JUST MY OPINION....BUT..I am a big fan of FLOW...If this space is ALL open...and your den is on the other side of your kitchen table...it MAY not flow too well with the cabinets! It might be SOO drastic ...If you have a chance ...or if you have time...maybe you can attach a picture of the entire space! I am a fan of contrast but in my opinion the flow has to be a subtle transition from one room to the other.....CERTAINLY when its all one open space! :-) (your kitchen is SOO clean)....I must clean mine and make 3 lunches...and FAST!! :-)

good thanks

I promise you, if you go with flooring anything darker than a medium tone, you will regret it forever. Unless constant mopping and sweeping are what you enjoy! Dark floors are a maintenance nightmare. With the color of your cabinets I would go lighter with the flooring. Here's something you could try - purchase some black or dark brown poster board and cover your floor with it for a few days. Notice how dirt and dust magnify when they land. And, it will give you an idea of how the dark color will affect the mood and lighting in your room.

And in my opinion, it's everything in the room that dictates the style. Cabinets, floor, furnishings and accessories!!! Good luck to you!

I am not a designer, but I have to agree with oldbobbi: dark floors are a maintainence nightmare, especially if you have kids and/or animals. Been there and done that! That is my two-cents for what it's worth. Good luck with your flooring project. I love your kitchen, by the way. It's so homey--and clean!
I just saw the picture Dytecture posted. Maybe rich, light /dark combo flooring like that would be a consideration. That way it won't be too dark and still add contrast to your cabinets.

Dark surfaces are harder to keep clean but not impossible. If you love the look of floors then get them. I think you need some contrast in the kitchen so darker floors would be nice. But be sure to balance it out by maybe changing the cabinet hardware to dark bronze and the shade over the window to something with more color (with a touch of brown or black). I wouldn't try to match the flooring to the cabinets. It never works and trying to match something just makes it look like you tried to match it and couldn't. I have had cherry floors before and loved them but they can be a bit red. Since your cabinets are maple you may consider going with more of a dark walnut stain (more brown than red).