Hardwood Floors and tile in bathrooms

I like hardwood in living areas (and bedrooms) and tile (non hardwood look) in bathrooms.

Go for hardwood throughout the house, even the kitchen. Agree with doing tile in the bathrooms, but not the wood look alike as it will look odd running up against real wood.

When we moved into our current house, we took out all the floors except kitchen and baths and replaced them with hardwood. I love the look and they are very easy to clean. Carpet would be the last thing I would use for a kids room. I would use hardwood and rugs.

Hardwood or Luxury Vinyl Tile. I've got groutable LVT in my kitchen and it looks like ceramic (it's easier on my feet and I'm picky about fake stuff). They have it in wood plank colors and patterns. When I get through with the deck we're putting on our house, LVT wood-look is going in the bedrooms with rugs over it. My son is allergic to dust and I have to admit, my family isn't that careful about stuff that might hurt a hardwood floor.

We have a ranch and used hardwood everywhere except kitchen, baths, laundry room. Here a couple of pics to show you the transition from wood to tile with an open floor plan. We had to have an extra subfloor put under all the hardwood areas to raise the floor to be even where it abutted any tile transition. No reducers were needed. All our flooring transitions evenly from room to room.

Different more water proof flooring in the kitchen are will also help to visually say this is kitchen this is living area. I would do as others have said wood with tile or vinyl in bath and kitchen in non wood patterns. And if that is a younger kid vinyl in that room that you can replace later.

I got Armstrong Alterna Durango Buff. http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/luxury-vinyl/durango-buff-resilient-vinyl-tile-D4158/floor-111646.asp

I love it!

Maple Adams Cranberry with Black Glaze Cabinets, Armstrong Alterna Durango Vinyl · More Info

Beth, the tile I chose can be installed with grout or without it. I paid about $8.50 a square foot for the material and installation. I'm in Greensboro NC, not a major metropolitan market, though.