Month: September 2020

One of the most common questions we get asked is what flooring is best for certain rooms in the house. Choosing the wrong flooring can make or break a room in your home, so we have put together a guide on choosing the best flooring for every room in your home.

 

Kitchens

Kitchens are known to be the hub of the house, so when it comes to picking the perfect flooring for your kitchen it may seem like the toughest decision in the world. Due to the kitchen having the most hardworking floors in your home, it is important to choose a flooring that can withstand all possible activities.

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are one of the most popular choices of flooring for kitchens. The innovation of vinyl tiles has made it one of the most sought-after floorings in recent years. Rising in popularity, luxury vinyl tiles are water, stain and scratch proof making it one of the most durable choices of flooring. LVT also comes in a wide range of colours and patterns which means you can achieve that hardwood flooring aesthetic without the frequent maintenance.

 

Bathrooms

The main question to consider when choosing flooring for your bathroom is, is it waterproof? Bathroom flooring will endure frequent splashes of water so solid wood flooring is out of the picture. The most compatible flooring for bathrooms is ceramic, LVT and engineered wood, this is due to their hardwearing, withstanding properties. They are all able to withstand water, however, LVT and ceramic flooring are waterproof so if you have children these two are the more appropriate options.

Bathrooms are one of the most common rooms to have installed underfloor heating as it is now more commonly a place used to relax and unwind, underfloor heating takes the chill off the cold flooring in the mornings. All ceramic, LVT and engineered wood flooring are suitable for underfloor heating.

 

Bedroom and Living Room

Bedrooms and Living Room spaces main goals are the aesthetic rather than the practicality. This means any type of flooring is perfect for the living room and bedroom spaces. In the past, carpets are frequently used for these rooms. Trends have now changed and achieving that hardwood floor in these rooms has become more popular.

Hardwood flooring creates and more traditional and classier feel to any room. One of the most popular styles in recent years is herringbone parquet flooring. The transition of shades through the plank pattern creates a beautiful and elegant feel to your room as well as making a big statement. Parquet flooring also looks good when accompanied by different styles of rugs, so you can still get that soft carpet feel without compromising your whole floor.

 

Hallway and Stairs

Your hallway and stairs will always see a large amount of foot traffic, this is hard to avoid as it is just a part of life! We recommend a durable flooring for hallways. If you’re looking to achieve a hardwood style, then Engineered or Solid wood is perfect for your hallway as they are both durable and have a high wear layer meaning they can be sanded down and refinished if needs be. If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper then Vinyl and Laminate are both also very durable and perfect for families that endure lots of spillages.

If you are looking to make a good first impression, parquet flooring is perfect for making a statement. Growing in popularity over the years, parquet flooring is often associated with elegancy and class whilst holding a traditional and rustic appearance.

 

Things to remember

We always recommend after any spillages to clean them up in a good amount of time. This will avoid any long-term damages to your flooring.

 

Have Your Say

What flooring do you have in your house? Share your thoughts down below!

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and discussions. We’re always finding new ways to improve our stock, so keep up to date!

The post What type of flooring is best for what room? appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

For many of us, flooring can be one of those larger expenses on the renovation list and keeping up with the latest trends and styles can add to the pressure of making sure we keep our house up to date and looking the part. 

 

To help you get the most bang for your buck, we’ve accumulated some of the latest flooring styles and how to achieve them when working with a budget. 

Flooring Styles

Patterns

 

Geometric, stripes, aztec; whatever you’re into, there’s a style to suit you. 

 

Bring those abstract patterns and designs to the foundations of your rooms, creating a stand-out feature in your home. 

 

This trend is becoming more and more popular, with a particular rise in the use in kitchens and bathrooms, and can be achieved at very friendly price points. 

 

Laminate is a great option when it comes to this design. It is now available in a host of styles and designs, including tile designs. On top of being a great practical addition to any home being highly durable and hard wearing as well as being easy to maintain.

 

Another flooring type suited to budgeting and this style is vinyl. Vinyl rolls offer a multitude of designs so there’s something to tickle everyone’s fancy. Whether it’s the antique tile effect, or the quirky mosaic. You can guarantee the diverse options delivered by vinyl will peak your interest. 

 

Not only is vinyl on the lower end of the scale when it comes to cost, it has an abundance of benefits including: home-wide suitability, durability and easy maintenance, so you really are getting more for your money. 

Price 

 

Laminate flooring is priced at around £8.74/m², so these benefits and amazing designs can be fulfilled at a reasonable price!

 

Where price is concerned, vinyl ranges start from around £8.99 /m², making it one of the cheaper flooring options on the market. It’s unique designs can allow you to achieve those high end looks, without shelling out. 

 

Rustic

 

Yes! You heard correctly, rustic is the new, well… New. 

 

Rustic interiors bring a unique and authentic beauty, utilising natural earthy tones and textures to your space. Some like to say rustic is a ‘rough around the edges’ look. We like to say it’s natural charm. 

Now we know you’re probably thinking that an authentic solid wood flooring is a great option to get this kind of outcome. And it would be.  

 

But remember, we’re shopping on a budget! So let’s look at more attractively-priced options to obtain a rustic vibe in your home. 

 

One option you could opt for is laminate. Laminate comes in an array of colours and styles, with some of those styles making a perfect fit for your rustic dream. 

When it comes to rustic, bringing the outdoors in, is what will achieve you the best results. Look for those knots and grains that show the natural effects of the outdoors to gain a more genuine feel.

 

Price

 

Moving onto price, laminate is a great option for working with budgets whilst getting more for your money. 

 

Starting at around £8.74/m², offering homewide suitability (subject to AC rating), available in a range of colours and styles and is great in terms of durability, laminate flooring means you get a tonne of great benefits for a smaller price. 

 

Grey

 

Surely you’ve seen grey become a long standing trend that doesn’t seem to be shifting any time soon? Grey walls, grey doors, and not to forget grey floors. 

Where grey floors are concerned, the options are of the many. As this trend relies on simply sticking to a colour scheme, this gives you an easier job where choice is concerned. But whilst narrowing down a colour is easy, we need to focus on which of these options will bring the desired grey look without having to crack open the piggy bank.

One option with a more attractive price is laminate. Grey laminate is becoming a popular option, not only being desired because of a trend but it’s functionality too. 

 

Laminate is durable, so perfect for those high traffic areas, households with children and pets. Not only is this flooring great value for money, but everyone is happy!

 

Price

 

As previously mentioned for another flooring style, laminate starts at around £8.74/m², so where budgets needed to be reigned in, this flooring makes it easier to do so. 

 

Comfort

 

After some added comfort in your home? Why not introduce the more traditional neutral tones into your rooms. You know the ones we’re talking about. The beiges. The browns. The creams. Carpet is a great, and cost effective way to do so. 

 

These traditional, lighter tones create a neutral ground for you to change decor around them through time periods. One thing that always seems to stick are these types of carpets. They add comfort, give that blank canvas aspect because just about everything goes with them, and they look great!

Another option to consider if comfort is your desired outcome, is laying a wood flooring that can be installed as a floating floor with a thick underlay. 

 

EvoCore is a flooring options that will give exceptional warmth in your home, and coupled with a thick underlay, this will trap heat, as well as adding comfort underfoot. 

 

Price 

 

Starting from as little as £5.99/m², you can bring comfort, and this long term trend to your home.

 

Alternatively, EvoCore has multiple ranges starting from £34.99/m², with a range of styles, colours, and designs to suit. There is something for everyone!

 

Stone and Tile 

 

The final trend we’ll look at is stone and tile. This trend is another long term trend that saw a phasing out, and is seeing a comeback. 

 

This trend is a desired look in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways, and we have the perfect flooring to suit. EvoCore.  

 

 

In particular the EvoCore 360 range and the EvoCore Premium range, with the offering of tile designs to fit! 

 

Considering kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways are popular areas for this flooring style, EvoCore makes both a perfect style and practicality choice. 

 

These are all high traffic areas of the home, and need the flooring to support it. 

 

EvoCore 360 offers an array of benefits to suit these needs. From the desired tile design, with the ability to mix and match colours and styles thanks to a 360 omni-click system, to being waterproof, suitable for any room of the home, and highly durable. To name a few. 

The EvoCore Premium range, available in tiled design, is another option when looking to achieve a stone or tile look. 

 

• Waterproof
• Petproof
• Childproof
• Scratch resistant
• Built-in underlay
• Quick and ebay installation 

 

There are just some of the benefits of EvoCore Premium, and why you should choose it as the foundations of your home. 

