What's not to love about LINOLEUM! Oh and heated floors.

My husband is right.  

"The Floor Makes the Kitchen".  

But what to choose?  

The kitchen wing is effectively separate from the rest of the house.  It's a narrow, 1.5 story wing jutting off the back of the house.  We are able to close it off from the rest of the house, and so it really is it's own heating/cooling "zone".  

Since it is it's own zone; and because the floor NEEDS to be replaced anyhow, we decided early on to "splurge" and do radiant floor heat.

This has a few benefits.  1. We can control the temp. more effectively.  2. We can eliminate the radiators.  3. Our feet will be warm, and any water on the floor will evaporate. 

Originally, we thought SURE we can spend a little here, since we already own the tile for the kitchen floor!  (we have slate tiles from another house).

Turns out we don't have quite enough slate to do the entire kitchen.  Alas.  I don't really like slate in a kitchen anyhow.

I'm not a fan of ceramic tile in a kitchen either.  (grout! occasionally the ceramic tiles break!  it's slippery! it's also tends to date a kitchen. etc).

Vinyl sheetgoods or vinyl stick tiles-my least favorite option.  I've lived in too many "rehabbed" older houses where vinyl was used.  Lifespan is maybe 10 years before it starts to look poorly?  Stick tiles just don't adhere the best.  I've seen lots of floor rot.  AND-those itty bitty crevices can hold in smells.  ICK.  

Wood floors get messed up.  We keep dogs.  Dogs have accidents, which effectively ruins wood floors.  We have children, who effectively ruin wood floors.  

I love Linoleum.  

What's not to love about Linoleum!  

It's green.  It's extremely long lasting.  Our farmhouse (1939) has original linoleum floors (sheetgoods) and I think they still look great!  

I'm careful about the seams which do expand/contract a little with the seasons.   I guess your supposed to WAX linoleum floors?!?!?  Oops.  fortunately they are forgiving.   

Here's what we need to replace.  (composite tiles ca. 1950)  Yup.  Probably containing asbestos.  

Linoleum comes in many designs.  

You can get it to look like other types of flooring.  Personally, I'm not a fan.  Regardless, it's a much better option vs. vinyl sheet goods pretending to be the same.  

It also comes in what reminds of the institution composite tiles (you know-the stuff on the floors of schools, hospitals from1950-1980)

Instead, I absolutely LOVE this line.  

It's fresh and bright.  It LOOKS like linoleum. 

 I'm sold.  

I'm pretty sure I will still love it in 50 years.