If you can't wait to afford the same flooring throughout the house, consider putting in travertine looking tiles in the kitchen. Since you'll be mixing different flooring don't try to "match" woods. It never works. Go for a different looking material, just keep the same tone to all flooring.

Thanks for your responses! We prefer to keep carpet in the great room because our ceilings are super high and that absorbs sound. Plus great comfort. We have to do the kitchen now because the old tile color won't work, so we we'll take a look at travertine.

I don't know about travertine for a kitchen floor, but agree that tile seems good. You could also go with actual wood, whether the same color as the entry or different. I don't think you have to worrry about absolute unity -- people have been mixing flooring types for ages, for lots of good reasons.

Sorry for the delay. Thankfully not honey oak. Has some red to it (see pic). But we're painting and trying to move away from the warms and reds as best we can. White & espresso combo painting cabinets, possibly SW versatile gray on walls, granite countertops with some grays, whites, etc. to tie it all together.

Could you refinish the front floors? This would allow you to either then match the stains (if you did hardwood in the kitchen), or a better color palette to choose from.

Hmm...never thought of that. Will consider and thanks!

I agree with cindy, too many types of floor in a houze just don't look great. I would either choose something in the kitchen that is similar to the rest of the house or refinish your old floors to match.. My girlfriend refinished hers and they look great! Very reasonable to do as well!

I would find a tile that is AS CLOSE as possible to the CARPET!!! This will keep a sense of unity while still maintaining the separate rooms.

The problem becomes: white cabs. A beige floor probably won't look all that smashing with white cabs (it can work...it would take a professional to get it to work).

The engineered hardwood in the entrance doesn't have "some" red to them...they are ALL RED. So don't duplicate them.

I would also look at replacing carpet in the next 5 years or so. If you do that, you can have the right tile in the kitchen...then you match the carpet to to the tile at a later date. While you wait, you will have a horrible/nasty clash of colours....but that is to be expected when doing one project at a time.

Figure out the next step (carpet...and possibly even the DEEP RED wood in the entrance) before going forward with the kitchen reno. You will be glad you did.

Great advice, thanks! I will certainly consider re-staining the floors up front.