Selecting flooring for your home can be a daunting task, especially if you have lots of rooms to make decisions for! There are so many choices, so how do you know where to start? The first thing to do it is figure out how you are going to use the spaces, and how much ‘wear and tear’ they might get. A living room, kitchen, and hallway will get the most use, so it’s best to select a flooring that is hard wearing, but you don’t want to compromise of the aesthetics! Here a few tips, and points to consider..
Be Brave, Go Herringbone – we love parquet. It’s timeless and will truly be worth the investment. It adds instant character to any interior space. It looks appealing in both small and large scale rooms. The popularity for parquet flooring has soared, and can be incorporated into both a traditional scheme, or a light, contemporary design. Typically, Herringbone looks most effective running along the longest width of the room, going towards a focal point.
Eco-friendly alternatives seem to be getting even more popular. Everyone wants to make a difference, and there are so many innovative products on the market – they are sustainable, without compromising on style.
Wood flooring doesn’t necessarily have to be reclaimed to be eco-friendly. Look out for flooring suppliers carrying the FSC logo, which means the product comes from a certified managed forest. In general, the rarer the tree species, the less sustainable it is, which means oak is a good eco friendly option.
For bedrooms, warmth and cosiness is one of the main factors our clients ask for which means 100% wool is a great option and it’s also eco-friendly too! Wool carpets act as a insulator, keeping your house warm and energy efficient. Wool also absorbs sound and cushions the home against echo’s and noise. Wool has to be treated with care, it can be prone to staining especially from liquids like wine or coffee, so using it in a room with a high foot print might not be the best choice!
If you are considering new carpets, and know that they are going to get lots of wear and tear, whether it’s a playroom or living room then consider Polypropelene carpets. The fibres repel stains, making the carpets very easy to clean! This type of carpet is perfect for a busy family home!
In commercial design, the acoustic properties for a room is very important. Whether designing for the education, hospitality or an office, considering the acoustic properties at an early stage will create a space that is fit for purpose but will also promote well being for members of staff. LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) is a high wearing, long lasting product for a commercial environment – It is easy to clean and maintain. LVT tiles can now come with an acoustic backing to help reduce to sound levels.
One of our suppliers, Amtico Acoustic has a high performance sound reducing product that reduces sound transmission by up to 18 dB, and still looks aestically pleasing for an interior space.
Here is one of our projects, where we had to carefully consider the flooring options…
With the introduction of hard flooring, how did you challenge noise levels in the room?
To have some control over the acoustics in the space, we tethered vinyl and carpet tiles of the same size and depth plank, leaving the main traffic areas in hard flooring but the outer floor space in carpet to help absorb the sound in the main study areas. We also had bespoke made sound absorbing wall panels in coordinating fabric to help reduce the echo. They also doubled-up as artwork, competing the scheme.
We are always being introduced to new, innovative products. Please get in touch if you need some help with your flooring, we are always happy to help!