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by Lauren Busser The House Designers’ Editorial Director
Flooring is one of the most valuable investments when it comes to decorating your new home. There are so many choices on the market now that it can be hard to decide where to begin. You don't have to use the same flooring throughout the whole house but you can pick and choose your favorites for a particular room and setting.
Before you start selecting flooring it is a good idea to have your interior palette set and from there you can look at all the varieties of flooring available but still make each room unique and Lumber Liquidators® is a great place to look for flooring ideas.
Living Room
A family room should invite you to take off your shoes and relax with furnishings that reflect a warmth and neutrality. When it comes to flooring one of the most popular options is hardwood. We love hardwood for its warmth and traditional appearance.
Dining Room
Dining rooms get a moderate amount of traffic. They tend to get less traffic than the kitchen but more than the bedrooms. One of the biggest issues you will encounter are the dining room chairs scratching the floor, so it is a good idea to protect the legs of chairs or make sure the floor is covered by an area rug. Desirable traits for a dining room floor include high durability and sealed protection from spills and stains.
Ideally you should consider a floor that requires less maintenance and is easy to clean. That being said you always want a flooring that is going to look beautiful in your space. You might consider alternatives such as engineered hardwood or laminate. Laminate is a great option because it is not only easy to clean but also easy to install and moisture resistant. Given today's current options and manufacturing techniques, you can have a real hardwood floor with the increased structural strength that the technology provides.
Kitchen
The kitchen is another high traffic area of your home and a place where spills are likely to happen. With that in mind, you want very durable flooring under your feet. Cork flooring is an ideal choice for a kitchen because of its shock absorbent nature and water resistance. Cork is a renewable resource as it is harvested from the bark of trees every seven years, making it a great choice for those looking to reduce their footprint on the environment.
Engineered hardwood is another great option. Unlike solid hardwood, engineered hardwood is made from several layers that are bonded together. Once installed this flooring has increased structural strength and can effectively withstanding moisture damage.
Bathroom
Water is the obvious concern in a bathroom and that’s why floors like laminate and engineered hardwood are great in most cases. They offer high durability and soil resistance with the added benefit of being low maintenance for easy cleaning. You can prevent slips and falls by choosing a finish that has good traction when wet and using properly secured area rugs.
Children’s Bedroom
When it comes to children’s bedrooms you have the freedom to let the color of the flooring feed off the room’s décor. However, you should also remember that kids and teenagers are known to drop and spill things. For these reasons we recommend something that is very sturdy. Something in the engineered hardwood or laminate range is always a good choice.
Master Suite
All the flooring in the master suite should coordinate but, just like the children’s bedrooms, you don’t have to be limited in your selection. As long as your bedroom flooring matches the hall you can select a flooring that is truly you.
As far as the types of flooring your options are endless. You can go for the handsome look and grain of a solid hardwood or you might choose a beautiful light bamboo. Just like in the living room, you can break up a large expanse of flooring with area rugs for an extra decorative touch.
When it comes to choosing the right flooring for your spaces, consider how these areas are used and how much time you will spend in them. There are a couple of considerations in creating a cohesive design. We recommend following the “Rule of Three” meaning if you are using several different flooring materials you shouldn't be able to see more than three while standing at any point in your home. You should also consider your hues. Making sure your hues complement each other will result in a floor plan that flows.