Natural selection

Natural stone and wood are the mainstays of classic flooring in an English home – except for upstairs, where carpet or sisal tend to take over. Stone brings a sense of texture and beauty to any scheme and is generally easy to look after. Wood, meanwhile, adds warmth and has that extra dimension in that it can be dressed up and down by playing around with plank widths or using parquet. Alongside the aesthetics of each type of flooring, it is important to consider functionality, such as whether people will be walking over the surface with bare feet or the practicalities of keeping either clean. Therefore, it is helpful to consider the options room by room.

HALLWAYS AND RECEPTION ROOMS

The joy of stone is that it is perfectly suited to high traffic areas, says Rebecca Cherrington, head of projects at Lapicida. Dark-stone floors bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary but tastes are currently for warmer tones such as soft almond, beige and Cotswold-type stones.

“With modern sealants, maintenance is now very straightforward,” Cherrington explains. “Just watch out for using any harsh chemicals or steam cleaners as natural stone is porous and these will damage the sealer and therefore the stone.”

Thanks to product development and innovation over the years, engineered wood floors are a match for stone when it comes to comparing durability. “The multi-layered structure ensures stability and minimal response to nature,” says Sevda Cifci of Havwoods. Interior designer Laura Stephens favours using aged oak parquet for hallways and sitting rooms. “It has tumbled edges, many different tones and a very lived-in imperfect look,” she says. “In fact, it gets better with imperfections after withstanding dogs, buggies and football boots. Aesthetically, it lets the space do the talking, helps with acoustics and gives warmth and interest to the scheme.”

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AREAS

In conservatories with solid roofs, garden room extensions and boot rooms, wood flooring