What I have always thought is, if you try to "match" an existing floor it looks like you tried and missed. When you go with something completely different, the result is yes, I wanted something different, and here it is. Especially if you lay it in a different direction. Does that make sense?

Kitchen's suffer from extreme humidity variation, so you should fully adhere the solid or engineered flooring to avoid a bowing/warping floor in a few months time However, here's another viable option; luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). Generally, LVTs are 2.5mm thick, made from 100% pvc (therefore waterproof), come with a thick polyurethane wear layer that normally is backed up with a manufacturers warranty, with a wood or stone effect finish. LVTs are great with underfloor heating and unlike ceramics, they don't break when heavy objects are dropped on them and unlike wooden floors, once laid, LVTs need no further maintenance other than regular vacuuming and washing. LVTs are almost indestructible! There are many options available but us Flooring Gurus recommend going for a recognised brand. The whole idea about an LVT is for it to look authentic. They need to genuinely look like the wood or stone flooring they are mimicking. Cheap alternatives, when installed, look ... well ... awful! Try looking at Polyflor's Colonia and Camaro. We sell these products online at www.flooringmegastore.co.uk and if you made contact with us, we'd be happy to despatch a few free of charge samples to you, plus a glossy catalogue, to help you research the products a bit more. We're the Flooring Gurus!

I know exactly how you feel. I had a similar situation. The prospect of lifting the board and potentially raising the level made me wait. The wood darkened, and now I'm never fully sure where that board is. In fact, I forgot all about it till I saw this post. Wait a while. If it still bothers you in six months or a year maybe then consider lifting it. But I guarantee you won't, lol!

If I understand correctly you are adding extra floor by bay window feature ? Have you thought as out a window seat to hide the floor issue, can give you more storage and a really useful seating feature (great with kids)