I'm having my kitchen remodeled...

I guess I have a bias and might as well come out with it. Kitchens are good to cook in or aren't. I cooked like a madwoman in a kitchen less than six feet wide and fifteen feet long, much of that the laundry.

Kitchens are to be used. Look up some of what Fine Homebuilding says, re nuances. (or similar sites). Again, don't rush. It isn't a matter of money, but function.

Distances from stove to sink matter more than tile....

Hehe. I guess I look at it differently since I usually do the cabinets and the flooring myself. I put down the durorock before I install the cabinets and then do the tile afterwards.

I'd have to look at the job if I was subbing the work out to different contractors and see how they all wanted to schedule it.

OK, I guess faux floors would be a mistake. I'm really thinking about look, upkeep and durability.

Someone mentioned radiant heated floors. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with stone tiles. Does anyone know the best method for this. My friend mentioned a company in Canada that does a wire mesh mat to fit the size of the room. Any suggestions?

Ok floor experts, in your experience, what type of stone makes the best kitchen flloring. I like the look of slate.

Marty, if the slate is not smooth (ie. if it has ridges and crevices), it's hard to sweep and wash and rough to walk on. Stone is also really hard to stand on for any length of time. It hurts your feet and back, I've found. Think about your feet after a day of walking around shopping. It's better to have some give in the floor. Also, things are less likely to bounce and more likely to break... I say this because I have ceramic tile, which I would not do again. Things literally smash when they hit the floor. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen because I love to cook. I have to wear really thick-soled slippers. Next time I would get cork flooring. Just points to ponder.

I put a wood floor in my kitchen and love it.

Yep, stone or tile can both be hard on the feet, legs and the back..it's one of the drawbacks, if there is a problem, what I see most often to alleviate this, is a small mat in front of the sink/stove...but that creates it's own little problem. And yeah, if you drop a glass or plate it's gone....hardwood floors are only slightly softer, and will often suffer the brunt of the blow, but dents and dings add character. My children routinely break glass objects on our linoleum kitchen floor...as a general rule, hard surfaces are...hard.

I've installed a few heated floors, they are awesome. I don't do enough of them to recommend any particular type or brand...the thinner they are {the wires or overall mat if you go that route} the easier it is for the installer to work with.

Slate tends to be uneven, but it's supposed to be...and as Mame said...hard to clean, so it boils down to what you are willing to deal with vs aesthetics. The flattest smoothest surface is of course the best for cleaning, but not so much for looks.

I just asked my daughter how many glasses we have broken in the kitchen...she said "All of them"...heh....we've lived here about five years.

I have ceramic tile through the house and a lot of rugs.

My favorite floors ever were old maple with red fir framed spaces for rugs. The old thick kind of wood floors.. (bye bye dollars, if installed today.)

Here's a pic of the kitchen. Note the '70's cabinets that were painted white.

Is this the lesser or better kitchen?

I like the way it works - except the fridge opening seems far away, easy to change, and the stove has no space to the left.

This is the old kitchen. There are 2 cabinets to the left of the oven. The countertops are icky white tectured laminate. I want a nice smooth surface for baking. Some of the drawers are off track and difficult to open.
With my new cabinets I'll gain 3 extra cabinets. The existing sink will move about a foot to the right and the corner to the left and right of the sink will gain lazy susan cabinets so I wont have any dead space. The whole bank of cabinets that contain the sink and dish washer will extend further out making the standing area within the kitchen larger.

Well, trying to save some cash I ordered a faucet online. It came yesterday and I apparently ordered professional grade. It's like 17inches tall. Haven't shopped for flooring yet.

I'm not sure I understand what you are doing, though I get moving stove and sink a bit over. I like the basic triangle. So you are going for materials upgrade, re house value?

If you want to save money, keep the existing carcasses and get new cabinet doors and strip back to floorboards. If you are spending $10,000 or more you should consider professional interior design guidance. (no, not the kitchen salesperson or installer). Why 3 more cabinets, does the table impede access, do you have breakfast in the kitchen, the second ell shape accentuates the box, whats in the atrium, can you dispense with one of the doors into the kitchen, do the new cabinets go to the ceiling, can you knit?

I think the photo on page 3 shows the kitchen a little better. The original house plan had a dining area behind the fridge. That's why I think there's a doorway there. I now use that room as a great room and chose not to have a formal dining room. I'm taking the photo from the kitchen table area. My thoughts were to upgrade the kitchen but expand slightly to give myself more cabinet space.
Too late on keeping the cabinet carcasses, my new cabinets get delivered this thurs.
The cabinets at the breakfast counter do not line up with the cabinets to the left of the frige. My new plan has them lining up which gives me enough space to put lazysusan corner cabinets to the left and right of the sink.

I understand, kismet quick. Whatever you decide know that is beautiful. If without is outside can i go and play with doggerel?

I have another question for any floor experts---

What should I expect to pay for tile and radiant heating supplies for 450 sq. foot. I'm not sure what I should even budget for.

Tile usually starts around 1.00 per foot, if you know the right places to search, you can get it for that amount or slightly more...but chances are it's going to run a bit higher, especially if you are aiming for slate. I'd guess in the 3-4 dollar range...but I'm not familiar with the pricing in your area...same goes for the labor. For slate or most natural stones I charge roughly 2.50 per square foot to install, sometimes more, sometimes less but that's probably the average. Normal ceramic I charge around 2.00 even....according to the particular job...it varies greatly...with stone, there is always either stone enhancing/sealing or multiple coats of sealer depending on what the client wants...and what the client wants to do themselves.

I've only installed maybe 6 different radiant heat floors...each one was different, and I had nothing to do with any them on the purchasing side. One of them was about 5x3, for a small bathroom, it was the type that comes in one piece...a mat...and I think the guy told me it was 75.00, but that was several years ago. I did a quick search...this one will give you a start...

http://www.radiant-floor-heating.com/electricexplained.aspx.

I'm sure there are cheaper ones out there.

My Great-grandfather and Grandfather installed one back in the 50s, it was copper tubing imbedded into what we call a "mud floor"....deep set mortar...the tubing was fed by a boiler system...as far as I know it is still in top working order. A few of the ones I've installed were of the coax cable size wires, and the houses they went into were not designed for a deep bed so I had to do it all with thin set...which is our standard mortar, and is not really made to use in any thick capacity...hence the "thin". But I begrudgingly managed....with many profanities cast about during....the mat one went in like a charm.

I do know of a ceramic tile site...that has members from all over the country...top notch installers too, they have a photo gallery...some of those guys are truly impressive. I think there is an installer or two near you...Seattle...I'll look and see, and if I find one I'll point him out to you...if just for advice.