These are AI renderings of our kitchen.

Here is a cabinet in direct light , but in indirect light it takes on more brown

you havent mentionned the counter option. I believe I'd choose that next esp since there is an island and the space is open. the floor samples look too gray. keep trying. more samples... irrelevant AI wont be ultimately that much of a help with this. human eyes noting in YOUR ACTUAL space is what is required.

I only showed the AI image to show the layout
Counter will be Taj Mahal .

And I definitely see that the samples are too gray in that image I have tried probably 20-25 samples beyond those, many warm as well, that’s why I am here asking for suggestions ☺️

The cabinets are being set today- I will try to grab some better images once everything is in place .

I agree that the samples in your op’s last photo look gray. I like the lighter hardwood flooring in the AI photo - base color is good and the darker variations in it echo the hickory cabinet color.

Do you have any specific LVP floors you would recommend for me to look at? Thank you for the input.!

Are your floor samples engineered wood?

I have warm colors in most of my furniture, so when I built in 2021 I looked for engineered wood brands that had those warmer stain colors. DuChateau and Legno Bastone had warm stains, even when everybody else mostly had the gray toned trendy colors.

https://duchateau.com/

https://www.legnobastone.com/wide-plank-flooring/

DuChateau, Riverstone collection, color Sava. Hard-wax oil finish. We had 3 dogs until recently and really happy with the durability of the floors.

Is there a reason you are doing LVP vs a site laid and stained wood? or even a manufactured wood?

I would take it to a warmer medium toned wood

My question too - why LVP in this custom kitchen? Why not hardwood with a custom stain?

Lena, there’s nothing ”timeless” or ”organic” about LVP floors. They contain plastic, and look very fake.

This is a new build with a custom kitchen. Site finished hardwood with a custom stain, would have been the best choice. At least consider engineered wood, which has real wood layers on top.

I hear that and my first choice would be hardwood however this is a lakefront home and I have three kids and a dog so I was just trying to not have to worry about anything. Our primary home is an 1890 farmhouse and I’m a bit over babysitting the floor 🫠 lol.

Plus - trying to just do one floor through the house due to budget as well .

Going to be harder to find the "warmth" in an LVP floor, as they are still pushing the taupe/gray tones from a few years back.

Look at the Coretec brand products. People here seem to be happy overall with that brand.

https://coretecfloors.com/en-us/products&visual=wood

@chispa - definitely!

Every time I think I’ve found a floor with enough warmth in the store, I bring it home and put it next to my cabinets… and it doesn’t even come close.

I’ve tried quite a few cortech samples but I’ll go back and search again . Thank you for the input!

None of the floors you show for sure , they are all gray based . I might do a very plain real maple for the floor so you do not fight with the hickory , which IMO can be very busy for floorand with the money you spent on those cabinets no LVP

For what its worth there are many manufactured hardwoods that can withstand water and dirt and sand and kids and pets. If you find one that has aluminum oxide in the finish it is durable. Its a good go between for site installed hardwood and LVP. Don't believe that LVP is the end all of durability. It isn't and it can have issues. All flooring can.. Also be careful LVP flooring has forever chemicals in them including mercury.

@designer interior south - THANK YOU for that info. Walked out with some engineered hardwood, hardwoods and some LVP on trip # 6

Youre welcome. We use Manufactured hardwoods in a lot of homes. We have done several beach homes ,east coast and west ,as well as lake homes . Don't be afraid to put those to the test.

Make sure any engineered floor you look at has at least a 4 mm hardwood layer on the top.

I would also go to stores that specialize in hard floors (tile, wood, LVP) and not a carpet store. Carpet stores tend to carry the larger mass market manufacturers and not some of the smaller companies that have better products.

You have the budget for a custom lake/weekend house ... don't skimp on the floors!

Agree that none of the original flooring options look good with the cabinets. Site-finished floor gives you the best chance of a color that will harmonize with the wood. Or you might consider a different flooring altogether--a dark slate-like porcelain tile would be beautiful and practical as well.

Another vote for hardwoods or at least engineered hardwoods. We had a lakefront home for 20 years and had solid hardwoods. Good old red oak, gunstock stain. It held up to everything. We refinished once only because we added wood floors to the adjoining bedrooms and wanted cohesion. Wood floors do not need the babying people think!

Thank you everyone ! You have broadened my realm of thinking on the flooring 😊

I doubt you have a basement in a second home waterside? Engineered will be the most stable, may even be your only option on a slab. ,, and agree with Chispa. Stay out of the more mass flooring places..

Walk off mats at entry points, and paw wipes , are no different and no harder to do in a lake home, than a primary home near no water. as I assume it rains now and then? : )

I am a big fan of thin brick veneer flooring in kitchens. I do think that might be a very good compliment to your hickory cabinets.

None of your samples look good with the cabinets. You need a darker, non-dusty color. Or, consider tile in the kitchen -- mid to dark grey tile would look good with the cabinets.

@jan Moyer - we do have a basement but it is unfinished . Ours is the unpainted one in this photo. I believe most of the houses around us have basements

Then sand on site , white oak : )

I installed 10 inch wide-plank oak floor in a 260 yo home. It was a gut renovation of antique plaster walled kitchen in Connecticut that has 200 yr old straight cut chestnut floors throughout.

Kitchen had 80s? tile and it was def worth investing in a hardwood, not pine, straight cut, not dovetailed, floor. Boards purchased directly from the woodmill in Bethel, i believe.

The floor has soul, looks great w (dark blue) cabinets, easy on feet (stone is cold and jarring) and is non slippery! Vacuumming between cracks is a chore but the wood gets prettier w age. We left the holes, gdark grain and imperfections for 1750s aesthetic and cut lengths unevenly to appear patched and aged.

Occasional Tung oil application produced nontoxic low gloss finish. After 9 years, its beautiful, organic and flexes under stress....just like me!

Indeed, the then new cabinets are chipped and flaking at seams but the floor shines on!

The hardwood floor in my kitchen is the easiest to care for--easier than sheet vinyl, tile, laminate. Vacuuming and then cleaning with Bona hardwood floor cleaner is very simple and it dries almost instantly. No residue or stickiness. Looks good as new after 12 years. And we have grandkids, a dog and a pool.

This ^^^ is exactly how I care for my site finished white oak floors. So easy to care for. 10+ years, the floors still look great. Would never return to vinyl, or have tile like my mother had.

Just to add that the quality of the wood, and the quality of the installation, sanding, staining and finishing is key to hardwood floors that maintain their beauty and durability over the years.