Hi Pauline Can you tell me where you are located (NZ/Aus, state?), and I'll give you info based on that, and point you in the right direction. Having said that, most tile companies have bars that can transition between tiles (or tile supply companies). If I were you, I'd look into these first, before choosing tiles, as you may find the transition bars ugly, or unsuitable. Some people call them T bars. They come in many variations, colours etc, but this gives a cross section example. The T part goes between the tiles. The other thing to do would be to ask a tiler near you.

Get quotes on timber and tile. Tiles can be cheap but the laying is quite expensive. You may be surprised at the cost difference.... it could be quite close so don't discount it all just yet. If you have resale concerns then avoid laminates as they're seen as a cheap choice. For me I'd grit my teeth and pay for a solid timber floor everyday unless in wet areas where I'd use a classic and timeless tile.

It's the floor colour that's the main problem, neither one thing nor the other, and certainly wrong with the benchtop. Leave the wall tiles if you like that sort of thing and find a way of covering the floor probably with laminate planks on an underlay. We have a European Birch golden coloured timber floor but softer grey splashback and it looks fine. It's not an award winner but the floor and cabinet carcases had been there twenty years and it was affordable. Don't even think about painting the floor or putting down mats but a clear plastic runner in front of the sink works well for us.

Tile selection can have a big impact on the cost of your bathroom reno. The cost of the tiles per sqm is one thing, but did you know that most tilers charge different rates for the "Type" of tile laid large format and or vitrified tiles will cost more to install These are a few hard and fast rules we give our clients when they are selecting tiles for a bathroom renovation 1 - opt for darker tiles and darker grout for the floor - as a wet area light coloured tiles on the ground are harder to keep clean 2 - If you are opting for a feature tile - let it be the hero. That means make the rest of the tiles plain - large format subway tiles give you enough texture without detracting from the feature 3 - always opt for square tiles on the ground - trying to get the correct falls using rectangular tiles will mean you will have extra cuts and the floor will look a mess. The second reason we opt for square format for the floor is because of subway tiles You see, back when everyone was opting for square tiles on walls, it was easy to install square on the floor and get all the grout lines to match. Now most people are opting for subway tiles, you can never get all the grout lines to match, therefore installing square means you dont have to match grout lines as they are different format. If you are installing your subway tiles vertically, then there is a chance you will still be able to get all grout lines to match if you have selected the same sized square format tile hope this makes sense I have added a link to a blog that explains more about tile selection