PS Ignore some of the ugly light fixtures and the white appliances LOL. Like I said, we are still “renovating”.

I've had (notice the past tense lol) and still have, travertine. I had the beige kind in my old bathroom. I wouldn't put it in a high traffic area due to cleaning issues and if you get the honed and filled type, it just doesn't last. little chips show up here and there.

I have Silver Travertine in my large living room. Versaille pattern. ( i only have an older pic because right now i'm in renovation mode) .

That has actually held up pretty good. no issues, but then again, no one w/shoes ever walks in there, and it's not a high traffic area.

have you looked at porcelain in more of a rustic feel that you like? there are hundreds to choose from. I suggest you go to a large tile store and see what they have. porcelain is so much easier to care for. any of the natural stone tiles means sealing periodically and cleaning w/ stone safe cleaners.

Tilebar has this 24x24 porcelain that looks like limestone

they even have porcelain that looks like old brick or terra cotta. (they make them larger)

I have had real wood and travertine in Versailles pattern. My travertine was in large front entry and gallery/halls plus closets, wine cellar and guest powder room. I never “sealed” it and never had any problems. It was and still is (new owner loves it 15 years later). I have specified it in two large homes and the owners decided to have it sealed. Both families with 2&3 kids and large dogs. No problems. So kind of up to you. But, as Beth pointed out, the new porcelain tiles are amazing and pretty much worry free. I will say, the travertine coming out of mountains now looks darker and more brown. Even the so called “Silver Trav”. So you must get several samples from current shipments to see if you like the coloring with your wood etc. btw your wood flooring is stunning! I did real wood, in house install and finishing throughout the first floor of travertine entry etc. house and loved it. Never had a problem except one guest at a party/charity event had shoes with 5” heels and the steel center was exposed and she made some marks from those shoes. Some people. We were able to fix quickly with no lasting problems. I would keep the quality of your flooring consistent with the value of your home for maximum return on investment.

I have the porcelain that looks like limestone in my kitchen and we love it.

Hi Beth, thank you for taking the time to answer and for the photos. The biggest thing I dislike about porcelain tiles are the rectified edges that have a super straight edging. My current tiles actually have non-rectified edges which make them look a lot more like natural stone. It’s very hard to find non-rectified porcelain tile these days! I really don’t care for the uniformity of the square tiles with perfectly straight edges - I like a softer, natural look. The last photo you posted -the chevron pattern - is very interesting and I will take that to one of my local tile companies to see if I can find something similar because I could really dig that!

Photo of my current tile:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Hi Flo, thanks for the info based on your clients’ actual experience. I know travertine gets a bad rap for being “difficult” but then, I think... what about the old travertine floors in so many grand homes/cathedrals/historic sites throughout Europe that look beautifully patinaed and are treasured despite being hundreds of years old???

As for the lady that wore the stilletos with the exposed steel pins on your friend’s wood floors and left her “mark” all over

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Ok, weird... my comments are getting cut off....

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Flo, Yes, I am aware. This is my first time with real wood. I previously had laminate, which I never worried about babying. The week we installed our new wood flooring, a friend sent me photos of the horrible gouge marks in her wood floors after she had a dinner party and one of the husbands wore shoes with steel taps on the toes and heels. Deep scratches where he had pushed away from the dinner table!

I hate to be ‘that person’, but it has definitely crossed my mind about how kosher it would be to ask people to remove their shoes....it’s hard to swallow what can happen to your $25K investment because people have no clue about their footwear!! Like, I hate to be a jerk.....but c’mon, man, don’t dent my floors!

Mel, I like the edges of your tile... will look into that one as well.

The "break" In flooring makes me crazy : ) I'd continue the wood. But that's me