For a hallway + kitchen leading outside, porcelain tile (wood effect) is the more practical option. It handles dirt, water, and heavy traffic really well, and you won’t be worrying every time someone walks in with wet shoes. You’re right though, it can feel colder and harder underfoot. If you’ve got underfloor heating, that pretty much solves the “cold” issue, but it will still feel firmer than wood. Engineered wood will feel warmer and softer, and looks beautiful, but in that kind of space it does need a bit more care. Over time you can get wear near doors, and you’ll need to be mindful of moisture. If it were me, for a busy indoor-outdoor space in London, I’d probably go porcelain for durability, especially if you’ve got UFH. If comfort matters more and you don’t mind a bit of upkeep, then engineered wood is still a lovely choice. - Georgia from Flooring365.co.uk

@ House 2 Home Design - The simple answer to that question is no. If the floor is installed correctly with the necessary expansion gaps at the perimeters then there should be no problem. Problems do occur when an expansion gap is not installed and this can causes the floor to swell upwards as the wood expands. It should be noted that the size of the gap differs from product to product and is concealed by the skirting. Another mistake which causes problems with solid wood floors is where the skirting is fixed to the wooden floor without leaving any tolerance and this prevents the wood from expanding and again causes the floor to swell upwards. It should also be noted that even with an engineered wooden floor an expansion gap should always be allowed. With regards to humidity, it is not that great in a kitchen area on a constant basis and I have installed solid wood flooring to rooms that are adjacent to swimming pools; now that is a high humidity situation! :-) In the case of very high quality solid wood floor installations I have often stuck the floor to a plywood sub-floor, however this is not a common requirement for standard residential projects. I hope that this helps.

It could work if the floor is much paler, as in the example below, but it’s tricky. I think a nice pale grey or pale beige floor would be less of a clash. Laminate comes in many styles, not just wood effect, so worth visiting some flooring stockists to have a look. Or how about LVT which is warmer underfoot and seems to be very popular? PALER WOOD TYPE FLOOR BEIGE FLOOR LVT FLOORING - COME IN MANY COLOURS AND STYLES

Porcelain Superstore v. Mandarin Stone. Grateful for any recommendations or advice from those who have experience of either.