Wood can be a bit hard to maintain and is certainly quite costly to install though. Vinyl plank flooring presents an amazing alternative because it looks just like wood (would you know that this lovely floor wasn't actual wood) but is a fraction of the price and is much easier to maintain.

When clients ask me my opinion on the best flooring for kitchen I always tell them some type of wood look material. I am not set on actually hardwoods because I know that they can be expensive and hard to maintain in such a high traffic area, but I think that you can not beat the look even if you use kitchen laminate flooring or luxury vinyl plank. In this particular space, we did something a little bit outside of the box and used laminate but we laid it in a herringbone pattern to give it a more high end look. The ashy grey undertones paired fantastic with the grey cabinet and countertops theme and the pattern looked very cool alongside the chandelier pendent lights. Even better, we were able to bring so much style to a relatively small kitchen design without overwhelming the space because everything was done in such a light color.

A lot of people hail wood as the best flooring for kitchen, but I personally love tile for its bold styles and versatility. Kitchen floor tiles are so easy to clean and are very durable. You could spill virtually anything on them and you can wipe them clean in just seconds. Plus the sheer number of colors, shapes, and patterns that tile is available in is absolutely endless and could blend well with any decor style that you can think of. In this cool lodge kitchen we opted for a bold slate floor tile to blend with the stone accent walls and fireplace in the attached living room. If you wanted more simple kitchen flooring options in a tile, you could always go with a more subtle travertine or a lovely faux-marble product.

In my opinion the best flooring for kitchen is wood-look tile because it has the classic look of hardwoods with the durability and ease of maintenance that tile has. We recently replace our kitchen vinyl flooring with this tile that was designed to look like white washed wood planks. As you can see, from a distance (and up close) you would never know that it wasn't, in fact, real wood. It is only when you step on it with bare feet that you realize that it is actually made of tile. I think this would be an especially fantastic product if you were doing a small kitchen remodel, because it provides subtle design while still being neutral enough not to overwhelm the space. Plus it is a bit costly, so it would be more budget friendly in a smaller application.

I have always thought that wood is the best flooring for kitchen areas because it is beautiful, durably, easy to maintain, and never really goes out of style. Some people are afraid to out hardwood floors in kitchen because they worry that the high traffic and frequent cleaning requirements would damage them but, in my experience, they do not age or look any more damaged than other areas of the house. Plus in kitchens like this with beautiful wood cabinets, the pairing is quite stunning and looks very luxurious. There are several types of flooring that looks like wood but some say is more durable and/or cheaper if you are still concerned. Laminate is certainly an option, but I personally prefer luxury vinyl planks because they look a bit more realistic and are 100% waterproof.

When clients come into our store and ask about the best flooring for kitchen, I always tell them tile. Even though it doesn't have the traditional charm of hardwoods, in a high traffic space like this that requires a lot of regular cleaning, kitchen tiles are a far superior choice when it comes to durability and maintenance. Depending on the product you choose, it is around the same price point for material and installation as wood, but has much more longevity. Even better, tile is available in so many colors and patterns these days, that they look fantastic paired with any kitchen flooring ideas or decor style whether it be contemporary or heavily traditional. When in doubt, I generally suggest a simple neutral square tile like we used in this kitchen. It blends well with a ton of different cabinet finishes and countertop materials.