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What Type Of Flooring?

Choosing the right flooring is one of the most expensive decorating decisions you will have to make. You need to think about maintenance, traffic and durability as well as both the look and feel, and how it will co-ordinate with everything else. Here are some pros and cons about the different types of flooring.

 FLOORBOARDS

from iheartshabbychic.blogspot.com

Never go out of fashion as you can change the look of a room with rugs and even giant floor stickers which look like rugs. They are warm to walk on but beware if you live in a flat or want to use them upstairs room as they are noisy.

floor sticker from www.notonthehighstreet.com

If yours aren’t up to scratch consider painting them. In fact, the rougher they are the better they can look painted as it will add character to a room. It can also contrast well with modern furniture. White looks great, but if that makes you feel a bit faint consider grey which goes with pretty much every other colour and will hide the dirt and scuff marks that little bit better.

from gapinteriors.com by Rachel Smith

Boards are also good for asthmatics who can’t cope with dust as well as families with small children as they are easy to clean.

 CARPET

Carpets and their underlays are often made of synthetic material. But they are easy to lay, keep the noise down, are warm and if your floors aren’t completely even they can cover up a multitude of bumpy sins. Stripes are fashionable. I love spots. (www.alternativeflooring.com; 01264 335111). If you have plain walls and sofas then a bit of pattern, and no we are NOT talking about swirls and pubs here, are a good way to add a bit of wow to a room. Visit www.funonthefloor.com for details on different piles, cleaning tips and local fitters.

A good rule of thumb is 80/20, that’s wool to nylon, but I have used a nylon carpet in my spare room, mainly because it was the only one I could find in the right colour and pattern and it just happened to be nylon. However, it wasn’t big enough so I had the edges bound in bright pink (to match the fireplace) and turned it into a rug. Cost around £200 instead of nearer £1,000.

Dotty from alternativeflooring.com

 

NATURAL

Usually means either seagrass, jute, sisal or coir. The colours tend to be neutral but the differences are in the weave and feel. Seagrass can be hard to clean, coir can be hard underfoot. Sisal is usually regarded as the softest and can work well in a bedroom. Visit www.uniquecarpets.com for tips on cleaning specific stains.

Seagrass from crucialtrading.com. And dog.

 

TILES

There are thousands of different shapes and styles to choose from and it’s down to your personal taste in the end. Instead of porcelain tiles though, do consider using natural slate. It’s often cheaper than tiles and the dark colours mean that it really doesn’t show the dirt. The Slate company (www.theslatecompany.net; 020 8371 1485) stocks slate in shades of green and pink as well as the more usual black and grey. My last kitchen had a pinky tiled floor which was really practical and a little less austere than the black version.

From carpet-tile.org. Lots of cleaning tips here

RUBBER

Surprisingly practical as it’s easy to clean, is very hardwearing and soft to walk on. Perfect for bathrooms and kitchens. It’s also good for stairs as it’s nonslip and environmentally friendly. The Rubber Flooring Company (www.therubberflooringcompany.co.uk) have lots of choice, and will deliver samples and full orders the next day.

Black rubber flooring in our shower room

 LEATHER

 It’s expensive – expect to pay around £275 for supply and fitting – but it’s warm, surprisingly durable and, as it develops a patina with use, is the one surface that will actually improve with age. However, it’s not suitable with underfloor heating. Visit www.almahome.co.uk (020 7439 0925) for further ideas. I once met someone who had made a stair runner out of strips of leather. She said it was beautifully non-slip, ageing well and looked cool. She had just used a staple gun to attach it.

From thecollective.uk.com

 LAMINATE

No. Just no. Did you hear me? No! Surveys have found it can knock thousands off the value of your house. There’s nothing more to say on the subject. And there will be no pictures either.

Tags : carpetfloor stickerspainted floorboardsrugseagrasstrade secrets
Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

10 Comments

  1. hi Kate did you then varnish the boards once you had painted them? I love this paint and may be able to swing a tin or two but do you think Crown or Dulux may have something i could use to achieve the same effect? it’s such a drag having to watch every penny….. not sure what I would do without you hon x

  2. I am so glad I have found you. I am out of my depth renovating our 4 bed vic terrace untouched since the seventies and your blog is such a help with ideas. did you sand your fab floorboards prior to painting them? what colour paint did you use? thanks so much

    1. Hello, I’m so glad you’re finding the blog useful, it sounds like a massive job, but it will be worth it in the end. Yes, the boards were sanded before painting. Just a very light sand – it helps the paint to stick better and gives a much better finish. There is one room where we didn’t (the library) and the finish really isn’t as good so we have covered it with a large rug. It is worth the effort of sanding I’m afraid! The paint we used, throughout the whole house, is Farrow & Ball’s Wimbourne White. It’s a lovely chalky white. We tried Pointing first but in this house, perhaps because of the light, it came out a little too yellow. Good luck with your renovation. Do come back again.

    1. The carpet fitter said he knew someone who did it and he arranged it all for us and then brought it over when it was done. I can’t remember what it cost but I really think it wasn’t expensive. I will dig out the information and update this reply for you. Most carpet shops will know someone who does this work.

      1. Thanks, that would be helpful. I had the idea of doing this to make an off-cut of my stair carpet into a doormat, but didn’t know how to fix the edges so it is currently looking a bit tatty!

        1. Hi Jessy, I think we paid about £100 to have the carpet bound but it’s about 4m by 5m in size, so for a doormat it shouldn’t be more than about £20 I wouldn’t have thought. Your carpet fitter should know someone who will do it for you.

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