I am putting utility grade hardwoods ($1.69 per square foot) that I will create a distressed look from in my current rehab. I have done this in my personal home and really like the look (and price).

I have to decide now whether to tile or continue the hardwoods into the kitchen and dining room. Normally I would stay away from hardwoods around water but because I am trying to create a distressed look (and am going to replumb and hopefully cut down on any water leak possibilities) I am not as concerned. Tile is cold, can crack and the grout starts to look nasty after a while so hardwoods do have advantages.

My question I guess is what are your thoughts aesthetically with hardwoods in the kitchen? Can I have too much hardwood in the house? Again, this is not pristine, unblemished, uniform hardwood. It has knotholes, gouges and irregularities already and I will even add to the issues if I feel it doesn't look distressed enough. If it gets scratched I just brush on a little steel wool/vinegar solution and the scratch turns black and looks like it belongs. But is it too much to have it in the kitchen as well as everywhere else? Thanks.

My parents had hardwood in the whole has including the kitchen for 24 years. It was new when they built the house. It still looks pretty good in the kitchen. A little more wear than than the other rooms. It was a seamless floor throughout the house. Since you are going for the distressed look, wear would show even less.

I don't think it would be too much to have the same wood throughout the house. The same floor would better blend into the back ground and be less noticeable than flooring changes.

I would never install hardwood in a rental kitchen. Why: water and heavy duty traffic.

I do porcelain tile or vinyl.

In one old, old house (and before we started using Allure) we did cheapo laminate OVER the original hardwood. Why? The hardwood was in poor condition.

The laminate had a 10 year warranty. Ironically, it's held up pretty well in the past 9 years even with dogs, cats and incredibly messy tenants living in the place.

If I had to do it all over again, we'd use Allure instead.

As a rental decorator for over twenty years, I would not do anything that might be viewed as odd by the average tenant. It narrows the tenant pool for you to just people who think as you do.

Nice, clean looking, more expensive vinyl tile is my choice. It should look and be easy to care for.

Distressed look also can look shabby and drive people away. I have expensive cabinets in each kitchen because they are the mainstay but they look like furniture and are not "distressed".

Well since I've laid about 20% of it this morning it's too late to turn back now haha. I'm really not worried about the look turning anybody away. Every shop or restaurant in the old part of town with any character still has the original old hardwoods. I think it starts to look bad if all the polyurethane has worn off and it has no shine whatsoever. That being said I have never had anybody walk in one of my kitchens and say, 'Honey, look at this - it has vinyl!'

A coat of poly is pretty easy to do. With distressed wood, you would not have to sand, just clean and scuff. Floor renewed.

I have hardwood in my own kitchen, but I'm not a tenant. I'm careful to keep water off of it and if anything spills, I get it cleaned right up.

Rangor,

I put hardwood from the living room right into the kitchen on our last few flips. Sold for full price.

Probably esp appropriate in TN.

Reminds me of the hillbilly who loved the new flooring he laid in his "throne room" that he ran it all the way up to the house!

BRAD