About Finishes

One of the benefits of renovating or even purchasing a new construction home is the joy of selecting new features, materials, and details. Finishes provide the property with an authentic character, in line with the owner’s lifestyle and personal preferences.

Interior finishes are the most notable and often also most expensive components in a house.

Types of Finishes

Flooring

Flooring installed in a home or office is both a functional and visual feature. It provides a backdrop for decor scheme and, at the same time, a comfortable surface to walk on. 

• Carpet flooring is cosy, quiet, and warm, full of distinctive “homey” flair. Carpets are fit for use in most rooms. At the same time, the choice of material, size and design depends on personal preferences, room decor, and the amount of traffic the carpet needs to withstand.
• Concrete flooring can be rough or polished to a high gloss. It’s an eco-friendly choice, also water-resistant, exceptionally hard-wearing, and long-lasting. 
• Glass flooring can be transparent or opaque. It typically comes in tiles composed of special kinds of toughened glass, durable, strong, and resistant to breakage.
• Laminate flooring contains a core board with a projection of wood/stone surface topped with a melamine protective layer. Laminate floor typically comes as a system of handy click-and-lock planks. 
• Vinyl flooring is affordable, durable, resistant to water and stains, and available in a variety of vibrant designs. Luxury vinyl tiles are available in planks or tiles instead of a single roll and are distinguished by designs. They are made to conveniently mimic wood, stone, and other materials for installation in places where the genuine versions would not perform well. 
• Wood flooring is distinguished by the species’ organic beauty and exceptionally long life. Apart from traditional choices such as oak or mahogany, this type of flooring is also available in varieties such as bamboo. Engineered wood flooring contains a veneer of solid timber on top of a fiberboard, offering better moisture and stains resistance than planks made from solid timber. 
• Resin flooring typically consists of polyurethane resin, acrylic resin, or epoxy. Each variety is a combination of a base material and a hardening substance. Once combined, poured, and hardened, they provide a chemically resistant, rigid surface, very similar to plastic.

Wall Coverings

Common wall coverings include paint, wallpapers, tiles, wooden and stone boards, fabric, and more. Wallpapers provide the most versatile option, with numerous designs, colours, patterns, textures and finishes. 

• Lining paper is thick and durable, made of either paper or fibreglass.
• Printed wallpaper offers an extensive range of designs, making it a highly decorative yet not so durable option. Printed wallpapers are not suited for use in bathrooms and kitchens.
• Anaglypta wallpaper is typically decorated with a variety of 3D patterns on a prevalently white background that can be painted over.
• Vinyl wall coverings are composed of printed paper layers, making a durable structure, easy to clean. Unlike printed wallpapers, vinyl versions perform well in kitchens or bathrooms.
• Flock boasts a sumptuous velvety finish, often found in 3D patterns printed on a paper base. It’s also a high-end option, demanding to maintain, and hard to remove.
• Foil makes an excellent choice for an accent wall with its sleek metallic shine.
• Mylar comes with a washable polyester film over a glossy surface, easy to remove. 
• Grasscloth is a textured wallpaper, full of nature vibes but also somewhat challenging to clean.

Paints

Paints can be used on many surfaces, making one of the most common types of exterior and interior coverings - and for a good reason. It’s versatile and often quite affordable. Paints can be distinguished by many parameters, starting from the types of finishes they provide. 

• A flat interior paint finish is excellent for use for uneven surfaces, making them less noticeable. It’s more on a matte side and also prone to scratches. 
• Flat enamel is similar to flat, yet easier to clean, more durable, and suitable for busy areas. 
• The satin finish falls in the middle of the spectre between flat and glossy finishes. 
• Eggshell boasts a subtle sheen, good in concealing minor imperfections.
• Semi-gloss and gloss finishes are durable, gleaming, and suited for almost ideally flat surfaces. 

Tiles and Stones

Tiles and stones have long been a popular covering solution for floors and walls. Ceramic and porcelain are durable, but also more versatile than stones. 

Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles offer a convenient, long-lasting covering resistant to decay, scratches, moisture, and stains. Three main types of tiles are floor, wall, and ceiling tiles. 

• Floor tiles are thicker and more robust than others, composed to provide enough traction for safe traffic. 
• Wall tiles are more versatile and often designed to provide unique decorative value.  
• Ceiling tiles can significantly improve room acoustics, concealing a variety of fixtures and unsightly installations at the same time. 
• Other tile types include backsplash and shower tiles, along with a variety of outdoor tiles.

Stone slabs and tiles are hard-wearing and durable, mostly recognised for their luxurious image. 

• Granite is exceptionally strong. Properly sealed, it’s resistant to heat, moisture, surface damages, and stains, making it one of the most favourable choices of countertop materials. 
• Marble is characterised by its organic beauty, along with properties like durability and versatility of use. Quarried as blocks and sliced into slabs, it can be further processed, brushed, polished, burned and more. 
• Limestone is great for flooring but can also be used on counters, walls, and showers. Its highly porous surface mostly requires sealing before use. 
• Travertine is available in a palette ranging from cream to reddish hues. Stronger than limestone but softer than granite, it’s suitable for residential flooring, showers, and kitchen backsplashes.

Stains and Treatments

Stains and treatments are vital elements for enhancing the visual and practical properties of decks, wooden floors, furniture, and more. They highlight the beauty of the material while also providing surface protection.

• Wood varnish is a colourless, transparent timber finish based on drying oils. It also contains resins and a thinner or solvent. Once the liquid part evaporates, the remains turn to a hard layer coating the wooden surface.
• Timber stains are penetrating solutions that bring the pigment inside the wood. Once the solvents evaporate, the residue sets and binds to the fibres, colouring them.
• Timber coatings protect wooden surfaces from elements, damages, and signs of wear and tear.
• Metal finishes define the surface appearance of metal-based features, providing them with a specific texture, colour, and lustre. The types of metal finishes range from metal powder to oil-rubbed and antique.

Things to Consider Before Choosing Finishes

Finishes should fit with the rest of the decor and the overall style of the place. They can blend with the environment or provide an accent on a rather neutral backdrop. 

Lifestyle also plays a role in decision-making. For instance, if living with active toddlers, resilient materials and finishes will probably prove to be more convenient than the sensitive ones. 

Floorings such as raisin, vinyl, or ceramic are almost effortless to clean and maintain.

Prices of materials and finishes vary a lot, while some features also require costly installations. Apart from the budget for initial investment, it’s good to consider other factors such as maintenance, longevity, and the possibility of refurbishing. 

Durability is a significant factor, and a higher price tag should be a guarantee that the product will last for a long time. However, that rule doesn’t always apply. The quality of floors is one of the ways to determine their true value, and solid wood will typically last longer than laminate, vinyl, or even tiles.