A Kitchen Odyssey: Floor Choices

Previous Posts:
A Kitchen Odyssey: Follow Along If You Dare
A Kitchen Odyssey: From the Beginning
A Kitchen Odyssey: What Needs to Be Done

When we moved into our current home there was old cracked and stained linoleum on our kitchen floor. Due to our limited budget and construction time, we opted to put down vinyl sheeting over the existing floor. As I mentioned before, this linoleum lasted 11 years, until a dishwasher leak forced us to tear it up. We also had to try and tear up two older linoleum layers that had fused together. This was practically impossible, and we finally gave up, installing FLOR carpet tiles as an interim fix.

This brings us up to the present. What complicates matters, when thinking about kitchen flooring, is two adjoining spaces. Through an open doorway (no door) is what was originally designed as a dining room. The previous owners used it as a family room, and we bought the house with the intention of using it as my office, which it has been for the 13 years we have owned the home. When we go to sell, down the road, it will be staged as a dining room, which is its most efficient use given the layout of our home. Currently this room is carpeted in the same FLOR squares used in the kitchen. We also have a foyer, which upon entering the home connects to a hallway on the left (to the bedrooms/bathrooms), the kitchen to the right, and opens into the living room. Currently this foyer is tiled in 6×6 gold tile with thick brown grout. Very ’60s-’70s. In other words, hideous. It needs to be replaced, so we will consider replacing it, depending on our final kitchen floor choice.

Right now there are four options in my mind:

1) Wood: there is hardwood in the living room, hall, and all bedrooms. Only the living room floor is currently exposed, as the other floors were ruined by pet urine from the previous owners. If we were to choose hardwood, it would only go in the kitchen and dining room, and it would most likely match the living room, to some extent. While I would like to consider bamboo for my kitchen, all voices warn me against this choice. Bamboo is softer than many woods, and dings and mars more easily. Because our kitchen is a very high traffic area and gets a lot of use, it just would not be prudent. With the appropriate finish, wood can wear very well in a kitchen.

2) Linoleum: I’m not talking vinyl here, I’m talking real old-fashioned linoleum, made from linseed oil, not some synthetic petroleum-based product. Linoleum has come a long way from your grandmother’s kitchen, and is a very durable surface, not to mention hypoallergenic. The newer types of linoleum come in some great colors, and can be solid, marble, flecked, or with a pattern. (Like the Armstrong Marmorette in Terazzo Gray seen here.) It comes in sheets or tiles. This would be an option for the kitchen only.

(3) Stone or Tile Squares: Floor tiles come in a variety of sizes, but since my kitchen is relatively narrow, I would be hesitant to use the larger 18×18 tiles. I think the 12×12 would be better suited, and could work in the foyer and dining room, as well. Or there are multiple sizes that can be combined to form a pattern. Indoor stone choices include granite, travertine, limestone, slate, marble, and manufactured stone. Tiles come in a variety as well, such as terrazzo, encaustic, ceramic and terra cotta. Both are fairly easy to maintain, with a mop and warm water; they don’t stain easily, and are hypoallergenic.

(4) Concrete: This is a very durable option, and could be used in all three areas, kitchen, foyer and dining room. It wears well, cleans well, and I really like the contemporary look of the concrete floors. You can polish them, stain them, tint them, stamp them. (I like the look of the polished concrete at right, by A. Pellizari & Co.) They can look like marble or granite, or even like conventional tile. It can be somewhat cold and hard, but that doesn’t bother me in the least. A large area rug could be used in the dining room for color and warmth, and I like a functional kitchen that cleans easily.

I’ll be exploring each option in future postings. Please weigh in if you have recently put in flooring, particularly in a kitchen. I’d like to hear how things are holding up, if prices are reasonable and/or worth it, as well as any pros or cons.