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FLOORING Experts take to the floor to talk wood, carpets, rugs and vinyl
by MediaClash
Steve White suggests wool carpets in busier areas will show less wear and be easy to maintain
FLOOR SHOW
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Often it’s neglected and walked all over, but here our experts take to the fl oor and help us look down By John Mather
Vanessa Garrett believes a parquet fl oor is a timeless classic that works in almost any space and style
Floors are often overlooked or considered a minor supporting act in any redecoration plans we might have for our homes. Yet fl ooring has the power to make or break a room – it can add space, an identity, create impact, and help shape and complement your eventual design choice. We ask our local interior professionals to share their fl ooring expertise
START AT THE BOTTOM “Too often forgotten, fl ooring is the foundation of any design scheme,” says Vanessa Garrett, founding director of Broadleaf Bath, “If the fl oor doesn’t look good, it will have a negative impact on the way the rest of the room looks. If it does look good though, it will lift everything else in the room. The fl ooring will almost certainly be the thing you change least often, and will probably take more wear than anything else in the room, so it needs to be versatile and hardwearing. It also needs to feel good underfoot.
Tile & Floor Bath sales manager, Tom Weaver, agrees, “Floors are often the largest investment in a new design scheme. Changing them can make a huge impact but making the right choices about the mix of materials and how they are laid, their practicality for daily life, and the natural light in the room, is key.
“Add to this assessing the best heating system, adhesives, grouts and sealants and it can all feel quite daunting. However, putting the time in to researching the best options will pay dividends and ensure your fl oor looks and feels lovely for years.”
MAKE ROOM There is no blanket answer for covering your house in one type of flooring, as Tom points out, “Options will vary from room to room. In a kitchen or hall, for example, practicality, ease of cleaning and cohesion with the overall style of the furniture will be key, whereas a less frequently used sitting room can be made warm and cosy with a beautiful wool or coir carpet.
“Whatever the case, it’s important to complement and contrast flooring with other features within the room, such as furniture, paint colours and textures. Natural stone and wood effect products add texture and character. Heat source is also an important consideration – rooms with underfloor heating will radiate warmth through stone or porcelain tiles, whereas rooms with no underfloor heating will benefit from a warmer material such as engineered oak, a luxury vinyl tile or carpet.” FLOOR SPACE While use of floor materials may vary room to room, there are some simple tricks that can be used to maximise space and light throughout. For example, “If you want to open up your space, then it’s best to choose a floor that’s lighter in colour,” says Kayleigh Murphy, showroom manager of Boniti. “Light floors are excellent at creating the feel of a larger space, whilst also offering light bouncing qualities. We’ve also noticed a growing trend with customers using larger formats – bigger tiles or wider planks – in order to create the effect of a larger space. Large formats not only fill up the space, but also create fewer joints, meaning they are less of a target for dirt and dust.“
Tom Weaver advises floors are often the largest investment in a new design scheme If you want to open up your space, then it’s best to choose a floor that’s light in colour says Kayleigh Murphy
WOOD YOU? There’s no denying the beauty of wood floor but what path do we follow – new, old, treated, reclaimed? Vanessa advises, “Reclaimed wood, expertly installed, can create a truly beautiful floor, but it is a labour of love, and certainly not a cost saving option.
“It can also be difficult to trace the provenance of reclaimed boards, to know what they have been in contact with, and to source the right quantity for a project, as they are often sold in job lots. As long as it is sustainably sourced, new wood flooring is an equally environmentally conscious choice.”
TREND STEPPERS Are floors subject to fashions the way other décor might be? Kayleigh thinks not, “More often than not, customers try and choose options which are in keeping with the age of the property. As many of our clients live in or around Bath, which is rich with history, we regularly help them choose flooring options which look older and more weathered. This could be reclaimed flooring ranging from worn, reclaimed York stone or distressed and reclaimed barn oak.”
Vanessa believes, when it comes to wood, there is one particular style that will never date. “Parquet is a pattern that is utterly classic and timeless, and one which adapts to almost any space and style. Wood tones, from light to dark, are also wonderfully versatile, and will blend easily to a wide range of colour schemes and styles of décor over time.”
oak fl ooring – carpets – luxury vinyl
5 Chelsea Road, Bath BA1 3DU www.interiorharmony.co.uk
Showroom in Chelsea Road, Bath
01225 483818 info@interiorharmony.co.uk
A large rug will connect the arrangement of seating says Sarah Latham
MAGIC CARPETS There are also numerous benefits to carpet as Steve White, director of Bath Contract Flooring, and Bath Carpets and Flooring, explains, “You can’t beat the insulation properties of a carpet, both heat and sound are improved with a carpet. Softer polyester Saxony carpets are very popular at present for bedrooms, they are deeper, softer and more luxurious to sink your toes into.
