Recommend skipping tile of any sort in a kitchen because stuff always gets in the cracks, the edges lift or in the case of ceramic tile the grout just plain looks awful after a couple years. Suggest you look at old fashion linoleum. Not for everyone from a design aesthetic, but from a functional perspective its an awesome choice and it’s green. It’s darn near indestructible; soft to walk on, dropped dishes, etc. don't break as frequently if at all and easy to maintain, hides lots of dirt. It’s also quite cost effective. The edges can be sealed chemically – no special tools other than something to roll the edges as they dry. I wall paper roller works fine. Armstrong Marmorette comes in about 30-40 colors with a jute backing; it’s the old fashion stuff, not vinyl. Requires a reseal about every 3 years but takes all of about 30 minutes to do a ‘normal size’ kitchen; quite simple!
Another material we used on the last kitchen was locking cork tile. This stuff is beautiful and wears exceedingly well and is also green if allergies are a concern. Cork is quite durable as well but a bit more expensive than the linoleum. It needs to be sealed at installation with about 3 coats which can be done in a single day. Thereafter it needs resealing about every 3 years. Real high-end look offering many patterns and colors; just gorgeous.
All the sealers for either of these products are water based, hence they need to be reapplied every 3 years