 

Price 

 

EvoCore 360 tile ranges start from £38.99/m², and Premium starts from £44.99/m². 

 

The EvoCore tile ranges work as an alternative for ceramic tile, and whilst these prices are around a similar cost, the EvoCore ranges bring a whole lot more to the table for the price you pay.

 

Ceramic tile is installed with grout between each tile which can be hard to clean, whereas EvoCore is easy to maintain. Additionally, replacing damaged tiles can be difficult due to the way they are installed. EvoCore on the other hand is highly durable and easy to replace. 

 

With these benefits in mind, with EvoCore you’re getting more for your money!

 

Top Tips for Flooring Styles on a Budget

 

Throughout this article we’ve given some handy tips on how to shop smart when it comes to flooring. But let’s go over them in more detail to ensure you’re armed with as many tips and knowledge possible to keep your budget down and your savings up!

 

Sales and Promotions

 

Sales and promotions are when stores offer products are reduced prices for a period of time, making products more accessible to more people. 

These types of offers are not limited to any specific industry meaning you have a great chance of coming across events such as these when looking for your flooring. 

 

There are typical sales you can look out for, often seasonal or bank holiday sales. These are times you can expect to see reductions in prices. However, some stores run general events that you can keep an eye out for to get the most for your money when purchasing your flooring. 

 

Sales can usually be accessed in stores and online. Look out for “Sales” and “Special Offer” buttons on websites, usually found in the navigation bars.

 

Remnants and Roll Ends

 

The genesis of vinyl and carpet is from a roll. They’re then cut to size depending on the needs of a customer. As the roll gets closer to the end, the roll size is reduced to a size in which there is no sense in continuing to cut as is usually near enough standard room size. 

 

These roll ends are usually sold at a cheaper price as they come in a standard size and are usually enough to cover either one room or enough to cover one room with some excess. 

 

So to save a few pounds, especially in those smaller rooms of the home, look for remnants when purchasing carpet and vinyls.

 

Price matching

 

In some cases, stores can sell the same product. It happens. However, when shopping around, some stores will offer you a price match option if you buy the flooring from them. And in even better cases, some stores will offer you a price match plus the offering of some more discount. I.e. Here at Direct Wood Flooring, we pride ourselves in selling unique flooring, though should the same flooring be sold elsewhere, our price match offering is price match plus 10%.

 

This is something you should look out for should take advantage of when shopping on a budget and doing your research! When looking around for the best flooring for the best prices, make note of places that sell the same flooring and see what their price match policy is. 

 

Finance

 

Finance options are another way to budget. However, this is something you should only consider if you are in the financial position to do so. If you are renovating your home and think at that given time a larger chunk of money would be better spent elsewhere, there are stores that will allow you to spread the cost with a finance agreement. 

 

Underlay 

 

Another cost saving option is underlay. You may be thinking that this is another thing you’re going to have to pay for, and it is. However, you’ll be pleased to know that whilst underlay is an added expense now, it could potentially save you more money in the long run. 

 

Underlay protects the longevity of your flooring, prolonging the lifespan, meaning less chance of having to replace your flooring prematurely from unsupported foundations. 

 

Another money saving factor of underlay is that it is great for heating insulation. This means those heating bills can be reduced as you won’t need the heating on for as long, or not at all. 

 

Underlay also offers a host of other practical and personal benefits such as: added comfort and helps with noise reduction.

 

Save. Save. And Save.

 

Now you’ve had some of the best tips and tricks in the book when it comes to flooring styles, so it’s time to action them and put your budgeting smarts to use. 

 

Should you have any questions regarding any of the flooring styles, or tips above, contact one of our flooring experts now, and they’ll be happy to assist.

The post 5 Flooring Styles that Look the Part Without Breaking the Bank appeared first on Direct Wood Flooring Blog.

Summer might be over, but it’s time to make room for the best season of the year… Autumn! Dust off that winter coat, indulge in a hot chocolate and get cosy in front of the TV ready to binge that new series on Netflix.

 

As seasons change, so do the trends. We’re here to make sure you get ahead of the trends and get your home ready for the best time of the year. Here are some of our favourite Autumn trends that are here to stay!

