I'm far from a pro, but I also kind of like the tile. Would you consider painting the cabinets? I think a cream would be a calmer and safer choice. I agree painting the walls a better off white might help a lot too, and I like the colors suggested above. If you wanted to be a little bolder, dark teal or navy would sing with this floor, as would copper accents. You could go as far as painting all or some of the cabinets, the wall behind those cabinets, of some textiles. With small children a rug under the table may be impractical, but I like the idea of a runner along the side of the room leading to the stairs. You might also think about one between the island and cabinets. The stainless island is wonderfully practical, but a little stark. What about some big gray-brown of blond textured baskets under it for storage? Or even a section of skirt under the island, just on the outside where it wouldn't be in the way?

With no curtains, not much room for rugs, lots of hard surfaces and little kids, this room may be a little loud. What about a pretty rug or other textile on the wall to lead the eye away from the floor and to absorb some sound?

Here's a pretty kitchen with similar counters and navy w/ copper

This kitchen appears to have a pink ceiling, but I think the colors would work on yours

I’d like to see pictures of the rest of the kitchen please.

I love Saltillo but did remove 800 sq/ft a few years ago during our kitchen remodel. Ours were in bad shape. My tiler hung plastic sheets on the wall and I don’t know how he did it but I have to say dust did NOT go everywhere. Even the tiler said I would have red dust on my textured white walls where he couldn’t hang the plastic high enough. It was no worse than taking out regular tile. I also had tiles with real coyote prints and he managed to save them intact for me. You could paint your tiles white. I was in a boutique hotel in Palm Springs that did this and it looked glamorous and fabulous. Not sure what kind of paint they used, maybe garage flooring epoxy? If I had seen this prior to my remodel I would have seriously considered it.

I think the suggestion to stain the tile is a GREAT short term solution. If you could get it to look more brown (like some of the pics people posted) than pink + yellow, that’d be huge. Not an expert here.

I think taking out the drapery+painting the cabinets +walls white or off-white+staining the tiles brownish should be an ideal short term solution. You might even start to like them! They give a rustic vibe that contrasts well with white.

Comment number 50. You haven’t got any decor items up at all so all u are focusing on is that eyesore tile . But , everyone is right . The grout can be cleaned, the tile can be stained. It could look AMAZING! Your appliances are AWESOME . Just removing the pot rack and drapes will make it better. Take your time and open your mind to working with what u have . And PS , When the day comes you can easily get those tiles out yourself. DIY, is where it’s at.
You are free labor! Seriously a lot of people would love to have your new home! Congratulations!

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>hi Tara, I hope once you see some pictures I've prepared for you you won't be as overwhelmed or intimidated by the terracotta tiles.
you can do a lot with the floor limitation even though it may not be your choice you can make it work until otherwise

My recommendation would be to tone down the cupboards and the walls to a cream neutral tone then maybe near the back stairs and the surrounding walls in that area you could pull off a darker shade of wall color
you need only find a color that will be your fave dominant color... I suggest picking out a beautiful area rug first for the dining area & would recommend at least an 8'x10' or larger to ground the space.... choose a gorgeous rug with a variety of tones & from that you can find a color and bring that color up into your curtains ...I would put up curtains as this may be the simplest and cheapest way to go or if money isn't an issue maybe consider 2-3" slat shutters
(hang curtains on the outer sides of the window making sure you hang close to ceiling )
Do paint out the trim around stairs and molding in your wall color of choice or consider using a shade or two lighter than the walls...this will give you a sleek uniform look and help your floor blend a little more seamlessly
hope something here helps...YOU CAN make that kitchen gorgeous on a dime (or 3

more pics

more pics

l hope these aren't repeats

there's a couple duplicates sorry!

Off topic but if that is a picture of the exterior of your house Its gorgeous.

Tara although the curtains were just for reference they can be found at Pier1 ...just in case you happen to see a pair you like

as for area rugs, Marshalls or esalerugs.com carry a nice selection... bought plenty from both stores

Thank you for all of your suggestions and the compliments. I am a bit overwhelmed!

Vision interior, I like the area rug and table that you showed. Where are they from?

Some close ups of the tile, cabinets, counter for color reference. Currently there is sherwin Williams worldly gray on the walls.

Can I contact people/pros directly in houzz?

Remove those dark valances. Paint the walls a cream that harmonizes with the cabinets and floor. The previous owner's choice of countertop with that floor wasn't ideal--rather dark, too much black. I really think an island that you can get cheaply, painted in cream to replace the stainless one would cover a lot of the floor as would a beautiful runner that works with the tile color.

yes Tara as far as I am aware you should be able to contact pro's for info

Tara check Costco for table of same as I'm not sure exactly where the one I posted came from...and area rug try esalerugs.com they have thousands of rugs in stock and ship free

https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/10423829/

The tile is great, and looks surprisingly good with the stainless steel finishes. The pot rack and dining set throw it off. I am imagining a sort of modern take on a Tuscan farmhouse, painted finish dining table (grey?). If I had a ton of money I’d redo the stair finishes—the spindles are sort of colonial New England, which isn’t helping any.

https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/50408006/

Your house is beautiful. Love the cabinets. Please don't paint them. They have such a warm comfortable feeling. Change out the island with some type of cabinetry in another color. Both to cover up more floor and hide anything you want to put under it. but I do like the stainless top I would look for something I could reuse it on, the size is good, you just need something that isn't so open. Replace the pot rack with some real lighting and center the island under it. Right now it's too close to the stove. Maybe large enough to set some stool up at. Remove the valance. I really would to see some color

Anne Marsh: Are you certain taking out those Saltillo tiles can be a DIY job? At least two people have said it would be hell, needing jackhammering, causing red dust everywhere in the home and costing a fair penny.

