8 Tips for choosing new flooring
8 steps to consider when choosing new flooring for your home
Flooring is not something we change as much as other aspects of our home decor, so it pays to think carefully before buying new flooring. Your floor is a key design element so it is worth spending some time really thinking about your options and your preferences.
Here are some things to consider when choosing new flooring for your home:
#1 Light and space: The colour of a floor can have a major impact on the feeling of space you have in a room. Using a lighter floor covering can help to make a small, dark room feel more light and airy, whilst a darker colour floor can make a room feel more cosy and warm.
#2 Use: If your floor is in a high-use area, for example a hallway, it will need to be more hard wearing and probably darker to disguise wear. Similarly, if you have small children you will probably want a darker, more hard wearing floor.
#3 Materials: The material you use will be a lot down to preference; some prefer hard wood while others will prefer carpet or laminate flooring.
#4 Practicality: If you are choosing flooring for a busy area in your home, or food and drink are likely to be spilt on it – or water in the bathroom – you will want to choose a flooring that is practical for that. Similarly, you might feel that a hardwood or vinyl floor will be easier to keep clean and tidy than a carpet which might trap dust and pet hair.
#5 Furniture and walls: don’t choose a new floor based on an empty room; think about what colours and textures you will be bringing in, both with wall decorations and furniture. Make sure your chosen floor matches the style you want for the room as a whole.
#6 Cost: flooring is usually sold by the square foot, so if you have a large space to cover you might find that you need a more cost effective choice.
#7 Pets: we’ve already mentioned that a carpet can trap pet hairs. It’s also worth considering the fact that kittens and puppies can be prone to a lot of scratching. Nobody wants to pay a fortune for beautiful hardwood flooring only to have it ruined by claws within a few months; a more cost effective or hard wearing floor may be a better choice.
#8 Finish and accessories: it is worth thinking about this sort of thing before making your final choice. Consider how you want to finish your floor and factor things like beading and underlay into your costings.
Here at Holybourne Flooring we know that your flooring is an important decision. You are welcome to visit our showroom to see the different types of flooring available, and we also offer home visits where you can see how flooring looks in your home against your existing decor.