Thanks for your comments Tribbletrouble, yes we are in Queensland, where most new houses have floor tiles. Tiles are great here, in our house we get the winter sun on the tiles all morning, so that really warms the whole space incredibly, so we don't even have to use a heater at night. I just want to update the look with big tiles, as part of the reno, and like the concrete look.

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

Happy home - the gold light is from beacon, it's called the aksel pendant (they have a few different styles in this range). The grey one over the dining table is from West Elm - it is called the mobile chandelier, we have the smaller size, but it comes in a larger version too - http://www.westelm.com.au/mobile-chandelier-large-w1885?quantity=1&attribute_1=Antique%20Brass Both light fittings are still available. Thanks to everyone else for the suggestions, it's going to be a tough decision - and the bigger issue will be finding two rugs, as I will no doubt need one under the dining table and another in the lounge area. So finding two, that work together in a complimentary way... eeek!

Our house has the same tiles throughout the halls, kitchen/living, bathrooms and laundry. They are very neutral, a bit bland for me but not offensive. Sometimes I get bored with it all (usually after a good session of Houzz inspiration) but I think it gives the home a very cohesive feel. Our kitchen and laundry have the same cabinetry, which I don't think is necessary as they are quite far apart but again, it all flows nicely. If I were building, I'm not sure that I would be able to settle on just one tile for the whole house but I must say it is quite calming to live with. With the different orientation and lighting through the house, the tiles look a bit different in different rooms eg floor in living area looks almost white whereas in the bathrooms, it looks greyish-brown.