I have a thing about good flooring. It just makes me smile to see a polished wooden floor, beautiful tiles, a well designed rug or a fabulous carpet all cosy and inviting for bare toes. It is really easy though to make mistakes with flooring and what an expensive mistake that can be!
Here are 5 common flooring mistakes and what you might consider doing instead.
Lounge
In my dream home I would have a deep, soft, cream carpet. In reality though I would never make this flooring mistake.
I always insist there is no eating in the lounge and that shoes are removed before anyone enters but despite this our lounge carpet takes a beating. Kids run in with their outdoor shoes on, juice/wine /tea gets spilt despite mama’s ‘rules’ and chocolate gets sneaked in every now and then too (that’s usually by me!) A slightly patterned or multicoloured hard-wearing carpet is a much more practical solution. A great vacuum cleaner is a must, as is a carpet stain remover.
I have to say wooden floorboards work really well in a lounge. Not only do they look fabulous they are a classic and the addition of rugs is an easy way to keep up with trends without spending a fortune. They are also pretty hard to stain.
A common mistake is when you set your heart on a particular floor and you don’t realise how many other great looking flooring products that are available from other retailers until you see something better at your friends house. So my piece of advice here would be to shop around and look at a wider range of laminate flooring and order a few samples to compare the real look and finish before you make the final decision.
Conservatory
When it comes to a Conservatory there is a temptation to not think about it too much as this is probably one of your least used rooms in your home, but it will get a lot of sun. Because of this it is important to find a quality top layer that can resist fading. A great laminate is one idea but a good rug can do a wonderful job of this too. Some rugs look even better once a little sun faded. Quick step LVT (Vinyl Floor Tiles) is less likely to get damaged by sunlight than laminate as it’s made from compressed synthetic material with UV protection.
Kitchens
Kitchen flooring needs careful consideration. Any flooring needs to be laid really well so it is watertight. This is the room that is going to be really well used with heavy footfall, spilt food and drink, washing machine and dishwasher leaks and the rest. I think kitchen floors not only need to be waterproof they also need to be really easy to clean and sweep and hardy! Lino and laminate work re well but need to be very tightly laid. If you laying it yourself there is a great guide to doing it properly here.
Bathrooms
In the bathroom my advice would be to go for anti slip. This is a floor that, just like the kitchen, is most definitely going to get wet, particularly if you have children,
My personal view is that carpet should never ever be place in a bathroom or even a downstairs cloakroom.It may feel warm and cosy under bare feet but it is just not one bit hygienic. As a parent I have to wipe up enough spills to know that any carpet would smell and look really unpleasant in my bathroom! A simple laminate or tiles are much more hygienic an option and much easier to clean. Even if you don’t have children globs of shampoo or handwash on carpet are really problematic and it just is not a good idea!
Hallway
The biggest mistake people make with a hallway if to not give it enough attention. The flooring in your hallway is important. Not only is it the first impression people have of your home it also gets ALL the traffic into and out of your home. It needs to look amazing and be tough too.
To help with the lengthening look of a hallway and for ease of cleaning, flooring should be laid long ways not side ways. Laminate works well in a hallway that sees football boots, heavy wearing and often outdoor shoes.
It is well worth spending some time looking at up to date ideas over at Freshome a wonderful resource for home design inspiration,
Over on Pinterest I share tons of gorgeous home and design ideas so do pop over and take a look.
I would love to hear about the flooring you have in your home and any mistakes you have made in the past with it?
