My kitchen flooring is the bain of my existence. I enjoy the look of the pristine white tiles and grout, but I quickly realized my lifestyle rarely lets the floor stay looking that clean. Ever since I was little, I’ve been known to get a case of what my mom calls “the dropsies.” It’s a serious case of butterfingers that happens in waves and most recently seems to peak in the kitchen. My dachshund’s been having a field day licking up all my dropped veggies, butter, eggs, you-name-it before I can get to it.

I don’t mind having the dropsies. I do mind that every accident leaves evidence on that pristine white floor. I discovered my kitchen sits on an incline the day I dropped a cup of maple syrup on the floor and before I could get to a towel it had slithered it’s way through the grout all the way across the entire space. Sweepers and mops don’t do the job – I often end up on my hands and knees, toothbrush in hand and feel like I’m a fresh military recruit being punished.

Needless to say, it has me thinking about new kitchen floor options and how important it is for them to meet your lifestyle needs. Whether it’s super durable laminate (and no grout!) or warm and cozy hardwood, the floor has to match the activity in the kitchen. I’m dreaming of an eco-friendly cork floor in my future, how about you?

Our intern is Desiree Johnson, a recent journalism graduate and Texas native. The 26-year-old loves painting, her dachshund Munchie and using what she calls her “real, adult-sized kitchen.”