HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR NEW FLOOR From sisal to

SOUND ADVICE: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR NEW FLOOR

HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? As we embrace a spectrum of styles, five top Bath flooring specialists share some tips (FLOOR FLOOR FLOOR)

Virtuoso Flooring recently put in impressive new floors at Theela House, a handsome property for sale on St Stephen’s Road

Ever since we all decided – the most recent time – that natural is in, we’ve seen a huge renaissance in reclaimed oak planks and interesting porcelain tiles, often with the odd deliberate imperfection, used in our houses and hotels, in our flats and our offices and our stores. This being the case, we decided to ask some local experts about how we can best introduce these looks to our lives… suppliers to come up with such realistic porcelain tiles, it’s hard to differentiate them from the real thing. The indoor-outdoor porcelain tile trend is particularly huge, with people wanting to create a seamless floor that runs from the inside of a home to the outside. Many of our porcelains are available at 10mm thick for inside, and exactly the same format and finish in 20mm for outdoors. Maintenance is minimal, as they’re so hard wearing.”

NATURAL STONE IS ALWAYS IN “You can’t beat the timeless, inherent beauty it offers,” says Louisa Morgan of Mandarin Stone. “I never get tired of my limestone floor, with so much natural variation it adds interest underfoot.” INDEED, IMPERFECTIONS ARE UNLIKELY TO GO OUT OF TREND “For me, it’s simply because we’re surrounded by so much history, tradition and amazing architecture,” says Katya Maiseyeva of Oriental Rugs of Bath. “If you look at all the stone work just driving down a country road, none of it is perfect but it all says, ‘I am handmade’. And this is the true value. I guess the appeal of imperfections is that we are all imperfect, and so is everything around us, so it’s easy to forgive natural imperfections that add charm.” PORCELAIN IS THE GREAT PRETENDER These days, porcelain tiles can replicate other materials too. “You can have wood effect, concrete or metal, but probably the most popular are those tiles that mimic natural stone,” says Louisa. “Recently we’ve introduced more antique stones that offer worn edges and surfaces, creating a truly antique looking floor. Huge advances in image technology now allow our predominantly Italian and Spanish AND VINYL TILES ARE GREAT TOO “We’ve seen a big increase in their installation – we specialise Karndean, a really luxury version – which are perfect for both domestic and commercial use,” says Steve White of Bath Contract Flooring. “Individual tiles or planks are fully adhered to prepared sub floors, so come with large guarantees, and when we extend our showrooms over two floors in the spring, it will be partly to introduce a large Karndean display area. We often pair these floors with rugs, to soften things up and add a spot of colour.” PEOPLE ARE GETTING BRAVER IN THEIR USE OF COLOUR “They’re moving slightly away from greys and opting for warmer, more earthy tones to provide a neutral flooring backdrop,” says Louisa. “And they’re experimenting with pattern in smaller spaces, such as bathrooms and hallways. Terrazzo is definitely growing in popularity, patterned geometric tiles are in, and I think we will see more timeless monochrome flooring in 2020 too.” KILIMS ARE HAVING A MOMENT “These are flat-woven Persian-style rugs, and they make a room cosier while still showing a lot of the floor,” says Katya. “Recently we’ve have been selling a lot of subtle, vegetable dyed Afghan kilims, with their soft natural colours, as well as the Persian versions – also called shiraz – which “The appeal of imperfections is that we are all imperfect too”

An intriguing woven hallway pattern from Bath Contract Flooring

are bolder. Then there are Indian gabbehs, with their thicker pile giving a real feeling of warmth.”

BLACK AND WHITE TILES ARE VERY MUCH IN “People love these, as well as hexagon-shaped tiles and anything Victorian looking,” says Katya. “Such bold looks are best in hallways, entrances, bathrooms and even some outside areas, while quieter colours and patterns are better in kitchens and bigger areas. Some people like to show off a rug and have it in the centre of the room, while others prefer to create separate cozy areas with rugs, sofas and side tables – but, of course, it depends on the size and shape of the room.”

POLISHED CONCRETE IS GAINING GROUND “It’s definitely something younger people want to try,” says Katya. “You get flat, level new floors that flow from one room into another, so the whole house almost feels like one space. The downside is that, without breaking it up with any floor dressing, it can look a bit bare and cold.”

SISAL IS BACK “We’ve noticed a big increase in requests for sustainable, environmentally friendly products,” says Steve. “We’ve an underlay made from recycled plastic bottles, and we’re getting more requests for natural products such as sisal, sea grass and jute, and sustainable flooring such as bamboo and rubber. Nylon is also a popular option for people wanting soft luxury carpets.”

OFFICE FIT-OUTS ARE OFTEN MORE CREATIVE THAN ANYTHING IN THE HOME “Most flooring in Bath residential areas is rather conventional, with runners and stripy or geometric carpeting on the stairs tending to be the most daring designs you’ll see,” says Steve. “But at the same time there’s been a huge shift towards making the workplace a more inspiring environment, and we offer some very creative carpet tile ranges that actually appear to bring the natural environment inside. We’re actually laying a rural path in these tiles in a corridor in Bristol right now!”

AFGHAN RUGS ARE COLOURFUL – AND THIN! “Kazaks, chobies, ersaries – they’re all so cheerful and luxurious feeling, but thin enough for you not to really notice them under your feet,” says Katya. “They really lift up a space, acting as either the centre piece of the room, or a quiet addition that will hold all the furniture, fabrics and decorations together.” LUXURY VINYL IS NO OXYMORON “In fact, it’s leading the way as a hard wood flooring or tile alternative,” says Steve McLay of Virtuoso Flooring. “Moduleo and Karndean are the big players for us in this market, with more emphasis on laying patterns, such as parquet and herringbone.” HARDWOOD’S STILL A GREAT OPTION “Hardwood planks are easy to refinish – so you can change their colour after five years if you want to – and right now there’s a particular demand for the reclaimed stuff,” says Mark Hawkins of Tile & Flooring Bath. “The current trend for hardwood flooring falls into two main categories: rustic, reclaimed-style products in dark colours, or more contemporary projects in cool greys, with wide planks in matt and satin finishes. Herringbone is still a popular option, and chevron-style wooden floors too, but we feel they’ve both probably peaked.” MULTI-SIZE TILES ARE LOOKING A LITTLE DATED “With natural stone and porcelains, anything like this – and anything laid with “Bold looks are best in hallways, entrances, bathrooms and outside”

This beautiful hardwood look from Tile & Flooring Bath will look good whatever the light is doing

wide grout joints too – is already considered a little old hat,” says Mark. “I’d recommend against using ‘sunburst’ colours – such as reds and yellows – too, as they’re so difficult to decorate with.” BIGGER IS BETTER “Large format porcelain tiles are particularly impressive, both in marble and stone effects,” says Mark. “A 60x60cm tile – considered to be huge just a couple of years ago – is today dwarfed by the sheets of porcelain we now offer in 160x160cm, 120x240cm and even 160x320cm sizes.” SOME PEOPLE LOVE BAMBOO “It’s an interesting product, so quick to regenerate but of questionable durability,” says Mark. “It dents and scratches so easily. We’re constantly looking for ways to lessen our environmental impact, though, and one is through partnering with Kerakoll for our adhesive and grouts: this is often a forgotten requirement within a flooring project, and their eco-philosophy is unparalleled.” to another, or take them with you when moving. (Once you love a rug, it seems to follow you everywhere you go – and some last for generations!)”

And for Steve at Bath Contract Flooring, carpets never totally went out of style. “With something like Berber natural loop carpets, there are so many designs available now,” he says, “with modern machines mixing high and low level loops to increase the possibilities. The materials have changed over the years, with more manmade fibres being introduced to the market, but our biggest sellers are still wool mix carpets, which offer warmth and strength and, when fitted with a quality underlay, will really stand the test of time.” n “Pale greys, lilacs and other natural tones are especially popular”

YOU HAVE BEEN READING Bath Contract Flooring www.bathcontractflooring.co.uk

FINALLY (AND INEVITABLY) THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON FITTED CARPETS “They only really remain popular in bedrooms, thanks to our climate,” says Mark, “though carpet stair runners are increasing in popularity, as hard flooring here can be noisy and slippery – especially for pets!”

Katya, meanwhile, has been seeing carpets in other application too, and especially in hotel re-designs. “The style, though, is often notably abstract, allowing more ‘air’ into the room,” she says. “Pale greys, lilacs, and other natural tones – plus deeper greens and turquoise colours – are especially popular. The problem with them – unfortunately – is that they don’t last as long as some other flooring options, and unlike handmade traditional rugs, you can’t move them around from one room Mandarin Stone www.mandarinstone.com

Oriental Rugs of Bath www.orientalrugsofbath.com

Tile & Flooring Bath www.tileandflooring.co.uk

Virtuoso Flooring www.virtuosoflooringandcarpetbath.co.uk