A floor in your plans
whether you’re building your dream home in the country or renovating a sky-high penthouse, it’s crucial to select the right flooring to suit your lifestyle, home and desired aesthetic, not least because it’s expensive and inconvenient to have to change it again later. So, what will work best for you? Here we look at the popular types of flooring, their pros and cons, comfort, practicality, acoustics and appearance.
Don’t underestimate the effect good flooring has on the ambience of a room. Creative director of Smart Design Studio William Smart notes the importance of choosing a material that suits the area’s needs. “Lighter finishes will enhance a sense of spaciousness and brighten a smaller room, while an extra-wide board might not suit this same space,” he says. “Consider colour and size, where a large-format tile might be calmer than a mosaic in a tiny bathroom. Think about how the surface wears, too. Timber floorboards, although hugely popular, can be easily dented, scratched or stained in high-traffic areas. Tiled surfaces are easy to clean but can be slippery. Each option comes with good and bad elements, so make an informed choice based on your own set of
