Thanks :) Yeah decided to go with tile. So sand cement is ok over existing tiles if I prep them first? Only problem is, the new pad can only be about 30mm at it's thickest (leaving up to 15mm for tiles) otherwise it'll end up being higher than the hallway floor. So I either need to make the fall shallower or not bother with the waste and make it all level. If I made it level, could I use levelling compound at that thickness or would deck mud/sand cement be the best option? Also, should I be putting in mesh for strength? (I know I should (and will) ask the local hardware what they suggest, but it's great to have suggestions from the Houzz community also)

Well done, what an improvement!

If you put in black glossy tiles you won't just have to wipe them down once a day - you will have to wipe them down multiple times a day! And I would never put glossy tiles in any colour in an entranceway as yes, they are VERY slippery when wet. We had glossy tiles in a bathroom and would never choose them for floor tiles again.

I chose a bench first then cabinets as I could only afford laminate and didn't want to see a black edge on benches, so needed to be dark. If you can afford stone etc you have an easier ride! Flooring last. Bench should match floor, cabinets should match splashback ( light/ dark/ tones etc ) so I heard !