I should add that we have two young children and a dog.

Look at using Flor www.flor.com a removable, washable carpet tile that can be cut to create area rugs as opposed to wall to wall. They have lots of selections available.

I would stick with a hard surface floor in a kitchen

Oh, I would really really encourage you to use a different material. I am not sure if you have ever had carpet in the bathroom, but this is so much more challenging to keep clean. At costco, they have large mats that you can put in front of your work area they are really comfortable for the feet. I honestly would go this way.

I like Ironwood's idea and/or area rugs/runners.

Yes I love the Flor tiles. And I would do an area rug - not wall to wall. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with actually keeping them clean in a kitchen.

I know several people who had "carpet" in their kitchens and they thought it was the "dumbest" thing they have ever seen (and that's from both women AND men!). I'm not being sexist, I know that women have very particular wants in a home and the gentlemen are often "what ever makes you happy" (NOT ALWAYS...but often).

And these same guys HATE the carpet in the kitchen (farmers who don't notice "dirt", notice how awful it is to have carpet in a kitchen).

A cork glue down floor (you can rough up the terracotta tiles and then "sink it" in thin set...the profies will tell you a bit more on that issue) and then you can glue down a cork tiled floor directly over your flooring. The tiles are sealed with 3 coats of water based polyurethane and you have a water PROOF floor - just like the one you have now.

Cork will give you the comfort you seek, the warmth and the "clean-ability" you are looking for. And you don't have to remortgage your home for them.

www.icorkfloor.com (US clients)
www.corkfloorsales.com (Canadian Clients)

Cork tiles range in price from $1.29/sf - $2.70/sf.

You can get washable area rugs and runners...also, I believe some of those carpet tiles u can just hose off...I saw a post from Ironwood about that.

Cork flooring as Cancork Floors stated.

I wish I had your terra cotta tiled floor.It is exactly what I want - great shapes, a slightly uneven surface, variegated colors, character...its got everything!

BTW, my parents did the kitchen carpet thing decades ago, they like the feel of it on the feet, but it is a bear to keep clean. They should really change it at this point - really looks shabby to me, but decor is not a priority for them.

@Writely Yours - It's beautiful, but it's so uncomfortable to walk on. Especially in the winter - even with socks on. My daughter has this sensory issue with her feet, and she is a habitual toe walker. So from walking on her toes, her achilles tendon has shortened to the point where she can no longer stand flat on her right foot, and she needs to get a procedure done to lengthen it. I don't want it to happen again, so I want to make the floor more cozy. I would like to do the FLOR tiles, as an area rug - not wall-to-wall, so you will still be able to see the tiles on the border. We have a ranch and the tile goes throughout the ground floor.

I wish you could pull up the tile and ship it to me!!!

I wonder if the 1cm foam mats sold at Home Depot might be helpful. They are 24x24 inches square, and the edges are like puzzle pieces. They usually come in gray, with a molded diamond design. You can trim them to fit with a utility knife. Pull them up, take them outside to hose them off, or wash in the bathtub. CAUTION. Make sure the underside is COMPLETELY dry before putting them back, or they slip, like black ice.

I have had them all over my tiled kitchen floor for the last five years. They are soft, warm in winter, and so much easier on arthritic joints than the tile.

Best wishes.

Looking for an update? I have the same tile in my kitchen and want to do Flor tiles too. Has anyone tried Flor tiles as an area rug in their kitchen?

I purchased a house, years ago, with low pile carpet in the kitchen. My husband loved it! When a bottle of wine exploded, he dumped a 5 gallon bucket of water down...and sucked it up with a shop vac. Ten years in the future...I ripped out the carpet, the plywood subfloor had water damage. It was nasty! I put hardibacker down, then tiled it. Threw down a jute patio rug...and was able to use clorox to clean my kitchen floor again. YAY!

Carpet holds germs. NEVER put carpet in a kitchen.

I am always a little lost with these posts regarding a floor being too hard. Especially a child whose weight couldn't possibly compress say a wood floor. You weight would have to have the ability to compress another type floor to create the so called cushioning you desire. I just don't see how its physically possible. This is further proven if the floor no matter the material is placed on slab.

I do understand not liking the cold or roughness of one floor over another its just the hardness issue. Your money would be better spent on a runner which has been suggested or footwear that would give your childs and your feet the cushioning they need. There is no softer hard surface flooring. Your body weight cannot compress flooring material especially on slab which 'im fairly sure you're is.

If your childs health is effected as a parent I couldn't imagine not changing out what you feel is the cause of this. Your doing the right thing and im not attacking you but as someone who installs flooring I am just giving suggestions. The product has to be able to be compressed by your weight to give relief.

Your tiles are timeless.

No to carpet. No to cheap laminate.

New countertops maybe. And you can buy decent quality cabinet/drawer fronts if you want to go that far.

People this post is 6 years old. To the recent question about Flor tiles - they are fine as an area rug or runner but avoid wall to wall in a kitchen. Just yucko to keep clean. Also, I would have advised against Flor tiles on the original OP’s post because with the Flor tiles you need a flat surface for the tiles to butt. A Saltillo floor is not that and the Flor tiles would have been a problem.

Look into Ruggalbes. A spill proof, stain proof, dog proof rug you can actually wash. AND, it will not slide around on your kitchen floor. https://ruggable.com/?utm_source=google_adw&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwqLblBRBYEiwAV3pCJrwV4SfcrEx6uiuDklHm7juenW9EdGwDgFAcUpS2rerGp17d-4q4NRoCNYQQAvD_BwE