Yes, I think you're right. I'd really love to do tile, and I've seen lots of nice pics on Houzz of tiled family rooms.

A great option for you to explore would be luxury vinyl tile. It has the look of tile(and can even be grouted!) without the drawbacks of tile(cold and hard on joints). It is also perfect for installation on slab floors.

Here are a few examples of the luxury vinyl tile available-

There are many manufacturers out there. I recommend viewing the product in person, not all LVT is created equal!

A few of my favorites are Armstrong, Mannington and Karndean.

Have you considered cork? It goes over a slab well, is warm and nice on the feet (also simple to install)

If you want to tile but are worried about the cold, consider having the in-floor heat installed with it. It is more expensive, and tile can be expensive to start with, but all those I know who have the in-floor heat with the tile love it.

I have a tiled floor and don't live in a warm climate (only in summer, with a bit of luck). Our previous home had a stone floor with underfloor heating. Bliss! We don't have underfloor heating here (wish we had) and yes, it is not the warmest floor ever. But we have area rugs in the living area and in the kitchen. We always walk on socks indoors. Maybe we're just hardy people.

We are getting an estimate on Friday to do the tile we want! I wish we could afford the in-floor heat, but I'm pretty sure that's not an option for us. Wool rugs will have to do. At any rate, I am SUPER excited! I've already started looking at rugs. :)

Good luck with your project :-)

Nico72, double check on the in floor heating - it is actually not that expensive. You can buy the matts at lowes, we got one for our bathroom (3'x9') for $200 and you don't need to cover the entire floor, just areas where you may walk. Just have an electrician or experienced person install it because ours is defective and has a current leak :(

I would stay away from bamboo. As installers bamboo is the only floor we have ever had a complaint about. Only a couple but that is one too many for me! Very fickle floor, do your research.

I'm not a fan of tile in a family room, unless your in Florida or Spain ;-) If you have hardwood every were else, why not do hardwood in your family room also? If you're on a slab, it will need to be engineered hardwood (can't nail hardwood into a concrete slab). It will be worth the investment when you sell your home.

We did luxury vinyl and loved it... Now I hear it toxic??

LVT is better than other vinyls, I'm forwarding this article from the writers of http://www.ecocenter.org/article/hs-news-news/new-study-finds-toxic-chemicals-widespread-vinyl-flooring:

"Consumer Reports notably recommended that, “(A)lthough phthalate levels are very low, we recommend that parents of toddlers wet-mop often and wash those little hands after they’ve been crawling on a vinyl floor,”

This comes on the heels of a report we co-released from HealthyStuff which found that nearly 60% of vinyl floor tiles tested contained phthalates. A companion report also found that recycled vinyl flooring can contain not only phthalates but other toxic additives - notably high levels of lead and cadmium.

In response to the growing concerns about toxic phthalates in flooring, the nation's three largest home improvement chains (Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards) have adopted policies to phase out all ortho-phthalates in flooring by the end of 2015. Lumber Liquidators has also instructed suppliers to evaluate alternatives.

The writing is on the wall - phthalates are making their way out of PVC flooring, and it's only a matter of time before major flooring retailers and brands also set restrictions on recycled vinyl, until recycled vinyl feedstocks can be sourced free of toxic additives."

I will have to look more into this! Thank you!

Hmmm... I'll be asking about the floor heating with the estimate. Thanks for all the advice!

We are in the process of replacing all of the carpet in the house with oak hardwood (engineered) to match the oak floors in the living areas of the house! The engineered has a full quarter inch of oak and is in tongue and groove strips the same width as original. Once laid they will be sanded stained and finished to match. Our installer makes a transition sort of threshold between old and new so difference in grade is very gradual. He is quite an artist at it. I'll send a photo when finished. Just started this week!

That sounds amazing, bonniesl!! I'd love to see photos!