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Design Dilemma
sheri_barber3280

Is it OK to mix wood and tile flooring?

13 years ago
We are going to do a remodel on our kitchen and living room. This is the main floor of our home, so the only thing separating the 2 spaces is a load bearing wall. My husband and I agree that the stairs going up and down, and the hallway on the upper floor should all be wood with tile toe kicks on the stairs (all are currently carpet). Hubby wants all tile from the front door straight through and throughout the kitchen. The living room (not shown) will be carpet.

Would it be ok to have the foyer from the front door to the load bearing wall (see picture #4) be the same wood as the stairs, and the kitchen be tile? He's convinced that the entire area should either be wood or tile, but not both. He wants all tile, but I'm not fond of the coldness of it or the echo factor as we have vaulted ceilings. We haven't even gotten started on this project, and we are close to divorce! LOL. I'm just kidding about that part, but I would like to be able to show him some other opinions...even if they differ from my own...I'm not above telling him he is right (if that is the case.). Thanks in advance!
Featured Answer
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Maybe wood look tile could be your compromise?

    Comments (20)

    • 13 years ago
      Do everything wood, you will love it...............I have wood all over, bedrooms, kitchens great room, foyer and even bathrooms..........it 's so easy to care for.............good luck
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Wood, wood, wood!

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    • 13 years ago
      I see a dog in the picture. Does that change the verdict on wood?
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      It's ok to mix tile and wood flooring. Often, you find entrance, kitchen and bathrooms in tile and everything else in wood. But I agree also, that ALL wood is the best. But do use a reputable flooring place, not a box store.
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      you are decided on carpet in living.. then if you're adding tiles as well as wooden floor. i feel that is too much going on... all tile is not good between... all wood will be better if you are going for one flooring type..

      how about keeping the kitchen tiled? while rest a wood flooring including dining? as that'll make the eyes run all the way from entrance to window if it's wooden flooring there.. keeping the wood flooring edge same in both rooms such that kitchen n living seem separate from foyer n dining..
    • 13 years ago
      I'm the husband in these shinanigans. To answer yvonnecmartin's question. Yes. We have 2 small dogs. My main concern with wood is the dogs. My brother-in-law has 2 large dogs with hard-wood floors and they've destroyed them. That's my main issue with doing tile in Kitchen vs. wood. We'll probably end up doing wood.
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      There are better and worse woods for durability against dogs. For example, white oak, especially quarter sawn, is extremely durable. There are also differences in finishes. Many dog owners swear by the oiled finish rather than polyurethane because the oiled finish can be spot repaired, rather than requiring a full refinishing if it gets a scratch. Our white oak floors have stood up to our rambunctious australian shepherds very nicely, including in the kitchen.
    • 13 years ago
      I thought I wanted wood throughout my house but am now putting wood/tile instead. I like the look of Ragno tile. They have a natural, brown a black color. It looks like wood but you don't have to worry about getting it wet or dogs scratching it!! I have not put it down yet but I like the look of it!! Hope this helps! (o:
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      You could compromise with a tile inlay and a wood surround at the entry . From a code perspective, if you add hardwood to the stair, you will need to raise the flooring surface in the entry hall by the same amount as the increased height of the stair. You should keep the riser heights at the stair equal. I think I would add hardwood to the living area and then transition to tile in the kitchen. I like porcelain tile with an old world stone finish.
    • 13 years ago
      I have four dogs and my oak hardwod floors have not survived them despite having gymnasium-level finishes. I think wood-look tile is a great compromise and will provide the same look without the same drawbacks other than being hard and cold which many don't like. If you change materials for the kitchen, pick a tile that is very close in color to the wood so there is not an obvious visual disconnect between the two spaces. I would also do the living room in the same material--either wood or wood-look tile--so the place is more unified.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      There are companies making wood flooring who are advertising that you cannot scratch it. I have seen a food can dropped on it and it did not make a dent.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      I would say yes, if done properly this can be a very nice look. Hardwood product these days come with the Transition pieces that go from one flooring to another (Transition) to create a nice solid design look. Who knows… you could even Have a family symbol or general medallion in the center of the hardwood to designate the ENTRY of your home to be a luxurious and sophisticated look J happy Flooring my friends, ,also the success of running this idea by your husband should include that the hardwood and Tile height should be the same… Good Luck!
      -David Montanari @ Bay Area Floors Santa Cruz, CA
    • 13 years ago
      Thanks everybody! This has been very informational, and helpful! I will post more pix as we get further along on this project.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Today I saw that Emser Tile carries the most fabulous wood looking tile.
    • 13 years ago
      We have used a similar tile in our bathroom and it looks and feels great underfoot. (We have a large dog and I would be tempted to tile our whole next home because they look and feel so good and would withstand everything she throws at it.) The bedroom is in an engineered wood plank: we laid them vertically against the horizontally laid bathroom tiles so that it didn't look like we were trying to match them, and that has been really successful.
    • 13 years ago
      Sheri, we are also doing a remodel and we decided on all maple hardwood for the living room, continuous to the dining room, continuous to the kitchen. I agree with you about the coldness of the tiles. We decided to have tiles only in all the bathrooms, because of all the water. But, if you really want tiles in the kitchen, that is OK, too. :) I think they even have heated tiles now, you can consider that if the coldness is a big factor. :) Please post photos of your progress, and good luck! :)
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      You can certainly heat areas of tile floors, it's a very thin mat that you lay under the tile. It should be on a timer. Many people put it in the bathroom near the sink and tub, and in the kitchen in the area you stand most on.
    • 13 years ago
      Just wanted to show you all where we are at so far (finally after 3 months). Antique faux finished cabinets with rubbed bronze hardware, and paint is sherwin Williams deer valley. We have decided to go all wood floors in living, dining and kitchen, and tile in the bathrooms. I also posted a picture of a sample of the backsplash. Floors go in in a couple of weeks, and then counter top and back splash...excited!
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      great at wall colour & wood flooring to come.. window needs a dab of paint too, no? quite a daring backsplash.. never seen anything like it.... tbh, not so sure of it. But ofcourse, I don't know what countertop you chose :)
      Good Luck!
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