Looking for a long-lasting yet stylish material underfoot but not sure where to start? Whether you're investing in classic carpet, practical tiling or warming wood, read on for expert advice on the best designs to suit your space, plus plenty of inspiration to create the scheme of dreams...
Feature LAURIE DAVIDSON
GOOD IDEA
Create patterns with your tiles by laying them in a diamond or stripe formation
Designed to mimic the look of small-chip terrazzo, these large-format porcelain tiles are bang on trend. Using a combination of colours, like green mixed with cream as shown, showcases the design to maximum effect.
Confetti Green & Cream tiles, £54.31 per sqm, Fired Earth
Embrace wood & vinyl
1. LIVEN UP YOUR FLOORBOARDS
Infuse some fun into a room by painting the floorboards – an easy job even if you’re new to DIY. You’ll need to make sure you use the right type of paint, and seal it to keep the paint looking fresh for longer, but the world’s your oyster when it comes to the colour and pattern you go for.
Floor painted in Royal Navy & Hellebore Intelligent floor paint, £82 for 2.5ltrs, Little Greene
2. Go for wide planks
Flooring trends come and go, but wider, cabin-style wood planks have proven to be a timeless trick for creating the feeling of space in a room. Whether you choose a pale, light wood or something more rustic or dark, run the boards parallel to the longest width of your room and you’ll find they give the illusion of a much larger floor space.
Palazzo hardwood flooring in Polar Oak Matt, from £109.99 per sqm, Quick-Step
Keep natural timber looking its best by sanding back to renew it over the years
3. ZONE AREAS
Use flooring to define the different areas of a space, creating zones for living, dining and eating. Here, tiles have been used for the kitchen area, with wood flooring used beyond and broken up with a zigzag design for added interest.
Casablanca SP219 & Grano WP311 LVT flooring, from £41.99 each, both Opus collection at Karndean
TOP TIP
Use durable laminate in areas that get heavy traffic, such as hallways
4 . ADD CHARACTER
Combine the style of solid wood with the multiple benefits of an engineered design and you’ll have flooring that’s strong and often less costly. Not only that, but engineered flooring can withstand fluctuations in temperature, making it ideal for using with underfloor heating.
Highclere Biscotti Oak engineered wood flooring, £117.99 per sqm, Woodpecker Flooring
5. Vamp it up with vinyl
Not only is vinyl super easy to clean and water resistant, but it comes in a range of different colours and design effects, meaning you can emulate everything from wood to stone
