Since you'll have the fireplace in between, it seems to me that it's a good spot to transition the flooring if you really don't want wood in the kitchen. With a nice flush transition like is discussed in this thread. However, I'm also a fan of wood in the kitchen. I assume the fireplace faces the living room and not the kitchen? I can't visualize the stone floor wrapping around the fireplace -- seems like it would look like an awkward frame on the floor -- but perhaps the stone in front of the fireplace for the floor hearth would tie it together. Or in this image below, there is no similar flooring but it all works. This is by Alice Lane, and they have a really good podcast that you might enjoy if you're building.

Thanks @stiley!

The fireplace will be a full height column, its called a masonry heater. Yes, the fire will be facing living room and on the kitchen side there will be an oven for cooking.

I had an idea to maybe raise the kitchen up with a couple steps as a way to create more natural separation for the flooring as well. have not found inspo pics like this yet!

I am a huge fan of the look of wood floors in kitchens, don’t know about practicality. Do you think its much of an issue for spills and cleanability?

French limestone in kitchen and wood in family room.

Bordley 2 · More Info

Here they did an inlay with wood for sitting area and tile for the doors, around fireplace and kitchen.

Andalusian Hilltop Estate · More Info

Do most people prefer one floor type? Sure, but there are exceptions and times when it makes sense for someone to do different floors.

I am building and have a long back hallway that was supposed to be wood to match the rest of the house ... but this area will get lots of traffic and will be the area my 3 dogs stay in when we are out. I decided to switch to tile and it will work best for the way we will use the house.

Some future mythical buyer can go ahead and rip it out at a later date!

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Schappacher White · More Info

No steps. Absolutely not. It's a dysfunctional tripping hazard.

We have engineered wood in our openspace living/dining area and tile in the kitchen, as do many actual houses (as opposed to magazine houses) around my neck of the woods. Put in a tile that complements the wood floors and be done with it.

I have a huge FP thta separates our LR from the kitchen and we have slate look laminate everywhere ( we have 3 huge dogs so no wood for us ) I love it so easy to look after and 15 yrs old and still looks great. Maybe even LVP might even work.

I moved into a house almost two years ago that has wood floors in the kitchen. It's the first time I am living with this in the kitchen. I don't like it. I'm not going to remodel for a while but I expect I will change it to tile when I do. I never feel like the wood is clean because you have to be careful with what you use to clean it, and I am always worried about missing standing water and getting water spots. I just don't think wood is right for me. Everyone should do what they like and what suits their lifestyle.

Choose engineered instead of hardwood. I think engineered gets a bad rap because most don't understand it is real wood. You get the look of real wood, but not the worries about it buckling if exposed to water/dampness/humidity. Three houses ago we had a large Maine Post and Beam, The flooring ran through out the house...including bathrooms. No problem with engineered wood. And, years down the road, if the floors need refinishing, it is no problem at all.

BTW...my all time favorite is Hickory/Saddle stain. My personal experience was with HomerWood.

https://www.homerwood.com/assets/pdfs/HomerWood%20Catalog%209-14-18%20(web).pdf

I strongly prefer your choice of wide white oak flooring and I would encourage you to carry it into the kitchen. A site-finished oak floor is extremely durable, and while it might develop a little “patina” it will stay beautiful long after other floors have faded, and give your overall living space more continuity. My current kitchen as well as the previous kitchen I had for 26 years (pets! kids!) are both floored in white oak. I find it easy to care for. Good luck.

We have had site-finished white ash floors throughout the first floor for 36 years. They were refinished after about 25 years. Our children were 3 and 4 when we moved in. i have a washable runner on the floor along the sink cabinets. I vacuum regularly and wipe the floor with a damp cloth periodically. It is very easy to notice drips of spills. The hardwood is the easiest flooring to care for.