This pattern results in a hardwood floor with the appearance of a checkerboard sometimes with more complex patterns within each checkerboard square.
Changing wood floor direction.
Yet another exception if you have solid wood floors not engineered on a pier and beam foundation then you don t have a lot of choice as far as which direction to run the flooring it would best be run perpendicular to the joists.
Been there done that.
You can install your wood planks lengthwise into your kitchen butted against the boards running in the other direction in the adjacent room.
Visual congruity usually requires the boards to run.
We have mostly slab foundations in this area and with engineered floors you have more flexibility.
While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines.