When renovating a room in your home—or the entire house for that matter—one of the most important considerations is the flooring. After all, unless you’ve mastered the art of self-levitation, your floors will be subject to an awful lot of foot-traffic throughout their lifetime. So, the question is: which type of flooring is best and why?
Another consideration is, of course, the colour of your flooring; e.g., which colours can make a room look bigger? Are light or dark colour floors in style?
If you are looking for some handy flooring tips, this is the article for you. Whether you plant to DIY or call in the professionals to help, it’s always worth having a good understanding.
Let’s get started…
Which type of floor is the best and why?
Which type of flooring is best and why? This is a difficult question to answer, given that it largely comes down to personal preference and practical application.
Yes, we could argue that laminate flooring is the ultimate flooring solution, or that tile is far superior to any other option available on the market today, however, if you love the feel of a plush carpet underfoot then you’re not going to agree with us.
So, the question is, which floor is best for you? Or rather: which flooring types are best for which rooms in the house and why?
To make life easier, we’re going to highlight the different rooms in a home with some flooring options and their practical advantages.
- The bedroom: the bedroom is all about maximum comfort and good temperature regulation. As such, your preferred flooring should reflect that. It doesn’t need to be waterproof or exceptionally durable, but comfortable underfoot. For example:
- Natural hardwood flooring is soft underfoot and has a gorgeous aesthetic. While some people may find this too cold or un-inviting, a choice rug can make all the difference.
- A high-quality carpet is always a popular choice for the bedroom, providing comfort and warmth.
- The bathroom & kitchen: bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms all experience high levels of moisture and spillages which should be your biggest consideration when opting for flooring. For example:
- Ceramic and porcelain tiles are excellent for the bathroom given their water resistance and how easy they are to clean and maintain.
- Tile works well in a kitchen, however, vinyl sheet, laminate, and engineered hardwood are three excellent options worth considering.
- The lounge / living room: your lounge and living room are going to see quite a lot of foot traffic throughout the day, whilst being rooms that you are likely to spend the most time in. Comfort, durability, and aesthetic charm are equally important:
- A natural hardwood flooring is always a great option, given its attractive appearance and inherent durability.
- Laminate flooring is quite popular as it is highly durable and easy to clean and maintain.
- Carpet does work well in these environments, however, it is one of the most demanding flooring types in terms of maintenance. As such, if you’d rather not have to regularly hoover and steam clean your floors, carpet isn’t the best option. Again, throwing a rug down on your hardwood or laminate flooring is always worth it.
- The hallway: the hallways in your home will receive the most foot traffic and are subject to having dirt tracked in from outside. Ultimately, the best flooring type will be something that is highly durable and incredibly easy to keep clean and maintain. We recommend the following:
- Hardwearing solid stone, durable engineered or solid hardwood, and ‘easy to clean’ ceramic tiles make great flooring solutions for this environment.
- Bamboo flooring is particularly popular right now given its eco-friendly advantages.
- Engineered hardwood is also a great, affordable alternative to natural wood – with additional benefits.
- Hybrid flooring combines the best of both worlds from vinyl and laminate.
Take your time to research your options and you’ll soon be able to find the best flooring type for you.
What colour floor makes a room bigger?
If you are looking for a flooring colour that can make a room look bigger, the general rule of thumb is to keep it light and neutral – with some well-placed mirrors for good measure. Consider cream carpets ad natural, whitewashed hardwoods. These neutral tones are ideal for achieving a light and ‘breezy’ feel in your home, ultimately creating the illusion of a larger space – even in a notably small room.
In some cases, dark flooring can achieve a spacious feel but it’s a difficult aesthetic to pull off. You will need to contrast your floors with the ideal ‘cooling’ shade on your walls.
Another effective way of making your rooms look bigger is by using one flooring type through. For example, if you have different flooring in every room downstairs with clear borders between the hallways, living room, lounge, and kitchen, each room will invariably appear to be smaller. However, if you stick with a stunning laminate throughout for example, the rooms will flow into one another, thus appearing far more spacious and breathable.
You may also want to avoid busy, floral patterns. A carpet with far too much going on will ultimately make a space feel more cluttered.
Finally, if you are opting for tiled floorings, the bigger the tile the better. 12” squares for example can really open up a space and making it feel roomier.
Are light or Dark floors in style?
So, are light or dark floors in style? To be perfectly honest, both can work wonderfully when executed properly. Again, darker floors are harder to pull off, however, when paired with the right aesthetic they can be far more stylish and highly effective at hiding imperfections.
If you are installing DIY Floorboards in your home, it’s always worth consulting an interior designer for tips and tricks – particularly if you want to opt for a dark floor look.
In any case, remember that it’s your home after all and thus you should go with whatever style and design resonates best with you and your personality.
Conclusion
Let’s recap what we’ve learned:
- There’s no single ‘best’ flooring type – it’s all about choosing the right material for the right rooms.
- Neutral and lighter colours can make a room feel more spacious. Avoid cluttered patterns and opt for larger tiles if you don’t want to go for a traditional hardwood plank flooring.
- Both light and dark flooring can both look incredibly stylish, it’s all in the execution.
We hope you’ve found this article insightful and that you’re now feeling inspired to get your renovation project underway.
