KITCHEN FLOORING

How to Choose the Right Floor for Your Remodel

Kitchen flooring has to do more than look good. It needs to work with the existing home, support everyday use, coordinate with cabinetry and countertops, and fit the overall remodeling plan.

RPK Construction helps homeowners evaluate LVP/LVT, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and tile based on the home, surrounding floors, project scope, installation requirements, design preferences, and budget.

What to Consider When Choosing Kitchen Flooring

The right kitchen floor needs to fit both the room you’re remodeling and the home around it.

Durability

Consider the amount of everyday traffic and use the floor will receive.

Moisture

Kitchens are active spaces where spills and moisture should factor into the flooring decision.

Maintenance

Different materials have different cleaning and long-term care requirements.

Existing Flooring

The best solution may involve preserving, refinishing, matching, coordinating, or replacing what is already in the home.

Installation

Flooring needs to coordinate with cabinets, appliances, adjoining rooms, and the material's installation specifications.

Budget

The flooring choice should support the design goals and overall investment in the remodel.

The best kitchen floor isn't simply the one that looks best on a sample board. It needs to work with the home that's already there and the kitchen you're creating.

Kitchen Flooring Options RPK Works With

RPK works with several flooring materials for kitchen remodeling projects. There isn’t one flooring option that is right for every home.

Luxury Vinyl Plank & Luxury Vinyl Tile

Durable, Practical & Water-Resistant

Luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile, commonly called LVP and LVT, are practical options for many kitchen remodeling projects.

RPK also works with MSI for luxury vinyl flooring.

LVP/LVT may be a good fit when:
Durability • water resistance • installation speed • budget flexibility

Engineered Hardwood

The Look of Wood With Remodeling Flexibility

Engineered hardwood offers the warmth and appearance of wood flooring while providing another option for homes where traditional solid hardwood may not be the best fit.

RPK works with Shaw for engineered hardwood.

Engineered hardwood may be a good fit when:
Wood appearance • adjoining wood floors • design continuity • remodeling flexibility

Solid Hardwood

A Natural Choice in Homes That Already Have Hardwood

Solid hardwood can be especially valuable in older homes where existing hardwood already extends through adjoining rooms. RPK may preserve, refinish, match, repair, or coordinate existing hardwood depending on the condition of the floor and the scope of the remodel.

RPK works with Shaw for solid hardwood.

Solid hardwood may be a good fit when:
Existing hardwood • visual continuity • natural materials • long-term design consistency

Tile Flooring

A Distinctive Hard-Surface Option

Tile can provide a durable and visually distinctive kitchen floor. As with any flooring material, homeowners should understand the tradeoffs. Laura notes that tile can chip if a heavy object is dropped on it.

Tile may be a good fit when:
Hard-surface flooring • distinctive design • durable finish • defined kitchen zones

Compare Kitchen Flooring Options

Consideration	LVP / LVT	Engineered Hardwood	Solid Hardwood	Tile
Material type	Resilient flooring	Wood flooring	Wood flooring	Hard-surface flooring
RPK supplier	MSI	Shaw	Shaw	Project dependent
Installation	Often relatively quick	Often relatively quick	Project dependent	Project dependent
Existing-home coordination	Good where appropriate	Works well with wood interiors	Especially useful where hardwood already exists	May create a distinct transition
Moisture consideration	More water-resistant than laminate	Product dependent	Project dependent	Project dependent
Showroom samples	MSI samples available	Shaw samples being added	Shaw samples being added	Confirm by project

RPK's Approach

RPK does not recommend one flooring material for every kitchen. The right solution depends on the existing home, surrounding floors, project scope, installation requirements, design preferences, and budget.

Remodeling an Older Home? Preserve, Refinish, Match, Coordinate or Replace?

Older homes often already have hardwood flooring extending through living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, or other adjoining spaces. When the kitchen is remodeled, RPK evaluates what is already there before deciding how the new flooring should be handled.

The goal isn't simply to install new flooring. It's to make the remodeled kitchen feel visually connected to the rest of the home.

Open-Concept Kitchens & Flooring Transitions

When a kitchen is opened to a dining room, living room, or adjoining space, flooring becomes part of the architectural transition.

Continuing one flooring material throughout the connected areas can create visual continuity. In other homes, working with existing floors or creating a deliberate transition may make more sense.

Removing a wall can also reveal:

RPK evaluates the existing conditions and determines whether the best solution is to repair, refinish, match, replace, or coordinate the surrounding flooring.

Removing a Wall as Part of Your Kitchen Remodel?

Learn more about RPK’s approach to Load Bearing Wall Removal.

Should Kitchen Flooring Go Under the Cabinets?

Not every flooring material is installed the same way. The correct approach depends on the flooring system and the manufacturer’s installation specifications.

Hardwood & Tile

Not every flooring material is installed the same way. The correct approach depends on the flooring system and the manufacturer’s installation specifications.

LVP & LVT

Floating LVP/LVT is generally not installed beneath fixed cabinetry.

