I went through this in my open plan apartment and decided on tile, even though I don't have the use issues you do. Aside from being cheaper, one reason I went with tile is because tile can be beautiful, not merely something plain to cover high traffic areas. I used the tile below, which is a modern adaptation of traditional Mediterranean tiles. Porcelain, $12/sq ft.

With dogs and kids, I recommend having tile in the kitchen, large-ish format, with little grout. I don't see the downside, for this stage of life. Bring your wood tones into the kitchen with some stools, or the island itself. Go look at some tile to coordinate with your floors, and you should be able to find something!

I'm not a designer, but I have had hardwood in my kitchen for years with no issues (I have kids, but no dogs). In our recent remodel, we went with a distressed Hickory to avoid having to worry about every little scratch. Engineered hardwood is more forgiving if it gets wet, so I heard that it is better for a kitchen, but we installed solid HW. I plan to add mats to the spaces we stand the most -- in front of sink and stove -- to help with leg/knee/ back fatigue.

Tile, definitely. I happen to love, too, the variety of beautiful patterns available today, particularly the cement tiles. You could even do an "area rug" of tile surrounded by your hardwood to provide better continuity, with most of the workspace covered by tile. Here's what I mean (not all kitchens, but you'll get the idea):

If you are afraid of wood, then do something like natural slate. And be very careful that this very expensive reimagining of this home is not a money losing remuddle. You need to honor the innate character of the home.

I appreciate all the feedback. One thing I forgot to mention is that I live in the suburbs of Chicago. Another words I experience all weather conditions. Currently snow and salt. Does that affect your decision on hardwood as well? Sabrina interiors I love the pictures you showed. What kind of a tile are they using? Would that be something to put by the foyer or in the entire kitchen? "A" does that tile you posted come in different colors. I know people with dark hardwood. It sure is beautiful but shows every little spec of dirt. if I were to go with a hardwood I would want a blended wood to not show as much dirt. MRS.S I have seen island countertops being a butcher block. I love that idea but do you put another cutting board on the counter to prevent it looking too worn. If that is the case then just a plain wood look, right? One other question for all of you. What do you think of mixing metals. I love love love the new brass/gold. Would it look silly if I had brass/gold hardware on my island and then chrome everywhere else?

Upstate NY is no different than Chicago. Hardwood goes everywhere here. Walk off rugs, reasonable care ! No issues. Nothing is zero effort or zero maintenance. Unless you plan to lay heat under that tile? Look out your window or check your car dash! No thanks on tile for me. Especially today, the mere idea makes me cringe!

Heidi, if you visit your local tile showroom, they will undoubtedly have an array of cement or ceramic "old world" looking tiles like the ones above in all kinds of colors. The trick will be to make sure the thickness of the tile and the thickness of the hardwood are the same, or at least that your installers are aware of the differences so they can put the appropriate substrate in to make sure the tile and hardwood are level. You don't want to create a tripping hazard. And yes, I was just showing you the foyer because it was a nice example of my recommendation. You could easily do the same thing in your kitchen, depending on your layout.

Wouldn’t the rug of tile idea in the kitchen still mean there’s hardwood in some of the heavy use spaces where you stand to use the counters or appliances?

Heidi

It comes in two other neutrals
http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/products/tile/stonker-porcelain-tiles.html

I didn't do patterned encaustic cement tiles because, among other things, ensuring that the thickness of that tile seamlessly transitioned to my hardwood floors was a concern in my 1906 formerly commercial space. I know they require initial sealing but am not sure about ongoing sealing. I avoided ceramic tiles because of durability concerns (chipping). There are other porcelain tiles printed to look like encaustic - not a lot, but worth looking for because they are most durable option. These are $8 sq ft. Only some of the patterns shown are imported into the US. http://www.malinetile.com/tile-vives-vodevil.asp These folks make many patterned tiles, but check the tile composition https://www.somertile.com/

By wood on the center island, I was speaking of the island itself, but a wood countertop is a great idea. I don’t have one, but I will venture to say, Yes, to keep it pristine, use a cutting board. I would check into IKEA for the wood countertop. Many here on GW are very happy, esp. with the low price, for the good quality.

I also like the patterned encaustic tile, and I will mention that our local tile shops in So. Cal. Have many, many porcelain lookalikes that are easy maintenance.

I have slate in my kitchen and love it. and it maintains room temperature even in the winter (tile like ceramic can get very cold, slate does not).

If I could redo mine, and I just might, I'd do the Brazilian black slate like this

or it comes in a more natural non-gauged rectangle. this is what I currently have but in a different color.

want porcelain?

8x48, Jasper in a matte black.

porcelain 8" hex to mimic black marble. of course you can do this hex in any color. maybe blend it like this

The black looks great next to wood flooring

Wood is so much warmer than tile. Tile would freeze me out. You could do a different wood pattern such as chevron or herringbone to compliment existing wood. So many care products make it easy. Including rug pads where needed. No wood look tile. That won’t look right at all. Encaustic tiles are a bit more Mediterranean than your home style i would guess so take care in selecting. Flooring of any kind is a big investment and prep is very key as well so installing by qualified, experienced people usually costs as much or more than the material. Good luck.

Go to a good quality tile showroom and look at wood plank porcelain tiles. It can look AMAZING and is bulletproof. The quality of porcelain tiles just keeps improving, as demonstrated by other posters' pics. And if you have radiant heating there is zero concern about it being too cold.

Instead of wood, I did solid cork tiles in the kitchen. I have a large Great Dane running thru the kitchen.

In an open concept the same flooring throughout IMO is a much better choice.

Thanks for the comment Patricia. I do like the area rug look of tile. Don't you think tile in a mudroom is necessary though? I do like the encaustic tile. I am thinking of putting some tile for sure in the mudroom. I too love the hardwood look. I am going to see if I can order samples of a few things.