 

Stripped-back Simplicity

As the weather outside starts to get colder, the colours inside begin to get warmer. Throw that colour wheel away this season, strip back the colour and embrace those warm neutral tones. From beige to oatmeal, these warm tones are very on-trend and will provide any home with a timeless, clean and enduring ambience. Choosing a neutral base colour gives you endless opportunities to add a splash of colour to your home through throws, cushions and rugs.

 

If you feel yourself slowly gravitating towards the idea of installing more neutral flooring, then there are many options out there for you. One of the most popular flooring patterns at the moment is parquet flooring. The parquet style planks blend together beautifully to create a timeless and classy feel which goes perfectly with neutral tones.

 

Cosy Countryside

The words cosy and autumn go hand in hand, and this is what this trend is about. The classic country house style has been a favourite for many years, it’s now time to bring the traditional countryside home interior to you. Whether you live in a big city or out in the country this trend is here to stay.

 

The go to colour for this theme is sage. The earthy green and brown tones work together with the rustic and traditional styles of a country house interior, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking to upgrade your boring bedroom, transform your bathroom or give your kitchen an accent wall.

 

It’s no secret that country houses are commonly linked with beautiful and authentic real wood flooring. There is nothing better than a traditional look and we have a huge range for you to choose from. When trying to achieve this look we recommend Solid Wood Flooring or Engineered Wood. 

 

Back in Black

In contrast to our previous trends, this one is for those who are willing to step outside of their comfort zone. Black flooring is a bit like marmite, you either love it or you hate it, and we love it! In recent years black flooring has become more desirable and has been named one of the most stylish flooring trends of 2020, this is because black flooring exudes luxury and class.

 

Black flooring can come in a range of flooring materials from vinyl tiles, solid wood, laminate and engineered. The flooring has a stain that can be added to any range of your choice. When choosing your black flooring we recommend choosing luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). LVT flooring comes with a beautifully textured finish that emulates hardwood flooring without the stress of the upkeep meaning you can have a good-as-new flooring all year round, who wouldn’t want that?

 

Have your say

Which one is your favourite trend? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and discussions. We’re always finding new ways to improve our stock, so keep up to date!

 

 

The post Unique Trends To Look Out For In Autumn Trends 2020 appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

Flooring isn’t just there to look pretty; it also serves a number of practical and money saving purposes too. With autumn closing in on us, many of you might be wondering how you can reduce the cost of your heating bills. What if we told you that you can actually save money on your heating bills by being tactful with your flooring choice.

It’s fun spending money on fancy furniture, lavish holidays and snazzy cars but less so seeing your money go down the drain in bills, especially heating at they tend to be the biggest money guzzlers! Most of us typically associated carpet with being warm and insulating in nature, but there are other options that can be just as good if not better.

How Can Wood Flooring Save You Money & Energy

Although wood floors can be mistaken for being cold and hard, wood is actually brilliant at trapping heat, making it a great insulator and keeping your home warmer for longer.

Although carpets are soft under foot, homely and warm it ends up being a much more short-term solution. It doesn’t tend to last as long as alternatives such as wood, laminate and luxury vinyl tiles as carpet is more likely to show wear after a few years.

However, when we look at wood, in comparison to carpet wood is far more durable and will last for many years after installation even with heavy use. The heat circulation is the best feature however – you’ll almost certainly notice a difference in your heating bills!

When it comes to specific types of wood, engineered is your best bet. It is much more affordable than solid due to the nature of the plank construction, which also means it’s better at absorbing heat. Not only will this retain heat and therefore keeping your bills down, but this also means it is compatible with under-floor heating which is cheaper to run than traditional radiators.

Even though wood flooring can have a considerably high price tag than alternatives, due to its energy efficiency it’ll help increase the selling value of your home, meaning it can often end up paying for itself – lasting a lifetime if cared for properly! Even if you’ve just moved into your home with no intention of selling it in the near future, it is worth considering giving yourself the best chance as possible when it is time to move on.

Under floor heating is something we’re seeing more and more of in modern homes, so investing in it will not only save money on your heating bills but also contribute to your home’s overall selling value.

Have Your Say

Do you have any knowledge to share with us on ? Let us know in the comments below!

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and discussions. We’re always finding new ways to improve our stock, so keep up to date!

The post Flooring to Cut Down On Your Energy Bills appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk