Have you looked at linoleum? The real stuff, not vinyl. Lots of color/pattern options, eco-friendly, easy care, durable. . . . Marmoleum is the brand name for one maker.

The link is to just one collection, take a look at the commercial options too.

If you go this route, you do need a good installer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marmoleum neutral collection

I replaced vinyl floors in my kitchen with porcelain tile and with Armstrong Alterna in a guest bath. I've been happy with both products. I never saw any sheet vinyl that looked even remotely like real tile, so I can't see putting it with an upscale product like Cambria.

You don't need to grout LVT, but we did because I wanted it to look like porcelain tile. The grout lines are very small and not deep, so they don't really trap dirt. They have their own grout for the product, but I don't know much about it. Maybe it's stain-proof like epoxy grout. I haven't seen any staining of my grout, but it is a bathroom. You can also use a darker color grout.

There's a vinyl product called Amtico that has been used in Europe for decades and is regarded as very high quality. We considered that for our kitchen before choosing porcelain.

cluch, I responded to your post in the Flooring forum, but just wanted to reiterate here that Mannington has premium sheet vinyl that IMO looks very realistic. My husband is very hard to please but was really impressed with how good some of their patterns look. (DH won't go for the LVT, which I really liked.)

We are probably getting Cambria and sheet vinyl in our kitchen, and I don't think the floor is going to look out of place with the countertop. It's the flooring choice that makes the most sense for us, for a lot of the same reasons cluch mentioned.

Just wondered if you've had sheet vinyl before? We have it currently in our kitchen and used to have it in our bathrooms. I would never choose it again. Every time you drop a knife in the kitchen it cuts the floor. Not just a nick, but all the way down to the subfloor. We were moving the range to clean once and the leg caught and ripped a huge gash in it. It also is hard to clean because it's soft and porous. I personally think it looks really cheap as well. But you may be able to find some better looking stuff.

Have you considered cork?

I just happened to take a photo of the floor in my local small grocery store because it's Marmoleum and a friend is installing Marmoleum in her new kitchen.

What do you think of one of these colors with your Windermere?

One of the problems I had with sheet vinyl was when pebbles became stuck in DH's sneakers, so you could see deep scratches where he had walked. It only took that one occurrence to mark up the floor. We had a very light color with minimal pattern, so it really showed. Fortunately, the remodel plans were in the works by then.

Thank you for all of your responses and ideas.
I have looked at Marmoleum and two other linoleum brands. I love the idea of it, but when I see it in person, or try it in the space it just doesn't work. Also, the quotes I have received have been very expensive, especially with the cost of installation. And many dealers have warned me that it fades quite badly with direct sun, and we have a lot of east, west, and south facing windows from the sunroom that shine light directly on the kitchen floor.
Cork is what I originally wanted, but it also fades with so much direct sun exposure.

Vinyl with a wood look?

Hi I just wanted to ask may_flowers how the grouted LVT in her bathroom is doing - I am considering it for my kitchen & was going to have it with no grout but have read in some forums that it expands & contracts with warm & cold which can result in little lines (tiny gaps) appearing between the tiles & I thought maybe the way you did it with grout at least if that happened I could repair the grout. Thanks if you do see this I would appreciate your opinion.

Cluch can you please post the name and color of what you ended up with for your flooring? Cambria is very pretty and curious as to your flooring and also paint color.

I haven't been able to get any good pics of my kitchen yet, but we are very pleased with the flooring we chose. It goes very well with our cabinets and the countertop. We went with vinyl/resilient sheet.
Congoleum Airstep, pattern is Berlin, colour is Mitte