I'm not personally a fan of those black appliances with the dark floors. I'd choose stainless or panelled to match cabinetry. But if I could afford all that, I'd probably choose new cabinets over painting the old.

Are you sure you like those floors ? If it were my house, I'd prefer longer floorboards. The aesthetic in the 2nd and 3rd picture makes the stubby floor pieces look blotchy with that high contrast, but perhaps it's just the photo, or my computer screen.

What are you doing to cabinets. Better make that decision first, then flooring. Sure would only do black appliances if cabinets were painted white. If you can change go with stainless. Flooring probably best lighter but can’t pick flooring til we know what cabinets will look like. Any photos or paint colors?

Thank you for your feedback. I don't like the black appliances anymore either. I am a fan of the dark floors and was originally going to go with laminate but thought LVP would be a better decision with a child that has a lot of spills. I do have the flooring guy coming back out to provide more samples because I am not blown away by any of these. Unfortunately my budget won't allow me to replace the cabinets but I will have them professionally painted and add some hardware.

Pro painting great idea. I would consider engineered wood flooring, rather than LVP. You need perfect sub-flooring for LVP to look right, and I suspect you don't have that. So that will double cost. Most engineered woods, have a thickness that helps with installation over less than perfect subflooring. I would avoid darker colors. I have engineered wood flooring now in a dark color and EVERYTHING SHOWS ON IT. It is terrible. Great from a wearablity and easy care. Just would do lighter tone. Have you decided on cabinet color? If so, what is the name of the color? I can look it up and make recommendations on flooring that would look great from that color.

Thank you for your feedback Flo! I haven't really looked at cabinets yet. I thought the floor would help me pick the best color. I could probably switch out the appliances. Is engineered wood the same as laminate?

I really don't like the layout of this kitchen but I can't tear it down and build a new one lol. I thought I would enjoy getting new floors but everything is outdated so trying to pick the right things is starting to stress me out.

Laminate is a totally different and not recommended, but engineered wood is a great product and reasonably priced. I would try looking at paint colors first and see what appeals to you, then you can find flooring that works with your color. You will want the cabinets painted first because then the painting on site (framing, etc.) won't mess up new flooring. Also, your toe kick will have to be redone as well. I will look for some "inspiration" photos for you. What overall budget are you wanting to stay within?? That is going to be key factor here. Kitchens are the most expensive to redo. bbl

See if any of these looks appeal to you. Loads of ways you can go, so just trying to help you focus on a "look".

Sonoma Kitchen · More Info

more

Laurelhurst · More Info

Susan & Miguel's kitchen · More Info

Bailie Scott House Kitchen · More Info

High Park Home · More Info

what is a toe kick? the floors really are my immediate priority. they are 14 years old and have to be replaced. I have about 2100 total sq ft of flooring to tackle first and everything else will have to get updated when my budget allows.

These floors are really nice

The toe kick is the strip you have at bottom of cabinets that meets the floor. So you have budget for floor and will do cabinets in the future? If so, the trend is toward lighter flooring. Much easier to care for as well. I will explore some ideas for you. Sub-floor will be important and that adds about $1-2 a sq ft depending on the condition of your existing sub floor. Are you on a slab or wood?

Have you considered Engineered Vinyl Plank flooring? Check out this article. Google it and it has a lot of good info. Educate yourself so a salesman doesn’t pull wool over your eyes.

When choosing floors first, remember you run the risk of damaging them with the time comes to paint the cabinets and replace the appliances.

That being said, a dark floor makes for a dark house. If you already have a dark home, a dark floor will deepen this look by 2-3 steps. So the dingy hallway just became a black hole where children and pets go to play hide-and-seek....without hiding!

Now imagine how much LIGHTING you will have to create just to get RID of the darkness your dark floors just created. Yep. You can add in another $$$ for extra lighting. Not to mention painting if you have areas where the paint is less than brilliant white.

And the cleaning...sigh...the cleaning of a dark, low-gloss LVP is a nightmare. And yes, most LVP is low-gloss so almost everyone of them has issues with skin oils showing up SHINIER than the floor = smudgy looking.

