Imagine walking into an exquisite building…
The aura and grandeur of that place mesmerize you at first glance. But as soon as you step in, your foot stumbles. You look down and see scuffed flooring with roughly scraped tiles spread out across the place.
This ruins your whole impression of the building!
Things like these happen because we tend to pay very little attention to flooring. Meanwhile, we spend tremendous energy and an inordinate amount of time, making choices about wall paints and centerpieces. Everything about the outlook has to be pitch-perfect.
Why is flooring important?
Floors define the personality and culture of a space. It is the first thing people see when they walk in. It should have a fine finish and must be functional, too.
At times, functionality overrides the trends published in interior design magazines. For example, you may have noticed how exposed bricks and rusted metal floors are in these days. Main adopters of these designs are restaurants and retail outlets. There are hardly any workplaces that would go for such floors.
Janine Stone, a well-known interior designer, also recommends keeping functionality and practicality in mind during interior decoration. When you know the use of floors is going to be rough and the momentum on the floor will be dense, it is wise to rule out concrete or metal designs.
Given the variety of flooring options available in the market, make sure you study each of them thoroughly. To help you in the process, we have listed four flooring ideas you can go for. Let’s have a look:
Wooden Floors
Wood floors are a classic option. Even though there is an influx of flooring options that resemble wood, the market for solid hardwood and engineered wood doesn’t seem to go down any sooner.
Contrary to popular belief, hardwood floors offer a broad spectrum of options to fulfill different tastes and preferences. You need to get in touch with the well-known flooring companies in your location. Search for them. For example, Austin’s Floor Store are flooring Austin homes for a few years now.
When choosing natural hardwood, homeowners can select any shade of hickory or natural oak, like cherry oak, white oak, or butterscotch oak. Red Oak is the most popular choice in the US. It is affordable and instills a sense of luxury. As technology advances every day, wood manufacturers are also improving their game.
The decision of wood flooring requires some planning. It depends on your preferences, natural environment, and the living style. It is not a viable option if people will be roaming around, wearing stilettos and high heels.
Ceramic Tiles
Using ceramic tiles is one of the most versatile flooring options. There are extensive alternatives for texture, sizes, shapes, and colors to choose from.
Ceramic tiles contain clay and shale. They fire it inside a kiln to harden the ceramic. Next, they use pigments according to the selected color schemes.
There is a special glaze over the tile for protection and sealing. This glaze enhances the color of the tile and adds a pattern to it. The best part of using it for flooring is, it doesn’t hold onto dirt, pollen, or other allergens. They stay loose on the surface, making it easy to sweep them off with a mop or sponge.
As for installation costs, National industry statistics show that ceramic tile flooring installed professionally can range from a low of about $15 per square foot to a high of over $60 per square foot. The more you invest, the better you get!
You should also search for tiles with an anti-slip finish. It should align by the slip-resistance standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Do your homework to keep your home prim and safe.
Stone
Stone floors are the most expensive and luxurious among all. It may comprise materials like a ledger, granite, slate, limestone, and travertine. All of these are hard stones as they can rapidly absorb moisture.
Interior experts agree on the fact that natural stone is the most stylish and fashionable option. You can use it for indoor flooring, outdoors, and any room in the house.
Stone is durable, adds value to your place, and the look it brings is one-of-a-kind. Natural stone also offers a reasonable amount of insulation, helping to keep the place warm in winters and cool in the summers.
Aesthetics like style and color should be on point to ensure stone floors will look good in a particular room. Also, get rid of small flecks of iron. It leaves red marks that are impossible to remove later.
Carpeting
Carpeting the floor is also an option you will find in the list of trendy floor ideas. In fact, it never goes out of fashion.
Carpet has a host of advantages to making your home warm and cozy. There is a vast range of styles, designs, and textures, making it an instant pick for many living as well as workspaces.
You can practically lay it in any room according to its value. For instance, a carpet for the living room could be thin and dark while for the bedroom, it should be thick, fuzzy, and bright.
To determine the carpet quality, check its fiber density. The more fiber it has per square inch, the greater is its durability. Besides, there are many pros accompanying carpet flooring. It is child-friendly, warm, and blocks external noise. Yet, there are drawbacks too. It is susceptible to allergens and catches stains for a long time. Fortunately, we have plenty of ways to deal with dirty carpets. Check them out here.
You can choose from various materials such as wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester, and polypropene. The cost of installation depends on the material you choose, as padding for every option is different.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it is apt to mention the list of flooring options isn’t limited. Interior experts are throwing new ideas now and then. Instead of following them blindly, prioritize your taste. As Sian Stanley also suggests, “Be brave enough to be yourself and trawl the trends for what you love, not what’s fashionable. That way, you’ll still love your home next year, and the year after, and the year after that too.”
Do not always follow what magazines are saying. Be the sailor of your ship. You can also mix up different options to enhance the overall feeling of your space. The gist is, flooring should be in your mind since the inception of the design.
We hope the blog was helpful for you. If you want to add or share something, feel free to comment below!
