Hi all!
My husband and I are breaking ground on our home build this week, so this is my first post for help (although I've been gleaning from your collective wisdom for several months now).

I'm really stumped on what to do for our kitchen floor. I'm currently debating hardwood floor (matching adjacent rooms), wood tile, or decorative ceramic tile. The cabinets and island will be painted white Diamond Vibe cabinets, and countertops will be stained/sealed butcherblock (more of a brown walnut color).

In my searching I found images of encaustic cement tiles, and wow ... I just love it. They remind me of travels to Italy and Latin America. I found a very reasonable tile at Home Depot that is white and blue. They are larger tiles (17x17), so the pattern will feel "big" on the floor. Our kitchen is about 12'x17', with a larger 4'x8' island, so there won't be a lot of open, empty space in the room. I love that the pattern looks worn. My heart says it would be lovely, but I'm nervous that it would be too much of statement - or that I would regret such a bold move?

The wood options would both look great and I've seen so many lovely kitchens on houzz (and here!) that have that look. I'd like some help to weigh this decision.

(A few more details to help - we are going for a simple farmhouse look. First floor has 9' ceilings, main living spaces and master. All main living spaces will have darker hardwood flooring. We have 4 small children and homeschool, so the kitchen is truly the heart of our home.)

Thanks!