How much traffic do our floors get? Especially now in the midst of a global pandemic our floors are getting way more use than normal. Whether we are working from home, home schooling, or starting up a home gym, our floors are seeing a lot of action. So it comes as no surprise that I have messages popping up in my inbox from readers and clients asking for advice on flooring. In fact many of my clients are paying way more attention to flooring now than they did before. So how do we get flooring right?
Well the first thing to look for in any type of flooring is durability and adaptability. We want flooring that is going to last us a good few years, there needs to be an element of longevity in its use. The flooring can not wear away after a year or two, and it needs to handle all the traffic we have going on in our homes.
The element to consider is adaptability. Nowadays we hardly see different types of flooring in each room. More often than not we are opting to have the same type of flooring throughout the entire house. Having one type of flooring helps create an enlarged sense of space, it works wonders in balancing out natural lighting, and creates cohesion throughout the home. Plus care and upkeep is easier as it is only one floor type to maintain and look after. So ideally we need to pick flooring that is neutral and versatile enough to fit in and adapt perfectly to all our interiors.
Luxury vinyl flooring tiles (LVT) are the perfect choice for busy families like ours as these tiles are both durable and adaptable, as well as being practical and easy to maintain. Tapi flooring have a beautiful range of luxury vinyl tiles. These tiles are the perfect way to enjoy the aesthetics of natural ceramic, stone, or wood flooring, without the high maintenance. This type of flooring is perfect for families with young children as it handles wear and tear very well. The other advantage to these tiles is that whilst they may look like natural stone or wood, they are not has hard and harsh underfoot as the natural materials. In actual fact they are comfortable, smooth and warm underfoot, which is again perfect for homes.
Tapi's LVT range has been specially designed to cover all needs and uses. Including stain resistance, UV resistance to cover areas of direct sunlight, and to create the right acoustics for zoom meetings and lively families. The tiles also have built in underlay to help maintain stability in temperatures and are made from 100% recyclable materials.
LVT's are perfect for kitchen/dining areas, main living spaces and hallways. The natural stone effect works brilliantly in kitchens and is a brilliant alternative to natural stone tiles. In the same way the natural wood effect tiles are perfect for living rooms and hallways. It allows us to achieve that sophisticated look of natural wood whilst being very user friendly. These tiles can fit in seamlessly into any design style from modern to contemporary to vintage.
The other type of flooring which is making a huge comeback lately is carpet. Carpet has quickly become a designer favourite and rightly so. It is a bold move away from hard flooring that we are used to having in our homes. We are shifting towards a warmer and softer design aesthetic as we bid adieu to cool greys and start embracing warmer neutrals. And carpet is the perfect way to achieve warmth and softness in an interior.
Carpets in subtle tones of beige and brown are now the flooring of choice for many people. Carpets in any colour, material and texture are proving to be popular. Carpeted flooring helps add warmth and texture to a room as well as a soft and cushioning underfoot. Carpets are ideal for staircases, bedrooms and living rooms.
Image: Bedouin Loop Carpet by Tapi Flooring
A quick look through Pinterest and instagram will show us how designers are using carpets to create bold feature elements in a space. For example striped carpet on staircases is in vogue right now, and that is not a surprise as the stripes create a bold and striking visual in the space.
Wool and woven carpets by Tapi flooring are both warm and elegant yet extremely durable. Which is perfect because no one need carpets that wear out, or flatten down after a year or two. The pure wool fibres in the carpet have a natural elasticity to them allowing them to bounce back into shape, which means the fibres will not flatten down even in high high traffic areas. These carpets are versatile enough to add individual styling for staircases such as wide-taped ends for runners or coloured whipping to add contrast and visual appeal.
Like with all things, the colour of the flooring is just as important as the type and material. For light and bright interiors, go for a lighter colourway to help make the most of the natural light in the room. For high traffic hallways a subtle and earthy colour is perfect. Light coloured LVT are ideal for all spaces as their easy to clean and stain resistance properties mean they are versatile enough to handle dinnertime spills and home schooling art and crafts.
For more advice on how to pick the perfect carpet for any space, drop me a message or check out the details to my design dilemma service here.
