We are remodeling a rental home we purchased. We like the hickory stock cabinets at Lowes for quality and price. I'm having trouble picking a floor that goes with it. I like the price of Pergo Max at $ .98 /sf and lifetime warranty with easy installation. But I don't know what color ? Does woodgrain floor clash with busy hickory knots/color? If not what looks good with hickory cabinets? Another option we are considering is the 18x18 vinyl tile ($ 1.28 / sf). We thought about Vinyl Plank Flooring that would be smart in wet areas like bath/kitchen but a sample failed the key scratch test, so we ruled it out as not durable enough for a rental kitchen area. (It was $1.99/ sf) http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/765894/765894862881lg.jpg

Some other general considerations are its a an open concept floor plan with 32x15 living area/kitchen - so would like the same floor for the whole space. It has an older sub floor so ceramic tile would need more prep/backerboard etc. The current flooring is peeling up orange marble peel and stick vinyl in kitchen and carpet in living area. The ceiling is vaulted beam. It's a 2 bedroom rental investment home (850 total SF) in the country (Nor Cal) on acreage.

Any design suggestions on flooring solutions that work well and:
1) Looks great with hickory cabinets
2)can endure some wear in a rental
3)keep us on budget (< $2 / sf)
4)My husband, kids and I are doing the labor ourselves. :)