If you have a good installer you can but the tile up against the hardwood.

You can also use a metal Schluter strip for a clean transition.

Or you can use a traditional T-Molding.

Here is an inspiration pic from houzz https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-home-contemporary-staircase-chicago-phvw-vp~21501303

Sativa McGee Designs

Is this what you are referring to when you said " You can also use a metal Schluter strip for a clean transition. "?

This one is called

Schluter Schiene Satin Anodized Aluminum 3/8 in. x 8 ft. 2 in. Metal L-Angle Tile Edging Trim

And this is the picture from the website

I assume if using 3/8 inch tile you use this one that is 3/8" x 8 ft. x 2 ft. ?

I was also wondering design-wise what is considered "in style" or current when it comes to transitions?

I am liking this look but want to be sure not to use something that is dated...

Thanks for your advice!

Beth H. do you know how many floor contractors are gonna have that last photo shown to them :-D That takes SO much skill to execute.

Best is not to NEED the transition , unless you are talking laundry to hall, or wet bath to hall : ) A well executed Schluter is best. But in wide open areas , nothing beats the unity of ONE flooring.

None of the transitions recommended above appear to allow for the necessary expansion space. Schluter makes nice trim but you'd be better off with something like the pieceson this page: https://www.lfishman.com/catalog/shop/Trims-Transitions/Ceramic-Profiles/Movement-Joint-Cove-Profiles/Schluter-DILEX-KSN/dept-2PL?a=1

I have designed many of these spaces with the Schluter installed as pictured with no issues I still like it best for something that really is almost invisible I do agree that one flooring in the main living spaces is preferable to tile in the kitchen with wood floor in the rest of the adjoining spaces

Thanks to all that responded...

Johnson Flooring Co Inc.

I will consider this one as well but hoping to have as thin a transition as possible. I will run that one by the tiler.

Patricia Colwell Consulting

I agree with you that the almost invisible one is the one that looks the best in my opinion...I too would agree with you and others that have said one flooring is best, but we have a center hall plan so foyer/hall leads into the kitchen and hall to the right leads into the laundry room so are putting tile in those areas. It is not open concept. In the separate family room and separate livingroom/dining room we have hardwood. Even if we did put hardwood throughout hall and kitchen we would still have the issue with the bathroom and laundry room butting up against hardwood. Maybe in the next house! In this type of layout I would prefer tile in the areas that get potential water/salt/ heavy wear. I had a dishwasher leak once so I would personally be leery of hardwood in the kitchen. I know a lot of people do it and it looks beautiful but not for me in this house. Open concept I would do it for sure. Although it would still make me nervous lol

Yes you can usually butt the tile and hardwood. The trick is to have the tile and hardwood in a similar tone. Here is a picture of ours. Our tile was already installed when we put in the wood. Otherwise, I would have selected sand colored grout.

I used a schluter between hallway/laundry and for the fireplace hearth had the tile butt against the hardwood.

Wow great pics guys thanks! Exactly what I was looking for and I had searched all over the internet ;)

I am guessing that having a schluter transition strip is better than not having one for expansion issues? I read on a site somewhere that you want the joint to be a little flexible. So still wondering if going without a schluter transition piece would cause cracking of the grout down the road. I think I might just go with the schluter to be on the safe side...

Can anyone comment on the cracking of the grout in this regard?

Mine does not have grout between the wood and tile and no schluter and no cracking.

At the very least it would probably be wise to use a sanded caulk that matches the grout color where the two floors meet.

Johnson Flooring Co Inc

I think I read that somewhere else but what is sanded caulk and do you buy it with other caulking supplies? What is it typically used for other applications?

Thanks for the tips!

What Material is being installed first? does one already exist there? We normally use a piece of the actual hardwood flooring to make a transition by under cutting at an angle so that the hardwood meets up with the tile with just a very slight overlap. However if the tile is torn out down the road, this would cause damage to the hardwood transition - which would normally be replaced anyways.

When I googled "sanded caulk" the first link that came up is below. It's generally used where floors meet walls but we have used it at joints from wood floor to tile floor.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Polyblend-122-Linen-10-5-oz-Sanded-Ceramic-Tile-Caulk-PC12210S/100678059

Hardwoods of WNY

We currently have the hardwood in place and are now getting tile butting up against it. I do have some spare pieces of hardwood that we could use as a threshold if need be....

Thanks!

Johnson Flooring Inc.

Thanks for the clarification!

I opted for no transition, to help anyone in a wheelchair. Having had to roll around after an ankle break at my old home... I prefer no transitions.