Personally I prefer light, bright floors. I love very pale wood. I'm a fan of Scandinavian Modern which means lots of light flooring (imagine pale wood without a finish on it...that's a floor that is commonly seen in Scandi design). I also like lots of white walls and BIG splashes of colour - like massive red area rugs. Actually I have 3 red area rugs...in the same room. Sigh. And a red loveseat in the den.

But that's me. I also live in a cold climate where dark winter nights get depressing so I like to liven things up with BIG wall art (like 4ft x 5ft prints).

Look at the home as a whole. The kitchen looks to be 10% of your overall floor space (210sf is 10% of 2100sf). That's not a lot. I would picture the home as a whole being. And if it doesn't work in the kitchen, then you know you can fix that with some paint and new appliances!

I fell asleep. Thank you Flo! That article was helpful. I am on slab. Yes, I am going to do the floors first and hope there is money left for the cabinets. Budget is about $15,000.

As you can see...everything must be replaced! The floors, the lighting fixtures, blinds and furniture. With the exception of the kitchen cabinets, it seemed to me (and I am probably wrong lol) that darker flooring goes better with what I currently have and would allow me to work on the other projects within the next year or two.

I will definitely be replacing blinds and lighting soon after the floors are done, then paint cabinets, replace appliances, then furniture. It is also on my wish list to change this paint color. The layout of this kitchen is poorly designed. No pantry and limited storage...no place small appliances other than the counter tops.. which I hate lol. A suggestion I was given was not to bother trying to fix this and move lol.

Medium toned wood or engineered wood. Get browsing for a sale . Keep the look straightforward as in traditional oak w factory finish 3 inch planks. Dark or very light tilt to the look is not warranted. When you sell, the wood will be an enhancement but stay in a range of shades that has universal appeal. It can be a turn off if you push the tone to one extreme or the other. Find a deal for your pocketbook

May have found a better option

Corelux has good reviews. Now you are onto something

OK...so we have some more details. Excellent. Your style and the home's interior suggest transitional or traditional. That usually means a natural wood-look floor (like natural white oak, or maple, etc) would do very well in this home.

It would mean a "like for like" replacement of what you have already. The carpet is very light (which means it is a non-entity when it comes to design). That means a natural (unstained) wood floor would look very warm and inviting.

I will give a warning about sheet goods (carpet and sheet vinyl...like what you have): They hide TREMENDOUS amounts of subfloor issues underneath them. That's why builders LOVE them. These two products (like what your photos show) can hide the most atrocious substrates.

Because of this, I would suggest a subfloor prep cost of $2-$3/sf. If I'm wrong and you can get away with $1-$2/sf then you have saved some money. But if I'm right, your subfloor prep is going to eat a significant amount of your budget.

You can always work backwards to figure out your budget for the flooring purchase.

1. Subfloor prep: $3/sf x 2100sf = $6,300

2. Labour for vinyl plank install: $2.50/sf x 2100 = $5250

3. Budget left over: $15,000 - 6300 - 5250 = $3450

4. Budget for flooring material (including 5% waste = 2205sf): $1.57/sf

Big red flags here. You need to be very careful what you invest in this house. Check comparable sales in your area on line and make sure you don’t put in improvements you won’t get a return on. I would keep any flooring choice one that is medium look so it appeals and helps sell down the road. If you think you will sell in 5 years, do only cosmetic changes. You can use free standing furniture to achieve some good results. For example, sell bar height table and chairs and but round glass top table. Then add small mobile island that could help with storage and work surface.

Here are some "mobile" island ideas and you can place this into the kitchen if desired for some needs then move to the end of the side of the refrigerator.

Winsome Wood Kitchen Cart, Double Drop Leaf, Cabinet With Shelf · More Info

Winsome Finland Wooden Storage Kitchen Cart With Drawer and Casters · More Info

Yes, I will probably be ready to sell and move in 5 years which is why I don't want to spend too much on upgrading the house.

Good plan. Is the current flooring on a slab (cement)?

yes it is

Ok that should make installation easier. It will depend on flooring you select. Just has to be level. When looking for products, look on line for the manufacturers “Installation” directions. Those must be followed to maintain product warranty.

Will do, thank you!

Flo Mangan I have Pearly White, I think Sherwin Williams. What color engineered floors would you recommend. I'm going with a transitional modern look.