Hi Chris The cheapest option is Grind & Seal, but we usually recommend Mechanically Polished Concrete for inside of a home. This is by far a better option, if you were to go for a Matte or Satin finish it is less expensive than a higher gloss finish. Mechanically Polished Concrete does not have a top coat sealer requiring drying and curing time and does not need re-applying in the future which will save time and money in the long run. Because Polished Concrete does not require drying or curing time it can be used as soon as the process is completed unlike the Grind & Seal option. All floors are slippery when wet, a non slip agent can be added to a top coat sealer which would be the Grind & Seal method which we do apply in a shower area if there is not a shower base. Polished Concrete in Matte and Satin finish does have a very good slip rating, has no grout lines as with tiled floors where dust can get trapped therefore it is a wonderful easy to clean flooring solution. Hope this helps, I have provided some details regarding the 2 main processes below There are 2 different finishing processes / methods that are commonly called Polished Concrete, they are very different so it is important that you know the difference & which process/method you want and which is being used on your concrete Polished Concrete - 12 to 17+ step process During this process the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure. After grinding the concrete surface, the Polished Concrete process begins. This process has a densifier applied in multiple stages that is absorbed into the concrete which hardens and strengthens the concrete. A Polished Concrete Floor is Polished in Multiple stages in a Refining Process using diamond tooling & resin pads. A penetrating sealer is applied in the final buffing stage to complete the process The "Polished Concrete" process has "NO TOP COAT SEALER" applied therefore there is no drying or curing time required so your space can be used as soon as the process is completed Grind & Seal (a 3 to 4 step process) This is NOT Polished Concrete. Grind & Seal is often referred to as Polished Concrete, this is the cheaper substitute that gives a "Polished Concrete Look" With the Grind & Seal method the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure and a TOP Coat Sealer is applied such as water based, solvent based, urethane, acrylic or epoxy requiring 5-7 days to dry & cure

What about cork or rubber? Nice and soft so good for your joints, back and feet as well as your son. I have timber on my current house and happy with that. I’ve had tiles in the past and hated them. Next house will have a soft flooring option in the kitchen as I spend a lot of time standing and I’m not getting any younger.

What colour are the cabinets, in the photo they have a purple look to them, or a dark brown colour, or black.... hard to tell. The back splash tile is not suitable. appears way too busy. Taking the same concept as the floor tile. use a triangle tile in ONE of the same colours that are in the floor tiles. will add interest from texture and will not compete with your floor tile. But it all depends on the aesthetic that you are after, the age of the home etc.

The wall tiles are cool tones, but it looks like there are some warmer shades of white in the floor tile so if there are any untiled walls you could paint them in a slightly warm white (but not yellow-cream white) like Dulux Natural White to bring out those warmer whites in the tile. Id also avoid shiny chrome tapware which can make a bathroom look very cold, satin Nickel or brushed Nickel would be a better choice with your tiles