Kitchen Floors: Opinions Welcome!

Do you remember my last post… Kitchen Remodel: Let's Get this Party Started ??

Yeah, well. Let's just say I haven't even sent out the invitations yet.

I'm still in the "party" planning stage. There's so much to consider, and I'm not even talking about the fun part like the tile and countertops and lighting. I'm talking budget and layout and making sure I have the right cabinet pieces to keep the kitchen functional and organized for the next 20 years :)

I've been meeting with contractors and remodeling companies and cabinet makers, and getting estimates. I'm also toying with the idea of serving as my own general contractor. You know, because I don't have enough chaos in my life!

via

So, the kitchen party hasn't even started and we've already run into a glitch. Less than 4 years ago, we installed hardwood floors throughout most of the house… the living room, dining room, foyer, and upstairs hallway.

I always figured that when we were ready to remodel the kitchen, I would continue the same hardwoods into the kitchen and family room (because the carpet in there desperately needs to go). Well, guess what? The floors were discontinued, and can't be found anywhere. Believe me. I've looked. Everywhere.


All of the rooms connect to each other, as you can see by these pics I just snapped with my phone…

The foyer leading into the family room, where gross carpet needs to be replaced.

Close up of transition between foyer and family room with gross carpet.

Transition from current kitchen hardwood floors to dining room hardwoods. (Ignore the dog hair and dirt!)

At the time we installed the now discontinued floors, we were torn between solid vs. engineered vs. pre-finished vs. floors finished on site. We ended up going with Columbia Flooring's Chatham Timeworn hardwood floors in "Dockside Maple." (let me know if any of you is hoarding 900 square feet of the stuff!) It is a pre-finished solid floor. Columbia carries the same floor, but only in the engineered version. I'm just not sold on engineered, as it can't be refinished and I don't know how it will hold up over time.

Does anyone have any experience with engineered floors? Please share!!


These are the options I'm considering:

1. Get the engineered version of the floor (at least it will look the same), and install it in the kitchen and family room.

2. Sand and stain the kitchen hardwoods to get as close to the finish of the other floors. The only place it would be noticeable is the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. Put new carpet in the family room. The only wall-to-wall carpet option I really like is seagrass, and I'm not sure how well that will hold up.

3. Put carpet in family room and tile the kitchen. This is my least favorite option as I haven't seen any tile I'm crazy about. And, I'd have to switch out the tile in the adjoining side entry, powder room and mudroom, so that it's all the same.


Which option would you choose??

And, since you have been such good sports and stuck with me through this riveting post about floors, I'll reward you with a little eye candy…

via

via

via

via

Hopefully, I'll have fewer glitches and more eye candy moving forward!