Welcome to the wonderful world of flooring, where the possibilities are endless and there is something for every type of space you’re working on! As an Interior Designer, it’s safe to say that I’ve worked with most if not all flooring types in both residential and commercial settings. Each have their own unique qualities, look, and function and, like most finishes and materials, it’s all about the application. You can also have a lot of fun with flooring too. It doesn’t just have to be that stuff you walk on top of every now and then! Flooring trends are pushing the boundaries of pattern and color, making them the centerpiece to any given space. With an investment like flooring, you want people to notice it right off the bat! You also want to carefully consider the type you’re looking to install considering you’ll be living or working with it for a while. Read on and expand your design knowledge through the wonderful world of fabrics!
The Ultimate Flooring Guide
With all the types and styles of flooring available out there, how do you know which one is right for you? Well, before you make your final decision, lets take a deeper dive into the most popular flooring offering:
Carpet
Carpet is long past the musty shag in your grandma’s basement! There have been some huge advances in the carpet world that have lead to it being a standard flooring type option for residential and commercial settings alike. I can’t tell you how much carpet tile I’ve seen in my lifetime as a commercial Interior Designer. This gets specified A LOT on my projects as it’s durable, offers great backing options, acoustic qualities, and comes in a whole host of colors, styles, and patterns. What’s great is there are manufacturers out there making great strides in the sustainability of carpet tile as well by developing product with high quantities of recyclable material. In a corporate office setting, as an example, carpet tile is most beneficial for the general flooring of the space as it’s durable and easily maintained. Also, should a tile ever get damaged, it’s easier for a maintenance team to pop off a tile and replace with a new one as opposed to ripping out a whole section of carpet from a traditional rolled good product. In a residential setting, if carpeting an entire room is not your thing, consider area rugs in strategic locations to break up the spaces while adding some comfort and warmth under your toesies;
Hardwood
A gorgeous, and might I add, natural product! With so many species available, it’s easy to find the right product to add that natural warmth to any space. Oak, cherry, and walnut are typical species for flooring. The only downfall here is the expense. Hardwood is typically quite expensive and can certainly rack up your budget especially if you’re specifying this for a large area. I typically stay away from hardwood in commercial settings as it requires a lot of maintenance and can wear easily. You can specify this in small quantities and in less populated areas, however, if your heart is really set on it. Some species tend to patina over time which can leave a nice charm to the flooring if that’s what you’re after. In a residential setting, unless you’re able to keep up with the cost and maintenance, your better off going with a laminate product;
Laminate
Speaking of laminate, this is a great alternative to hardwood flooring! Most residences will opt for this as it provides the look and charm of a hardwood product at a fraction of the cost. Maintenance is almost next to nothing here too. With that said, best to keep this one, much like a hardwood, away from moisture rich areas like your kitchen or bathroom to avoid swelling and contracting;
Luxury Vinyl Tile
Much like carpet tile, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has advanced greatly in the flooring world. If I’m unable to specify hardwood or laminate on a project, I love going with an LVT product to break up certain spaces or act as a transition from one area to the next. As an example, in a corporate kitchen, I’ve specified a wood-look LVT product to both delineate the space and add a sense of warmth compared to other adjacent flooring types. Both installation and maintenance are super easy with LVT too. You can even have fun with creating your own patterns with different styles, tile sizes, and colorways;
Porcelain, Ceramic, and Natural Stone
Your best choices for the kitchen or washroom, in the right context of course! Porcelain tile is huge in the commercial world and typically seen in washrooms or kitchen backsplashes as maintenance is very manageable and it’s a harder tile, standing well to increased foot traffic. Porcelain is definitely great for residential settings as well however, ceramic is a cost effective alternative while also being available in a variety of colors, shapes, textures, and sizes. As much as I would love to specify a beautiful natural stone all over my projects (marble and gold everywhere!) I don’t find this as effective. Most natural stone require a lot of up keep and tend to stain quite easily. Super important to consider it’s application!
Now that you’ve been enriched with so much flooring knowledge, go forth and turn your next flooring project to a work of art!
Which flooring type do you think has the best look? Let me know in the comments section below!
