Hello Dave and thanks for your post.

Personally, the design of your home's interior and exterior should guide you in your choice of flooring. Ntohing is more "jarring" than a Cape Code home with a tile floor (when it should be wood plank) and/or a Southwest Spanish home with slick marble floor (when a rough tumbled marble would be far more elegant). Everything in your home should be in line with the overall architecture of the home, as well as your own personal style.

Here in California, for example, wood flooring is far more prized than would be tile. In fact, "distressed" wood (that looks as though it's been outside for a long time) is all the rage, as is wood with an uneven or knobby feel. Personally, I think it's very unsettling to walk on floors with more grooves and bumps in it than quarried stone, but I'm a pragmatist with two left feet, so I tend toward even smooth flooring.

In Arizona, if you have a Southwest Spanish styled home, those knobby wood floors would certainly add to the expected rustic feel of the home, while adding a certain elegance to your floors. Try standing on samplesa at your local flooring company before choosing this bumpy surface flooring. Many of the upscale homes here in California, now sport these distressed or profiled wood floors.

A standard room is pretty large, so if you're planning on tile, try something a little creative--don't just use one color in the room. You have many options with tile. Try a different color of tile around the border. Install the tiles on the diagonal (rather than horizontally and in line with the walls of the room). Placing the tiles on the diagonal is a bit more labor intensive, but it tends to make the room feel larger. Can't afford tumbled marble or glass tiles? Use medallions available at most marble stores as small decorative pieces placed where all four corners of four tiles meet. Interspering these cool and often highly decorative tiles amongst the field of porcelain can create a fabulous look while also breaking up all of that one color tile on the floor. Speaking of one color, try a checkerboard design of two colors with tile. Even a checkerboard made of very subtle color variations can be quite beautiful.

So, in the end, if you choose wood, try for something that compliments the room and the architecture of your home. Think of a higher grade of wood floor to enhance your home's value. If you choose tile and it compliments your home, then be creative. Plain tile--especially with all those grout lines--can get pretty boring if done straight and without any other colors to complement the room.

Finally, if you're curious, check out a few magazines at your library or local bookstore, such as House Beautiful, to see how designers are using tile and wood today. After all, if you're planning to spend money on upgrading your home's interior, why not use this economic downturn to your advantage and purchase materials that are now more affordable, but will really enhance the value of your home!

Good luck!!

Sincerely,
Grace Morioka, SRES, e-Pro
Area Pro Realty
San Jose, CA

thx for the response, i'm a big fan of the wood look even if its not real wood, however i have never seen a layout using 20x20 inch tiles before. Not sure what kinda effect of these large tile would be.
And Steve i'm deff not getting hot pink, not even sure if they make it in that color

The Procelain tile would be a better option.......as long as it is a nuetral color.
That means no flamingo pink Dave.

From a female perspective: Either looks great, but tile will probably hold up (in my opinion) better because of all the sand we deal with in AZ. I would find a local expert and ask them about both types for your location. For resale go fairly neutral, but not too light. Lean on the darker side for grout. (Again, ask the experts.) I have seen some color tiles (and cheap looking laminate) that when I look at them in a home I think--wow, I would want to replace that right away! I do have laminate in my kitchen and dining area and I do like it, but when it chips if something is dropped on it it is hard to patch and look good. Also, a couple of my laminate "boards" are separating where they were seamed. Right now there should be some wonderful buys out there on both.

Both are vert nice but the tile is going to be more durable, there are so many goods deals out there in the stores on tile now you can get a good tile for allot less. If you need some stores name just email me, there is a great store in Far east mesa called Inperial wholesale or Imperial Tile it is off Main st. great selection of tile wood you name it it is there and great prices always have deals. have a great day Michael...

Dave, does your home have laminate counter tops? If so, do you like them? If so, do you wish you had granite counter tops? If not, do you wish you had laminate counter tops?

Today, laminate counter tops are becoming more and more rare, as the trend is toward granite. Yet people are putting them on the floor all the time, and I don't get it. If you walk on a laminate floor, it feels hollow and fake, as most are done "floating" which means they are not nailed down. Because they are floating, after a relatively short time, they usually move and joint cracks develop. This is compounded if there is ever any moisture or water that gets a chance to work into them, causing bubbling, and general ugliness.

On the other hand, porcelain tile, or ceramic, or stone, has a timeless beauty that in my opinion stands the test of time, continuing to look great years and years after installation.