying forever and you can live with it, go vinyl. Contrary to what your hubby thinks, hardwood is very easy care once installed and adds value to your home. You've done such a beautiful job so far. We also did our own kitchen/LR reno, mostly ourselves, also have 4 grandkids and a clear maple hardwood throughout the whole house which we absolutely love.

Don't get the vinyl. As others said, go for the real or engineered stuff. If it is sealed and cared for, it lasts a long time! We chose tile for the bathroom and have no regrets. As for bedrooms, I prefer carpet. But that's personal preference. Some say get a rug, but I figure why go hardwood just to cover most of it up with rugs?

Oops, meant to say we have hardwood in at least 50% of the house. Only the kitchen had warp issues (not obvious until the contractor went to refinish) and we discovered it was due to improper installation by the previous owners.

Wow, sounds like you've had your hands full the last three years! As most people have said so far, engineered flooring may be a great option! Engineered flooring has a solid hardwood wear layer atop a plywood core, so it looks beautiful and is very stable. If you'd like to read more about it, check out this article. Good luck! You've done a great job so far!