“Use wool carpets and luxury vinyl tiles for heavier trafficked areas as these will show less wear and be easy to maintain. While stripes are as popular as ever on staircases, we are now seeing a lot more plaids and designs being used to lift rooms where feature walls are not available. Also wool loop carpets have also grown in popularity as the mix of textures brings lots of character to any room in the house.” IT’S THE VINYL COUNTDOWN Tom suggests that people also consider vinyl – while it might not be considered as glamorous as its natural counterparts, it has many assets. “It’s possible to create the illusion of real wood, stone and porcelain with high quality vinyl flooring,” explains Tom. “Classic or contemporary, this warm, hygienic and easy to clean flooring provides heat insulation, impact and slip resistance and is ideal for high traffic areas. It is also straightforward to install and comes in a vast array of finishes, formats and colours so is well worth considering.” IT’S A MATERIAL THING “Texture is equally important as colour within a scheme and can create the layers needed for a room to feel warm and inviting,” says John Law, creative director at Woodhouse & Law. “Adding a rug to a hard timber or stone floor can really soften a space, as well as help anchoring furniture. This is particularly important in large open-plan living spaces where you still wish to create a sense of intimacy.
Selection of tiles available from Tile & Floor
“Many patterned rugs can act like art on your floors, transforming very popular in Georgian times, but used frequently in contemporary a space with an injection of colour and pattern. Companies such as product design as well.” The Rug Company and Knotts Rugs have a wonderful selection of designs and can even custom colour to your exact requirements. This is FLAWLESS FLOORS a great service when you need to carefully coordinate the pieces within Those floors are going to be with you for a while to come so it makes a lot a scheme.” of sense to consider maintenance, as Kayleigh says, “Looking after your
Sarah Latham, the Etons of Bath founder and creative director, agrees, floor shouldn’t be a headache or a hassle, so make sure you find out about “We are big on rugs. Framed by a border of beautiful floorboards, a large the cleaning and maintenance of the product you’re interested in before rug will connect the arrangement of seating, improve going ahead with your purchase. acoustics and provide a sense of luxury that cannot be “Some products like natural stone or achieved by fitted carpet. They are a luxury item and timber floors will require maintenance on a can be made in bespoke sizes and colours to exactly semi regular basis (every few years), whereas complement your space and the rest of the room scheme. products like porcelain will require hardly any
“We have our own range of hand tufted and hand maintenance at all. It’s also good to find out knotted rugs that are all tailorable in this way. Our what your cleaning routine should be with your designs are all hand made in India by the best in the new floor, as often manufacturers will design industry. If you’re looking to make a real statement one cleaning products with your floor in mind.” of our rug designs is based on the iconic pineapple, John also stresses the importance of considering the practicalities of aftercare, “Practicality is vital as it’s pointless investing in a new flooring material if it simply doesn’t
MEET THE FLOOR stand up to the job. For example, in a boot
MANAGERS room or hall that needs to withstand the traffic of modern family life, then you may wish 1. Steve White, director of Bath Contract to consider a porcelain material. Porcelain
Flooring Ltd and Bath Carpets and Flooring, 4 Kingsmead Street, Bath. tel: 01225 471888; www.bathcontractflooring.co.uk / www.carpetsandflooringbath.co.uk 2. Kayleigh Murphy, showroom manager at is easier to clean and maintain than many other materials and will tolerate anti-bacterial cleaning products. Which, as we all know, has become increasingly important of late.” n
Boniti, Dunsdon Barn, Nr Bath. tel: 01225 892200; www.boniti.com 3. Vanessa Garrett, founding director of Broadleaf Bath, 134-136 Walcot Street, Bath. Room design by Woodhouse & Law; above: One of Etons of Bath’s pineapple tel: 01225 463 464; www.broadleaftimber.com rugs, a motif popular in Georgian times 4. Sarah Latham, founder and creative director of Etons of Bath, 108 Walcot Street, Bath. tel: 01225 639002; www.etonsofbath.com 5. Sales manager Tom Weaver at Tile & Floor
Bath, One Mile End, London Road, Bath. tel: 01225 310561; www.tileandfloor.co.uk 6. John Law, creative director of Woodhouse and Law, 4 Georges Place, Bath. tel: 01225 428 072; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk
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