The wrong base??

I'm with you mark_rachel...I'm wondering what "base" means.

As for faux wood tile up against real wood floors = fashion faux pas that you will regret for the entire 25+ years you will live with the tile. If you can't stomach the tile/wood clash, you will simply spend more money in a few years to rip out the tile and do it again.

If you want a nice compliment, look at travertine-look porcelain tiles in tones that will work nicely with the wood floors. And the kitchen floors should be chosen with all the other elements in the kitchen (a total of 7 elements for a kitchen) at once.

I would never do faux wood next to real and IMO wood look tile is already becoming a dated look so either get wood to match or a tile that is 12 x 24 in a color that coordinates with the wood.

It looked like plywood that is the bottom of the addition. Apparently my FIL got the wrong kind that would go under the wood flooring so now we can't do that. I hate the look of 12x24 tile. We are going with cream cabinets and quartz counters

so your FIL did the wrong subfloor? and it can't be redone to accept wood flooring?

So, if doing tile, pick a neutral porcelain tile that doesn't look like wood. Never use wood tile next to real wood.

choose a 18x18 or 24x24 size tile in something that will compliment your kitchen/wood flooring.

something like this Limestone-look porcelain (from tilebar.com)

or something like this (these are 12x24 though)