Kitchen floor decision

bargainhunter121

We are planning a new kitchen as part of our extension. We had decided upon cashmere shaker cupboard doors and a light coloured worktop (not fully decided which yet). We went to a tiling store today and quite liked the following tile, but am slightly worried it may not go well with cashmere or may be too dark. Our new kitchen will have south facing double doors at the back but the floor will stretch 9m to the front of the house where there is a bay window (combining two rooms to make one open plan space). Also would this floor be difficult/time consuming to lay? (We won’t be Diying it and will employ a tiler)Any pictures/thoughts appreciated.

Emmia

What colour is "cashmere"? it sounds like it might be cream or brownish - but it's not obvious (to me at least). 

If a tiler is fitting, why are you worried about the difficulty/time it will take? I'd rather a tiler took longer and ensured a good fit / finish, rather than rushing it and it being obvious that they did so.

Jeepers_Creepers

That flooring looks lovely in the pic, but as Emm says, impossible to judge without knowing what the kitchen colour is.

What material is that floor - super-durable, washable, scrubbable?

bargainhunter121

They are porcelain tiles. I was wondering about the time to fit as I’m pregnant and was hoping it wouldn’t hold things up too much, as we’re also tiling a bathroom as well. Heres some pictures of cashmere; 

Doozergirl

I know what cashmere is.  It's a pale neutral.    It will go just fine.  

The labour involved in tiling isn't cheap.  I'm not sure what to say - if you want a tile, the labour cost is what it is.  Herringbone is more labour intensive and has higher wastage, but if that's what you want, who cares? 

Tiles aren't my preference for the fact that they cause echo in larger rooms and can make them feel impersonal.  They definitely break anything that falls on them and they can chip/break themselves.  They also suck heat like no-one's business so under floor hearing is imperative.  

Most floor coverings have pros and cons.  I think the floor covering with the least cons is Luxury Vinyl Tile, like Amtico or Karndean.   Many other brands are available now.  

But people have different priorities! 

bargainhunter121

Hi doozergirl, to be honest I preferred lvt too due to it not being as hard a surface or as cold but was advised by our builder that tiles were better for longevity, more waterproof etc. Having a lighter kitchen is a big factor for us which is why I was worried this floor may be too dark. Another alternative we chose yesterday was this one (another tile I’m afraid);

 
Any preferences?

Jeepers_Creepers

Another very attractive finish.

But I have an aversion to ceramic floor tiles too, for the same reasons as Doozer - their coldness, hardness, clackiness.

There are surely better options out there that'll give you the same appearance? Allura by Forbo is amazing quality - far better than, say, Karndean from my experience - and is proper commercial grade; I don't think you'll have any issues with longevity. Whether they have a finish that'll match your current choices, I'm afraid I don't know.

Doozergirl

It's not my house, but the tone of the first matches the unit better from photos and I've always been a sucker for herringbone.  😍

I'm not sure how your builder thinks that vinyl isn't waterproof or doesn't have great longevity?  It's made of vinyl, it couldn't be more waterproof!    The stuff is amazing.  Having lived with it (and kids and dogs and 3 builders) for 4 years, it doesn't damage easily at all.  If one does get damaged, keep a box of spares so it can be heated, lifted and a new one put back down easily.   

Call me a cynic but I'd say it's more likely that the builder doesn't have a vinyl fitter but does have a tiler 😬

bargainhunter121

Have to say the thought had crossed my mind too about him only having a tiler. I love herringbone too. 

FreeBear

Doozergirl said: I'm not sure how your builder thinks that vinyl isn't waterproof or doesn't have great longevity?  It's made of vinyl, it couldn't be more waterproof!    The stuff is amazing.  Having lived with it (and kids and dogs and 3 builders) for 4 years, it doesn't damage easily at all.  If one does get damaged, keep a box of spares so it can be heated, lifted and a new one put back down easily. 

Fitted LVT flooring in my kitchen (the click lock stuff rather than glue-down). With a bit of underlay, it is warmer underfoot than tiles and there is very little noise from footsteps. Waterproof and easy to keep clean, and no grout lines hanging on to dirt.

Emmia

Doozergirl said:

I know what cashmere is.  It's a pale neutral.    It will go just fine.  

The labour involved in tiling isn't cheap.  I'm not sure what to say - if you want a tile, the labour cost is what it is.  Herringbone is more labour intensive and has higher wastage, but if that's what you want, who cares? 

Tiles aren't my preference for the fact that they cause echo in larger rooms and can make them feel impersonal.  They definitely break anything that falls on them and they can chip/break themselves.  They also suck heat like no-one's business so under floor hearing is imperative.  

Most floor coverings have pros and cons.  I think the floor covering with the least cons is Luxury Vinyl Tile, like Amtico or Karndean.   Many other brands are available now.  

But people have different priorities! 

Agree with this - I wouldn't have ceramic tiles in a kitchen again, cold underfoot, hard to clean grout, chipping...

We replaced ours with slate effect Amitco last year, and it's fantastic, warm underfoot (even without underfloor heating) quiet, easy to clean - I'm planning to replace all the laminate (50%+ of the floor space) here with a herringbone/parquet style LVT ASAP