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We need to put new flooring throughout the main living area and kitchen of a house. We are going with some type of stone/tile.
What do you think is an elegant looking hard floor? Our choices are ceramic, porcelain, granite, or marble. What are the pro's and cons of each? And I know there is no perfect floor.
What colors? I want to stay neutral but not too bland.
If you want elegant, I think the best choice is marble. That doesn't mean I'd use it in a main living area: it's soft, stains, requires maintenance. And hurts like crazy if you fall on it. And it's exPENsive. But elegant? Gorgeous? Oh yeah.
Ceramic too often looks cheap. You can get good ceramic tile, but it's easy to chip, and often the screened-on designs just aren't right. Porcelain is typically better, but personally, I'm associating it with wanna-be-upscale-malls. I like it in small bathroom spaces, but to put it in a living area, I'd be very careful with the style and pattern and that it looks nothing like a department store or fancyish mall. And I'd get some area rugs to break it up a bit. Also, I'd prefer bigger tiles (18-24") to the 12" tiles, in a big living area.
I just don't see granite on the floor of a home. I mean, you COULD, but why?? I could see it as an acent to a porcelain field tile, but I wouldn't want it to be my entire floor. I'd start referring to it as the pit... the money pit.
So, depending on the home and your budget... if it's gotta look high-high-end, and you can afford marble, then that's a good choice. If you want to save some and keep it family-real, maybe a large porcelain with granite accents.
A tile you didn't mention - travertine. Also porous, and not necessarily practical, but you're already talking about marble, so why not? I've seen it much cheaper than marble, and man, it is gorgeous. Intensive care, but very pretty. And inherently neutral!
Have you considered slate? It's pricey but beautiful and it comes in lots of colors and sizes.
Hopes mentioned it but I haven't really considered it. I just checked one site and I think it would be a better for in our mountain home in TN. This is for an investment home in FL.
I like porcelain. And I believe these days there are a range of finishes, textures and colors than the shiny stuff of its predecessors. On one TV show I saw a homeowner who used a porcelain that looked like slate.The designers critiquing the room complimented the homeowner on the look of the floor that was durable and more affordable than natural slate.
BTW, are you sure you want stone/tile in the kitchen? I believe there are alot of homeowners who complained about stone floors because they are very hard (takes its toll on your body when standing for long periods of time).
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