Interior Choices… from the ground up

When considering flooring you will probably have to factor in a practical element by Arabella Budd

Quirky Authentic Lucienne Octagon by Alternative Flooring

Every room in a home has a unique purpose and every family is different, so even before you begin thinking about styles and colours there are a multitude of things to consider. It can sometimes be quite daunting especially if you’re looking to tackle more than one room at the same time.

For example if you have children, your floors will inevitably take more of a pounding, you may need to consider softness for floor play or crawling. If you are a ‘shoes off’ household you will probably worry less about these practicalities.

But to make it a little easier, let’s walk through the house room by room to discuss the most popular options that will also look amazing for longer.

Bathrooms

Due to the obvious water spills, the best flooring options will be impervious to water and still be warm underfoot. Amtico, vinyl and woven vinyl, sheet Marmoleum, sealed cork and rubber are all top of the list. If underfloor heating is a consideration, then your options may be more limited as you will need to make sure that the flooring and preparation are compatible.

So, bathroom priorities are:

Warmth underfoot
Anti-slip
Easy to clean

Stairs & Landings

We walk exactly the same path when climbing up and coming down our stairs, so stair carpets are prone to uneven pile crushing. Low level loop pile or flat weave carpets are best to avoid this uneven effect. Shorter piled twist or velvet carpets are also popular but a good quality carpet, with a higher density wool content will look better for longer.

For stairs, Sisal is the best out of all natural floor coverings and I would recommend choosing a mottled or flecked colour as Sisal can stain and the natural markings will prevent any stains from standing out. Even better, get the carpet stain-guarded, most manufacturers offer this for an additional £5 per metre.

Stair runners
If you want to make a feature of your staircase, then a runner is the way to go. This is where you have some of the bare stair visible on either side. Runners can be fully made from regular carpet so you can use the same carpet on hallways and landings and then edge the carpet on the stairs with binding or whipping. Alternatively you can pick a ready-made runner.

You can then either go for a complementing carpet for landings, bare or painted floorboards or continuing the runner. Other stair choices are just to paint them, although this can be a slippy option, or cover the stairs in wood or even Amtico.

For stairs, consider

Colour: Patterns, stripes, flecks and deep or darker colours are all really practical on staircases. It’s a narrow area where lots of spills can occur so again, a practical colour will mean your carpet will look fresher for longer. Spills should be cleaned up as quickly as possible with dry kitchen roll followed by gentle dabbing with warm water and a bleach free carpet soap.
Pile height: Avoid loose, long and uneven or chunky piled carpet for even wear.

Deco black and white tiles by Amtico

Hallway

Hard flooring is the most practical choice for this area and there are some fine looking solutions so that the first glimpse into your home sets a style and standard for the rest of the house.

Marmoleum Tiles
Available in Victorian designs, these are perfect for a period property and make an elegant statement. Amtico have brought out some designs in their new Deco range that are also perfect.

Wood
Great for open plan layouts or whether you’d like the same floor throughout, we would recommend rugs or mats to protect the most vulnerable areas from water.

Rubber
Available as tiles or in sheet form, and is extremely hard-wearing.

Cork
This gives a warm and natural feel with hypoallergenic properties.

Carpet
The all time cosy favourite, carpet can run though to the stairs, the living room and all round the house however, you need to be especially careful picking your colour and design as carpet is harder to maintain than most other choices.

Kitchen & Utility Rooms

The potential for leaks and spills is the greatest in these home spaces so, again, hard flooring would be best choice.

Wood
This is a popular choice but look for a range that has factory applied multi coats of protective oil, use a cleaner that contains oil to maintain the wood and use appropriate rugs to protect under sinks and dishwashers.

Marmoleum
A natural and hard wearing choice.

Amtico
Perfect for kitchens, luxury Amtico vinyl tiles are manufactured by a design-led British company. These extremely authentic looking tiles are available in hundreds of designs and styles and are perfect for underfloor heating. Lordship Flooring can provide visuals of your room using different designs to help you make the best choice.

Vinyl
The least expensive option. Vinyls are the least complicated to fit. Available in plain sheets or even in woven vinyls to emulate natural flooring, vinyls are a good choice.

Concreate
A relatively new product is Concreate, laid as tiles, giving an architectural feel to space. It is also good to run through to the kitchen and any open plan areas.

Remember:

Solid coloured smooth floors such as rubber will show up every crumb. Some people like to see where the mess is this… others would prefer a little leeway.
Adding a Sisal rug will soften the room and make it feel cosy

Coir Herringbone natural bordered rug by Alternative Flooring

Living room

Carpet
Choosing carpet will give your room an immediate cosy, soft and warm feel and style-wise patterned carpet is currently making a strong come-back. It’s a good idea to make the carpet the anchor to your colour and style scheme as well as complementing other soft furnishings. Carpet is also great for sound insulation.

Wood
Giving a neutral base to work with, there is a huge choice of woods in terms of finish, width and design; chevrons and parquet give a timeless and natural foundation to a room. It’s really practical, easy to clean and maintain and can be dressed with rugs to cosy up.

Naturals
Sisal and Seagrass are often used in interior design shoots as they give a natural canvas much in the same way as wood, but with a softer look.

Floorboards
Natural floorboards give a relaxed and easy look to a room and will fall into any scheme. Floorboards are easily renovated and can be sanded, oiled or stained to give the floor fresh life. There is no such thing as a dust-free sander but the best machines will offer 98% and also the best finish.

Luxx sheer Narwhal Luxury Faux carpet by Alternative Flooring

Bedroom

Think about what you’d prefer to step into in the morning. Nothing feels more sumptuous underfoot than a soft carpet. Bedrooms are also where you don’t have to be so practical so you can go for a longer pile, a silkier finish or a natural carpet. You can be a little more daring as the bedroom is usually mostly covered with furniture and more lightly used.

Carpet
Any carpet will be suitable for bedroom use and it’s a good place to introduce texture or colour or pattern. Have a look at silkier carpets with a viscose or bamboo content that will give a luxurious feel underfoot.

Wood
Easy to clean and will fit into any scheme. You can always add rugs for texture.

 

LORDSHIP FLOORING
East Dulwich
129-131 Lordship Lane
SE22 8HU
t: 020 8693 8728
e: dulwich@lordshipflooring.com

Blackheath Village
The Studio, Brigade Street
SE3 0TW
t: 020 8852 8109
e: blackheath@lordshipflooring.com
w: www.lordshipflooring.com


	
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