The weight of cabinets and countertops can restrict the movement some floating flooring systems require, which can contribute to buckling or other flooring problems.

LVP/LVT may extend beneath appliances while stopping at the cabinetry, depending on the specific product requirements.

Flooring placement should follow the material's installation specifications, not a one-size-fits-all rule.

Coordinating Flooring With Cabinets and Countertops

Cabinetry, countertops, and flooring are three of the largest visual surfaces in a kitchen.
They don’t need to match, but they should work together intentionally.

Color

Balance light, medium, and dark surfaces throughout the room.

Undertones

Warm and cool undertones can affect how materials look beside one another.

Wood Tones

Wood cabinetry and wood flooring do not need to match exactly, but they should complement each other.

Pattern

If the countertop has dramatic movement or veining, a quieter floor may allow it to remain the focal point.

Contrast

Contrast can help each material remain visually distinct.

Adjoining Rooms

In open floor plans, flooring should also make sense beyond the boundaries of the kitchen.

Coordinating Flooring With Cabinets and Countertops

Choosing Your Cabinets?

Explore RPK's Kitchen Cabinet Guide.

Choosing Your Countertops?

Explore RPK's Kitchen Countertop Guide.

See Flooring Options at the RPK Design Center

Seeing flooring samples alongside the rest of your kitchen selections can make it much easier to understand how the final room will come together.

RPK currently has MSI luxury vinyl samples available in the Kitchen & Bath Design Center, with Shaw hardwood samples being added.

Luxury Vinyl Plank & Luxury Vinyl Tile

RPK works with MSI for luxury vinyl flooring.

Engineered Hardwood & Solid Hardwood

RPK works with Shaw for both engineered and solid hardwood flooring.

At the Design Center, homeowners can compare flooring with:

Finished RPK Kitchens

Flooring samples help homeowners compare materials, but completed projects show how flooring actually works with cabinetry, countertops, islands, and adjoining rooms.

Refinished Hardwood Coordinated With New Kitchen Cabinetry

Luxury Vinyl Flooring in an RPK Kitchen Remodel

Engineered Hardwood Through an Open Kitchen & Dining Area

Tile Flooring With Painted Cabinetry

Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Countertops

What flooring does RPK recommend for kitchens?

RPK does not recommend one flooring material for every kitchen. The right option depends on the existing home, project scope, adjoining flooring, installation requirements, homeowner preferences, and budget. RPK commonly works with LVP/LVT, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, and tile.

Is LVP a good option for a kitchen?

LVP is one of the flooring materials RPK uses for kitchen remodeling projects. It is durable, relatively quick to install, and generally more water-resistant than laminate. The specific product still needs to be appropriate for the project and installed according to its requirements.

Does RPK install engineered hardwood in kitchens?

Yes. RPK works with Shaw for engineered hardwood and evaluates whether it makes sense based on the home, surrounding floors, project scope, and homeowner priorities.

Does RPK install solid hardwood flooring?

Yes. RPK works with Shaw for solid hardwood. Solid hardwood can be especially relevant in older homes where existing hardwood flooring needs to be preserved, matched, refinished, repaired, or coordinated.

Is tile a good kitchen flooring option?

Tile can be appropriate for some kitchen projects. Laura notes that tile can chip if a heavy object is dropped on it, so homeowners should weigh that consideration alongside appearance, durability, and project needs.

Is laminate or LVP better for a kitchen?

RPK sees laminate selected less frequently because it generally does not provide the same level of water resistance as LVP. The final choice should still take the specific product, budget, and remodeling goals into account.

Should kitchen flooring go underneath cabinets?

It depends on the flooring material and installation specifications. RPK commonly installs cabinets over hardwood and tile where appropriate. Floating LVP/LVT generally should not be trapped beneath cabinetry because restricting the floor’s movement can create problems.

What happens to flooring when a wall is removed?

Removing a wall can expose flooring gaps, mismatched materials, or areas that need repair. RPK evaluates the surrounding flooring and may repair, refinish, replace, match, or coordinate materials depending on the existing conditions and remodeling plan.

Can RPK match the hardwood already in my home?

RPK does its best to create the most aesthetically pleasing result. Depending on the condition of the existing floor and the project scope, that may involve matching new hardwood as closely as practical, refinishing, repairing, replacing, or selecting a coordinating material.

Should an open-concept kitchen use the same flooring as the adjoining room?

Not necessarily. Continuing one flooring material can create visual continuity, but other homes may require a coordinated transition between materials. RPK evaluates the existing floors and overall remodeling plan before recommending an approach.

Can I see flooring samples at the RPK Design Center?

Yes. MSI luxury vinyl samples are currently available at the RPK Kitchen & Bath Design Center, and Shaw hardwood samples are being added.

Choose Kitchen Flooring That Works With the Whole Remodel

The right kitchen flooring should work with the cabinetry, countertops, existing home, adjoining spaces, installation requirements, and the way the finished kitchen will be used.

RPK Construction helps homeowners evaluate flooring as part of the complete remodeling plan—not as an isolated material choice.

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