You have to be careful of water and hardwood floors and that's tough in the kitchen. I've had both and prefer tile. They make tile to look like wood if that's the look you want.

Tile is easier to maintain and harder to damage, but isn't as warm on your feet or soft on your back as hardwood is. They both have pros and cons. What are your priorities? Do you prefer something easier to clean? Or do you spend a lot of time on your feet and have back problems? What problems are you potentially trying to solve?

If you do hardwood throughout, it will look much better for the overall open concept. Use an engineered hardwood which will take moisture better - less warping, etc. Engineered HW is more environmentally friendly, and the better ones have a nice thick hardwood top (up to 3/4", I believe) which allows for 3-4 refinishings. I have heard multiple people recommend engineered HW for kitchens.

Hardwoods hands down it you have the option to choose which material.

I am not a pro, but in my opinion, it depends on where you live. If you are in a hot, humid climate, use a pool frequently or you drag sand in, I would prefer tile. In my New England home, I would prefer wood

I have a similar setup in New York city. Oak floors in the dining/living area and tiles in the kitchen. See below.

Ritu Saheb, Architect, AIA

i live in new england, and have tile in my kitchen, but wouldnt want it everywhere here. however, my vacation home is also in new england, and there i do want the protection from sand and wet towels and bathing suits. and it feels much much cooler in hot humid weather, even with the a/c on. so, it depends where you live.

as far as tile being hard on feet and knees, at some point every kind of flooring is hard on knees and feet. i wear house sneakers.... good support, and wear them only indoors so they stay clean. (i havent slipped on the stairs since i started wearing them too. i could have saved 2 cracked ribs had i seen the error of my ways, sooner.)

Hardwood of course!

just please don't do an open concept that has two different floors in it. Always looks weird.

I don't think you can beat the look of hardwood. In our recent whole house remodel we used tile. I love the tile in my kitchen. I cook and bake a lot, and it is a good choice for me. Many of my friends have hardwood in their kitchens and have never had a problem. I think it's a matter of what is your favorite. Good luck!

I just opened up a wall to join my dining room/kitchen with the living room. We had hardwood in the living room and extended it into the dining area to match but went with tile in the kitchen.

There is a peninsula/bar separating the kitchen and dining room so it's not as noticeable that there are two different surfaces as it would be if it were all open. The only reason I did it is I was afraid of damaging the hardwood in the kitchen. But I wish I could have carried it on through. It would look so much more cohesive.

thank you for all the responses, house is presently being built, it is as I said an open concept ranch bungalow, so when you enter the front door you enter the living room pretty much with hallway, living room, kitchen and eating area all one room, hardwood in floors is a new concept for me as I have always had tile in kitchen and eating area, afraid of marking it up with chairs and island stools, and dropping things in general, also moving appliances to clean behind? should I be concerned about it, if I did divide flooring, tile would run through from mud room into kitchen eating area and in and around kitchen work area and island, the other half would be hardwood

We have wood in our kitchen and have never had a problem with it. It's 15 years old, we live in WI and have a pool. If there is a spill I wipe it up, problem solved. My dogs have scratched it, but we still love them!

If you are "afraid" of wood floors in a kitchen, then it is better not to do it. Go ahead and find a tile that is close in colour (do NOT do wood-look tile) and install it in the kitchen. There are plenty of people who were 'afraid' of wood in a kitchen who installed it anyway - they have been bitterly disappointed. There are many people who hate the hardwood in their kitchen. They are people who have "always had tile" in the kitchen and were horribly unhappy with the difference in performance. If you are afraid of it, then don't use it.

The eating area can have hardwood - that's fine as it is a 'living space' not a kitchen space (depending on the floor plans). I would keep that area as hardwood. The tile would be only for the kitchen/cook area.

Even in open concept, there is often a "natural" break where the kitchen 'ends' and the living space (including dining area) begins. A peninsula or island will often create this break. Go ahead and tile the designated kitchen area. Stick with something that is a very nice colour match to your hardwood. That will keep the "visual flow" working in your favor.

Do not use a material you are not comfortable with in a kitchen. It is the most heavily used floor in a home. If you are afraid of wood in that area, then it is better (for your sanity) to work with something you know/like.