Solid floor is so much better... for all the reasons above. Real would can be restained and updated over the years to suit fashions, or laid over with carpet if that trend come back ( eek hope not!) You won't have any problems. Its generations of experience and knowhow. Engineered floor will have many issues depending on the quality of the product. VOCs are an issue to consider with engineered floor. There is a lot of glue in that product which will offgas over the years and contribute to poor air quality and poor health. They also don't like to get wet! They can fade in the sunlight and warp and buckle! I've seen people have their dishwasher leak and have to replace their entire kitchen floor as the hot water ruined all the glues and the laminated timber warped. When it comes to things like engineered floors vs solid. In my mind its real over fake any day. It will age so much better and retain its value and appeal. Think of all the swanky modern finishes that were popular in the 70s and 80s.... and how dated they are now. I think engineered floors will be like that. Looks like you've got lovely hardwood floors... ? They may not be wide, but consider looking into different floor finishes. It would be much easier to restain the floor you've got then to over lay or remove the floor. You could try a japan black or ebonizing the timber for a similar effect. You can get some pretty dramatic stains and finishes, like limewash, or smoke effect. There are nice finishes with black rubbed back so its in the grain then overstained with a brown wood finish. Check out the link for some ideas http://www.myflooring.com.au/stain.htm

Your tile will co-ordinate beautifully with the timber if you can pick one of the darker colours out of the timber and select a tile in this family of colour. The trick to making a colour concept work is to either co-ordinate or contrast. If your timber is as busy with grain and colour as the image you've shown, then maybe co-coordinating is the best way to go. Never chose materials independently of each other - always take a tile sample home to see in the natural light, next to the timber. I hope it all works out the way you envisage it. Cheers, Michelle

Depends on the installer and what bamboo they're using.

I have a hallway with tiles and wanted to know if I can lay cork flooring over the top of the tiles