How to Pick the Best Flooring Material for Your Kitchen

Kitchen flooring can be problematical. You want something that looks great but do you dare put down hardwood and worry about every glass of spilt milk ruining its surface? Or ceramic tile is a lovely choice until that you notice that everything that falls on it shatters into a gazillion pieces. We knew there must be some logical choices so we turned to the expertise of Julie Baum, ASID, of BaumHouse design (11 Vance, Valley Park, 636-225-9000, baumhousedesign.com), a kitchen/bath and interior designer extraordinaire. Her thoughts: “Actually, I have had hardwood in my own kitchen for 20 years and I love it! It is easier on tired feet and legs, is very durable, cleans easily, looks great with a variety of cabinetry styles, is warmer on the bare foot, is not as hard on falling objects, and can be refinished after 10 to15 years of abuse. If a dishwasher leaks, it can be damaged, but if caught in time, new boards can be woven in with the old for a relatively minor repair to only a portion of the flooring. The old-style linoleum is out, but there is another product made from PVC that is made to look like tile or wood, it is softer than ceramic or porcelain and looks great. Porcelain is still our Number 1 selling product for kitchen and bath flooring as there are so many looks that can be achieved.” Never having installed cork, she declined to give an opinion on it.