Tara, thanks for sharing the additional kitchen pictures. I don't know how you're feeling about your floor today but if you scroll up to acm's pic with the lighter grout (thanks for the great visual, acm), you'll agree that's a marked improvement. You've also gotten the idea of staining it which might be interesting.

You've gotten quite a few suggestions on working WITH this tile. It can be done. What I want to say is: it's just a floor. Yes, part of the bones of the home but so what if it's not perfect? In a design forum, the language can get hyperbolic and I think that can be detrimental to anyone looking to appreciate their new home, design flaws and all. We can end up fixating on an element at the expense of appreciating its whole. Your home looks beautiful and I'm sure you'll get it to a point where all the rooms are to your taste. But so what if the kitchen isn't there yet? I can imagine worst things in anyone's world. Just a thought I wanted to share. A possible perspective shift.

I wish you the best in this new kitchen and I hope you'll keep up posted with your changes. :)

The tile looks good with the cabinet color.

Tartanmeup, thanks for your comment. I think I have to work with the floor for now because my husband is not open to changing it. I have to pick my battles and with several other rooms to furnish, I’d rather the bulk of my budget go there. I am feeling appreciative of all the suggestions, but my head is spinning a bit now!

I can certainly relate to that reality. I'm sure most of us can. We're not all lottery winners with a magic wand. ;-) Agree on a reno time frame, save your money, collect your inspiration pics and time in that kitchen will fly (with three young kids, especially!!). In the meantime, appreciate all its strong points while noting what could be improved. By the time you're ready to redo it, you might have new layout ideas. Who knows. The important thing is that the kitchen is functional and allowing you to create meals and memories in that space. Enjoy! :)

If you need the curtains remove the valance. That will update them until you are ready to replace them. Change the handle hardwear! Cheap and easy. Paint the floor or individual tiles (use the lightest tile colour. Random or checkerboard design) to tone down the floor. The eating area looks huge. Add an easy chair or couch for story time or a desk for home work/crafts, book shelves. The island doesn't look permanent and would be great in an outdoor kitchen BBQ . You have a great space. Enjoy your home

I like the floors! New paint, cabinet hardware, window treatments and rugs will go a LONG away to updating the space. While the stainless Steele island is awesome, it may not be practical with all the open storage below. Add an island with closed storage in a great color. You have a great house! Enjoy!

All good suggestions. My $0.02, don’t try to hide the tile or distract from it using strong accent colors. It will feel busy and disjointed. Work in a platte that compliments and subtlety shifts focus away and up. Because you are on a limited budget, think paint. First thing I would do is paint you table and chairs — 10+ cans of a nice creamy vanilla white spray paint would draw you eyes up away from the floor. The black draws your eyes down to the grout. If you still have energy, carry the same creamy white to the walls. Definitely lose the window dressings and replace the chrome cabinet jewelry. The area has good bones. I know you what to rip out and start over, but I think you’ll love it (enough) once you add some of your own personality (at least long enough to get to your full remodel.)

Remember that Somethings Got To Give Hamptons beach house that millions of women wanted 15 years ago and still do?
You have much of that architecture in your home, especially the transom windows. I'd go for an updated version of that look. Your house is huge so using a totally different flooring in the kitchen would be fine.

I'd look into a commercial quality luxury vinyl or laminate wood look floor, and install over the existing floor. Then i'd spray the cabinets white, and add a white backsplash. Then add an island with seating. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like you have room for a T shaped island.

Inspiration from the movie

I'd get the tile professionally cleaned and the grout lightened up as acm showed beautifully. Then save up for the new floor a few years down the line.

If you loved the tile, you could spend hours repairing the chips with some matching paint and Bondo. With three small kids, that's not likely to be high on your to-do list.

The stainless steel table would make a great craft table somewhere else. Or garage table.

Expect the demolition, waste disposal, home protection, subfloor remediation and prep, and new flooring material install to run $15-$30 per square foot. Too many unviewable and unknown conditions factor into that project.

That cost assumes that you are choosing someone licensed and insured that really knows floors. And it assumes a new moderately priced flooring material cost of $5-$10. Higher end choices obviously cost more in materials and labor. The rest is all labor, and there is a LOT of labor to do this correctly.

