Flooring is always a good place to start when it comes to designing a room. It provides the basis from which to work upwards, ensuring all elements work together seamlessly. It’s also an important decision as it covers a large area and therefore can have the most impact in a house. The wrong colour can make spaces seem smaller or larger, for example, or can take away from other features in the room. 

Flooring is also a critical choice in terms of the functionality of a space. Certain types of flooring will be best suited to some uses, while others will not. With a vast array of choices available, it’s worth looking into the options and understanding what may work best for your home. Often, flooring is not a singular choice, with a combination of flooring materials used for different areas of the house.

Carpet

It’s hard to go past the feel of carpet underfoot in bedrooms, and it’s, for this reason, it is often a popular choice for these rooms. Carpet makes a room feel cosy and provides an extra level of insulation, which is particularly useful in bedrooms. However, it can stain more easily than other types of flooring and can also be a dust trap.

Carpet is available in almost any colour and ranges in materiality from wool to synthetic fibres so there are limitless options if the carpet is chosen as a flooring material.

Vinyl flooring

Vinyl flooring are made to look like timber, and while they achieve this, they don’t feel like timber underfoot. However, it’s durable, can be used in wet areas and is relatively inexpensive compared to other flooring options. Vinyl planks can be a good choice if a household includes pets or children or is used as a holiday house for example where lots of people will use it frequently.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring mimics the look of timber, stone or concrete. It’s made from a mix of materials, natural and synthetic, and is finished with a layer on which a photographic representation of the material it mimics is placed, covered by a clear layer. Laminate flooring is good for hard-wearing areas because it's durable and more resistant to scratches and dents than other flooring options. However, while it looks at the products it mimics, it doesn’t feel like them, which can be a drawback.

Concrete flooring

Polished concrete floors can create a powerful visual presence in the home. If you choose polished concrete, you know it will probably never need to be replaced. Concrete is one of the most durable choices for flooring but apart from its durability, it can be used for other purposes. For example, a concrete floor may be chosen if the architecture is to incorporate passive design features. Concrete floors can act as heat sinks, retaining heat from sunlight during the day and releasing it once the sun goes down. This can also mean that concrete isn’t suitable for a home that receives little sunlight in winter as it will be a cold surface and mean the room is harder to heat.  

Solid timber flooring

Solid timber is often more expensive than other flooring options, but it is distinctive visually and in texture and feels underfoot. One of the best things about solid timber flooring is that it can continually be updated and changed with a simple sand and restain or oil.

Engineered timber flooring

Engineered timber planks are made of solid timber but are manufactured by glueing different layers of wood together to create a stronger more durable flooring plank. Engineered timber is around the same cost as solid timber, and it looks and feels like solid wooden flooring. Like solid timber, it is more susceptible to scratches and dents than another flooring, but it can also be sanded and restained or oiled numerous times.

Tiles

Tiles are fantastic for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundries. Glazed tiles are water and stain-resistant and a particularly durable option for flooring. They’re easy to clean and cool in the hotter months, but in winter they can be cold if underfloor heating or rugs aren’t used. Striking patterns can be created with tiles from mosaics to bold colour juxtapositions and combinations of shape and size.

Floor preparation

Different flooring materials require different types of preparation. Some can simply be laid over existing flooring while others will require specific underlays and preparation. It’s always a good idea to understand the requirements for the type of flooring you choose and incorporate these into the overall budget.

Commercial flooring

The main requirement for many commercial floors is durability. Hard-wearing flooring designed specifically for commercial applications is generally slightly different from those designed for residential settings. Epoxy coatings for floors are a popular solution for commercial flooring and are generally applied over concrete floors to provide a durable, smooth surface that can withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic.