Featured in the Beaconsfield Local and Amersham Local Magazines July/ August 2019 Issue
I often get asked what are the latest trends in flooring? New trends emerge all the time and technology evolves to deliver more environmentally friendly products to the market. As home owners we need to put our foot down (pun intended!) when making informed choices about what type of floors we want to parade on each day and how it impacts on the overall design scheme. This is where I can enlighten you a little…
There is something immensely timeless, beautiful and luxurious about hardwood flooring. Available in several types of wood, it holds the distinction of being the standard in flooring material. Luxury comes at a cost however, unless you choose engineered hardwood flooring over solid hardwood. You do have to embrace the scratches and general wear and tear, so maintenance is of the essence, unless you are trying to achieve the distressed look!
A flooring material that is taking the industry by storm and requires little maintenance are luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), a vinyl-based flooring material, designed to mimic the look and feel of wood, stone or ceramic. And it comes with a very favourable price tag too! Consumers are looking for more affordable, durable, hard wearing and easy to maintain flooring where quality and style are not compromised so there is a real hunger for LVT.
Whether you choose solid hardwood, engineered hardwood or LVT, there is a growing trend towards cooler darker colours that offers a sense of understated luxury and space, such as ebony and dark walnut. If you are on the look out for the next big trend in woods and want something less ordinary, then keep your eyes peeled for sustainable exotic tree species such as Iroko, Wenge, Brazilian Cherry and Teak.
What about keeping our feet nice and toasty? Did you know that underfloor heating is around 20% more efficient than a traditional heating system (50% if you have high ceilings). It heats a larger area than a radiator, works well at a lower temperature and keeps your floors warm even in a draughty room. With underfloor heating systems it’s worth having a really good thermal underlay too which a specialist can advise you on.
I personally have a thing for carpets! Maybe it is the ‘Irish mammy’ in me but I just love the comfort, cosiness and all things warm and fuzzy about carpets. Wool is the gold standard for natural beauty but is not inherently stain resistant so if you have small children don’t place a wool carpet in high traffic areas. Synthetic carpets are just as beautiful and more affordable. Polypropylene and polyester carpets would make an excellent flooring choice in a child’s bedroom due to its stain resistance and softness. Polypropylene carpets are hard wearing so they are perfect for heavy traffic in the hallway or stairs. Nylon carpets are even more resilient but they can be quite costly.
I have not even scratched the surface when it comes to flooring but I hope you realise there is plenty of choice out there and with tremendous local flooring businesses you really cannot go wrong.