Maintaining
a beautiful home for years can be difficult, especially if you have a tight
decorating budget. There are so many things to look after in a house to keep it
clean and beautiful interior
design, walls, furniture, flooring, etc. But, one thing
that brings your whole room together is flooring. The floors in your house take a lot of exploitation. Dirty
shoes pile up in the entryway, muddy paws scamper through each hallway, and
even chair legs scratch across your dining room on a daily basis. But, is
it really easy to maintain flooring of a house. Fortunately, there are many ways,
even on a budget through which you can make your house flooring look more
beautiful. One of the best options to make your house floor look more beautiful
is to replace them with time.
Changing the floor you walk on can have the same impact as
painting the walls a whole new shade. Colour, texture and pattern all do their bit for style underfoot. So, if you're thinking about replacing flooring in your home,
you'll need to think about how you use each room, before you make any
decisions. Consider the costs, benefits, and the downsides of each
type of flooring before you commit. Here is a list of the trendiest types of
flooring and the rooms for which they are best suited. Hardwood or carpeting
might be great for one room, but the same isn't always true across the hall.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Flooring in
Bathroom: A bathroom is no place for
wall-to-wall carpet. There's too much dampness and opportunities for spills
with cosmetics and toiletries. It can get vicious and difficult to clean and
water trapped under the carpet can lead to mould. If you recoil at chill
underfoot, look into heated tile, it can cost you much for a professional
installation.
For
Kitchens, Look for Something Trendy: Consider a grey hardwood flooring option for the kitchen.
"Grey has been the new neutral in interior design and you will see more of
this shade in flooring as well," says Buckingham. All of these options are
super resilient, so they'll last well into the next few trend cycles.
Flooring in
Bedroom: People put a lot of emphasis
into having hardwood flooring throughout the house, but the truth is it's not
the comfiest on bare feet in the morning. If you're redoing your bedroom, you
should go for a luxurious, super-soft carpet. If you already have hardwood, you
can still create that cosy vibe.
Playroom
for Kids: To revamp the playroom for
kids use something that will be soft underfoot, so kids can sit, lie, and play.
Choose a low, tightly woven-almost industrial loop or cut area rug or wall-to-wall carpet.
Look for something in an easy-to-clean fibre like polypropylene or nylon.
Types of Surface You Can Use:
Hard Surfaces:
·
Ceramic
& Porcelain: Tiles
provide you an enormous variety of patterns and colours that can craft different effects depending on their
configuration. To give your home a bohemian look, choose Mediterranean-style
encaustic tiles. Their gentle shades of
colour and natural shine will complement the pared-back charm of uneven walls
and imperfections in older country properties. For a cost-effective and
original look, create a collage of patterned tiles laid randomly – it's a great
way to use stock ends of tiles from high-street retailers and would suit a plain
scullery or industrial-style kitchen. If you’re looking for some quality tiles
and want to revamp your home then tiler in
Hampshire can give you expert
advice.
·
Wood: The tepid
tones and textural quality of wood are a natural fit with a country interior.
The current fashion is for a 'distressed' aesthetic that retains the wear and
tear, shine of paint and intense weathering of the boards. Floor paint can look
up a room and a painted floor also allows for some creative stencilling.
Engineered flooring provides a contemporary feel – for a modern Scandi country
look. Moisture causes wood to bulge and twist, so avoid using
it in rooms with high humidity levels such as bathrooms.
· Concrete: Concrete floor creates a
cutting-edge architectural statement, when polished. It is also sturdy and
versatile, its simplicity also means it can be teamed with underfloor heating
and used to link functional open-plan living spaces such as kitchens and dining
areas, or provide continuity between an interior room and an exterior
courtyard.
Soft
Floors:
Wool and Cotton: Carpet adds instantaneous comfort and colour, whether it's
a bold floral, classic plaid design or a plain understated natural shade. Opt
for a lively pattern in a country cottage for personality and visual warmth. Carpet
is a great sound insulator, too, making it an ideal choice for upstairs
bedrooms in older country homes with creaky floorboards. For narrow corridors
or stairs, experiment with runners in stripes of different widths to create a
feeling of space.
- Plant Fibres:
Floor coverings such as coir,
sisal, and jute and sea grass will bring in a natural feel. They tend to
vary in colour, so always sample test first with your existing
furnishings. They may differ in durability, so select the right one for
the right room. Jute is the softest fibre and only recommended for bedrooms, while sea grass is medium in strength – good for
living rooms and kitchens. Coir and sisal are the toughest, so they
are suitable for areas of heavy use such as halls. Plant
fibres react to high levels of dampness by escalating or absorbing water,
which leads to buckling and shrinking. So avoid using it in high-moisture
rooms such as bathrooms.
·
Vinyl and Lino: These soft floors are ideal for adding low-maintenance,
cost-effective style. These are immensely practical – great for kitchens and
bathrooms where a mop surface is needed. Vinyl is water-resistant, but lino is
the more eco-friendly option and has lost its dated image. Peculiar designs and
bright colours are now widely available for both, along with effective designs
that mimic textures such as wood and stone.
Now, that you have an understanding of the different types
of materials that can be used for flooring, ensure that you make a wise
decision while also taking into consideration your personal preference as well.