I actually like the tile and I have something similar in my own kitchen and family room. The only thing I don't like about it is that your tile has such dark grout. I have heard there are ways to change the color of grout and I think you should consider it. It would look much nicer in a light to medium gray beige or tan.

Also, large matching baskets under the stainless island. great for children's things, rolled up tea towels etc.

I personally love that island!!!!!

comfy chair/s, end table in front of stair case with matching rug.

(think you could use 4/5 matching rugs/runners in your lovely kitchen),

Neutral cushions/even back) on black chairs will lighten their look.

ignore the floor, concentrate on use of this wonderful room.

Like the counter top with your dinette set (just enough black)

Maybe a large cork board to display children's art.

don't paint those cabinets! don't paint railing black, Enjoy your family and home!

I understand you don't like the floors. Use it to your advange! We had horrible floors when the kids were young in the big oval of kitchen, dining room and foyer. I let my little ones ride their tricycles in the house. I know how gauche! Kept them close and no harm to a floor I got rid of when my youngest was 5. I have great memories of all the fun!

Paint the walls a nice white, live in it, enjoy and plan your next move ;^)

Keep your finishings natural and neutral. The tile can work in your home.

Some are fixating on the tile removal job being a messy and dusty job. Most demolition is!

It is, but well worth removing if you found the tile ugly to look at, difficult to move furniture on and a trip hazard.

I don't regret the mess or cost of having all that saltillo tile removed.

Treat the tile like a neutral. I had a house with pink tile and I used a yellowish tan on the walls. It made the pink tiles look more coral-colored. I would get rid of the window treatments. They are a very "old Fashioned" style which is not used too much any more. At the very least, I would remove the valances, again because they are not a style used much any more. Draperies matching the wall color with maybe a subtle stripe, in a jaquard or woven in color like hopsacking would look really good, and if you still wanted valances in the kitchen windows you could use the same fabric and make faux Roman shades. Much more modern looking.

Your cabinets look really in good shape: I wouldn't change them at all. If you decide to add an island with a cabinet base, I would use a painted finish.

I’m definitely going to take down the valences. Some suggested drapes or other coverings? Any recommendations? Should I have them custom made or is it something I can buy at the store? What kind of hardware?

If your place is in the path of the cold this week, you can put the floor length curtains back up temporarily to prevent cold air near the window from slinking along the floor. For new curtains, consider if you want them insulated, lined, or thermal backing.

i had those tiles and I think alder cabinets with the same viking and subzero appliances in a Colorado ski house.Those floors were throughout the entire house! I also hated them at first but then after a while they just kind of blended in. The house came with a fabulous ironwood dining table and some furniture in dark crimsons, golds, hunter greens and I kind of embraced that and went with it. I mixed in lots of rustic natural burled wooden furniture pieces, some western antiques, some tan or dark leather pieces, some Mexican, some copper pieces, some iron pieces, some kilim cushions, even some Australian Aboriginal art and African cloth pieces (all in different rooms ), lots of rugs. I had gorgeous tall earthenware pots. It became very warm and homey and ended up looking wonderful.

You have baseboard heaters. I recently moved into a house with the same type heating & found that putting curtains over baseboard heaters, tho possible, was not recommended for heating, aesthetics and safety. You have a sweet little patio through those French doors. I would reorganize that space (shuffling the grills, smokers, etc elsewhere), put outside curtain panels there if you wish and take advantage of that lovely little area.

You might need to have them custom made, depending on the sizes of your windows. There is a place where you can get Made-to-Measure drapes online. https://www.smithandnoble.com/category/curtains-drapes?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=drapery&utm_campaign=%28NB%29+Drapes&utm_adgroup=&cvosrc=ppc.google.drapery&cvo_campaign=%28NB%29+Drapes&cvo_crid=327358540451&matchtype=p&mkwid=sw5BXoRUz_dc|pcrid|327358540451|pkw|drapery|pmt|p&gclid=CjwKCAiAyrXiBRAjEiwATI95mVuolCbYHtzeSlGiUYWDGqka2G4MspYkZpAkxX0qaSNWPliE_gbbRRoCHzcQAvD_BwE

Leave hardware, it suits the room and the cabinets.

Use texture on patio doors..

neutral textured blinds on patio side windows and over sink.

Keep wall paint

Here are some fabrics that might work:

Your tile is gorgeous. See if you can bleach the dark grout lighter without compromising the integrity of it, or paint it and seal it, with a complimentary tone(sage green? or a hue that is in the tile). The curtains are not the right tone for it. Get someone with a trained eye, and if need be just put up some roman shades in the window for now, that are a light neutral color good for the floor. Chocolate brown trim on the curtains is throwing the terra cotta of the tile off. The walls are nice. Any colors you would see in a collection of old terra cotta flower pots out in Mother Nature will be nice with your floors. Chocolate Brown is too rich in hue. Stay in the dusty colors. No rust, no chocolate brown. Good luck. Lovely home!!!!!

I love this kitchen with saltillo floor...

Maybe since you have wood cabinets you could do just the opposite and put in white/cream island/cart with a soapstone top...