Beth H: what is this tile - I love it!

sherryl, I think its CleTile, Cement. Could be another brand in the pic, but Cle has those in blck/white. They have tons to choose from

https://www.cletile.com/collections/concrete-patterned-cement-tiles

they are called, Cement tiles, slant pattern,

https://www.cletile.com/products/moroccan-encaustic-cement-tile-slant?variant=41225615622

I love that and all their tile! I had not run across it! So our wood floor is 1/2”, and this is 5/8”. How would it transition completely smoothly, like yours did?

you'd have to get a wood transition piece (that is stained to match your wood floors) that is sloped to adjust for the change in heights.

those cement tiles are thick! and don't forget, with thinset under them, it will be higher.

another option to look for are porcelain tiles that look like cement. they are thinner.

I used these Zellige black tiles w/my inlay, but my wood floors are also 5/8", so it made it perfect! These are also from CleTile.

So nice! Our engineered wood floors are .5, so the cement tile is too thick. I LOVE that that I commented on, be I like the blue-grey and white, rather than black and white, which apparently they do not make any longer.

they do have the blue and white in the hex shape. did you those?

I’ll look! What would I do about the difference in thickness, though?

This? It’s 3/8, so should work! I LOVE it!!!! Would you mix it with some white in a pattern?

Oh that's right. I forgot these were 3/8. My floor is right at 1/2, maybe a tad higher, and these tiles were perfect once they were set in the mortar.

i love shattered pearl. they should have those in a 4x4 tile or even a 2x6 tile (like my black ones) if you want a more squared shape.

and no, I would not mix in any white. All of those tiles have a high color variation. order some samples. Some will be light, others darker. you won't need any white.

this is it on the wall

don't know if they still have Tea Ceremony

or Celadon Green. sometimes they switch out the names

Joanna Gaines used them in a bathroom

Fired Opal??

i think this was rice paper

I’m looking for my back hallway+laundry room. I have a nice antique door that will go to the closet under the stairs back there; then I’d like it to go into the half bath - so I’d like the floor to not be so busy as many of the cement or porcelain patterned tile.

cute bath.

ok, I see what you're saying. I think any of the tiles in the softs grays or whites will work fine.

I just saw these Terrazzo porcelain tiles at my tile place. Do you like these?

otherwise, try an look for the zellige or the porcelain version of these

if you can find the same height, you can weave it into your wood

these are some of the porcelain look alikes

large quartz tiles

You are SO SO SWEET! I am totally obsessing about this stuff (especially with this home confinement!). We are getting our contract for building on Monday. I know I don’t need to have the decisions made by then, but it’s all occupying space in my head! I love the white hex above with the little bit of blue that forms a triangle. If I could find a porcelain of it, that would be ideal! That’s extraordinary! There’s a doorway, so feathering won’t work, but that’s cool! Thank you SO much for your help!

Also I was afraid to get too busy with the tile because of that dog wallpaper in the powder room. I found it on Wayfair - and it’s removable peel-and-stick, even!

I think the dipped hex style would be cute. as long as you stay in the same color range, a tile w/some pattern will be fine. powder rooms can get away with a bit more pattern and movement.

I love the Terrazzo tile. I'd do it my house if I had a place for it! It will go with anything, even down the road if you switch it up.

but that gray pattern tile in lower middle, that would look cute w/the wallpaper too

Which gray pattern tile are you referring to?

or this one from tilebar

they have hex too

https://tilebar.com/shop-by-tile-shape-and-pattern/hexagon.html

samples are 5 for $5

https://tilebar.com/nova-andromeda-marble-tiles.html

this marble one could work

and I love this one

https://tilebar.com/twine-olive-grove-marble-tile.html

I was thinking more of a muted grey too! Thank you!!!

Those are nice - and pricey!!!!

these are porcelain. grab some samples

https://tilebar.com/cascais-silver-ornate-9x9-matte-porcelain-tile.html

Caiscais Silver sky

https://tilebar.com/auteur-diagonals-ash-9x9-porcelain-tile-pattern-2.html

https://tilebar.com/auteur-diamond-navy-matte-9x9-porcelaintile-pattern-2.html

Paige grigio

marble

Just ordered the last five from the top left from Tilebar! Can’t wait to get them! Surely one of them will be perfect! Thank you for suggesting that! You can’t go wrong for $5!

Have a massive transition 2” on vinyl to vinyl flooring from my hallway down to all 3 bedrooms. Contractor is saying to just keep them as a 2 inch step down but is there any way to transition cleaner?