There’s no place like home, and most of the time the kitchen is considered the very heart of it. Naturally, we want it to be stylish as well as practical and flooring is a good place to start. The kitchen is going to come under a lot of tests and stresses, so our choice of flooring becomes very important when looking at this room.
Anytime we host a gathering, everyone seems to congregate in the kitchen. The kids and the pets love it and it’s where we all enjoy our evening meal at the end of a busy day. With this being said, something tough and practical is usually at the top of our lists when it comes to flooring – but there’s no reason style has to be sacrificed. In the modern flooring world, there’ are plenty of materials known for both practicality and beauty.
So, how do we decide upon the best one for our kitchen?
Consider the overall look
The flooring for your kitchen needs to complement all sorts of things such as cabinets, worktops, appliances, table, chairs and whatever else you might have in your kitchen. So, to make sure you’re coordinating, go for materials with the same finish, like matt or gloss. Also, choose a material that can be used for both the worktops and floors, like walnut.
Whatever you go for, remember to bear in mind that kitchens are a long-term investment. Choose something durable you know you’ll love and you’re not going to tire of in five years’ time.
Maintenance
Some floors are easier to keep clean than others, while some don’t stain or scratch as easily. With your floor being prone to spillages, sweeping and mopping, you need to find a material that’ll make your life as easy as possible.
With this being said, laminate and Luxury Vinyl Tiles are the top contenders. Both are very easy to keep clean using only a sweeping brush and a mop with a bucket of warm soapy water. When it comes to resistance against stains, scratches and water, LVT comes out on top with it being fully proofed against this kind of wear-and-tear. Although laminate is only resistant against scratches, it’s still a good choice when it comes to maintenance.
Where engineered and solid wood are concerned, upkeep is a little more complicated. These materials don’t fare well when they come into contact with water and are likely to stain and scratch, as well as requiring specialist cleaning products. So, when it comes to maintenance, LVT and laminate win and wood flooring comes in second place.
Durability
Durability is something we look for in every room in our home, not just the kitchen. However, with the kitchen being one of the most used rooms in our home, with constant footfall, we want peace of mind that it’s going to last. Wood flooring is the most durable and will last a lifetime, often even outliving the person who laid it! However, you aren’t sacrificing durability with laminate and LVT, with both options capable of remaining in good quality for a long time.
All in all, when it comes to choosing the right flooring for your kitchen, it really depends on what factors are most important to you. Although wood flooring looks beautiful and lasts a generation, the fact that it’s no good when it comes into contact with an abundance of water doesn’t make it the most sensible choice for the kitchen. Therefore, many regard laminate and LVT as the best options for kitchens, with their practicality and maintenance qualities being too good to turn down.
What factors would you consider when choosing new kitchen flooring? Comment below to share your advice with fellow readers.
Re-designing your kitchen? Don’t miss out on these articles:
- Renovate Your Kitchen In Style (Without Breaking the Bank)
- How to Modernise Your Kitchen
- How to Blend Your Kitchen and Garden into a Relaxing Living Space