Lift your home with new flooring

The wonderful world of tiles

Large, small, ceramic, porcelain, mosaic … There’s a tiling solution for almost any budget. Best of all, tiles are generally hardy and long-wearing. And if you’re at all handy, you might even try laying them yourself.

When selecting tiles, keep in mind that larger tiles suit larger floor areas, but can often cost more to lay if you hire a professional. Also, patterns and mosaics might date over time, so if you’re planning on a long-term renovation, try to keep to a ‘simple is best’ mantra.

A new carpet

Carpet is making a huge comeback – particularly due to a plethora of styles and fibres now on the market. When choosing the right carpet, consider the nature and volume of traffic in the area. Heavy traffic areas will need a tightly wound sisal fibre carpet to safeguard against fluff and wear, while show areas can lend themselves to a higher pile shag.

Floating floors

If you or your family members suffer from allergies, or you simply want a dust-free solution, floating timber floorboards are a wonderful option. Available in a range of colours and styles, you can almost mistake them for the real thing.

But keep in mind that despite its numerous benefits, floating timber has a downside – namely, moisture absorption. For this reason, it’s probably best to not use it in wet areas.

Oh-so-shiny concrete

A popular option for large and heavily trafficked areas is polished concrete. Not only can polished concrete look beautiful, it is surprisingly budget-friendly. The downside? Concrete can be cold under the feet, so it’s probably not the best for bedrooms and other cosy living spaces.

Fine parquetry

Once considered an essential 80s staple, parquetry flooring has seen resurgence in recent years. Nothing brings warmth and hospitality to a room like natural timber, and parquetry floors can do just that. Parquetry flooring can combine a timber – a tough a resistant material – with beauty and character through a number of designs, both traditional and contemporary. A touch of French polish can then take the look to a whole new level.

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Whatever your taste, there is a flooring style to suit you. Think about your floor space, traffic and budget and design a flooring solution to complement your needs.