Flooring is the foundation of any room, and it is important to choose wisely, as good quality flooring should last for many years before needing to be replaced.
With so many different types, colours, and materials to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. Most people want a floor which exudes style and quality, but is also cost effective and durable. It’s important, too, to think about how your flooring will work with the rest of your interior design choices.
You might even wish to consider how you can incorporate some of the latest flooring trends into your home!
We spoke to Leigh Price, Co-Director of Real Stone, Tile & Bathroom to get his insight into the latest on-trend flooring options.
Large Format Tiles
Large format tiles have grown hugely in popularity in recent years, and are great for creating that seamless look. With minimal grout lines, bigger tiles contribute to the feel of an open, uninterrupted expanse, and cleverly create the illusion of more space. If you are working with a smaller room, I would definitely recommend considering this option!
Top tip – try to match your grout colour as closely as you possibly can with your tiles; the less visible your grout is, the more your flooring will appear as one big continuous surface.
Kerakoll recently expanded their offering to include 50 colours of grout, which are all available at Real Stone, Tile & Bathroom, so now there really is a grout colour for every tile!
Bringing the Outside In
Indoor outdoor tiles are another popular trend, that really help you make the most of your living space, due to their ability to open up a home and create a seamless transition from inside to out. It doesn’t matter if you have a small garden, a small roof terrace or a large sprawling garden, using the same gorgeous tiled flooring throughout creates a desirable, modern aesthetic and truly expands your living space outwards.
There are many different indoor outdoor tiles to choose from to suit your needs. Flaviker, for example, have a stunning outdoor tile range called the X20 collection, which are 20 mm thick outdoor porcelain paving tiles, inspired by the materials from Flaviker’s other popular ranges. Personally, I think these tiles are a great choice as they are resistant to high load and stress, and can withstand the most severe atmospheric conditions.
X20 is ideal for use in heavy foot traffic areas including gardens, terraces, balconies, and swimming pool surrounds.
Porcelain Wood-Effect Tiles
Due to their incredible functionality and durability, porcelain tiles have long been a popular flooring choice. Boasting many benefits, porcelain tiles are highly resistant to wear and tear, are great for high traffic areas, and are super easy to look after. Also, unlike ceramic, porcelain is classed as impervious, meaning it is extremely water resistant which makes it a great flooring choice for bathrooms or kitchens.
Available in so many different colours, shapes, and sizes, you can now even get highly realistic wood-effect porcelain tiles for a beautiful, long-lasting flooring option.
Many of my customers love the low maintenance of this new style; there is no need to varnish, seal or treat porcelain tiles, and there is no danger of the colour fading or warping, which can be a worry with real wooden floors.
Flaviker has a beautiful wood-effect porcelain tile collection, which presents a fantastic imitation of wood without the impracticalities and limitations of the real thing. Whilst wood is susceptible to water and stains, wood-effect tiles repel moisture and debris, and any grime or stains can be easily wiped away. Porcelain will not swell or shrink in warm or cold weather, making the practical nature of wood-effect tiles the ideal long-term choice for homeowners. Perfect for bringing warmth into a room, wood-effect flooring is, in my opinion, very versatile as it pairs perfectly with fittings and fixtures of any colour.
Bold & Bright
More and more of my customers wanting to achieve maximum impact are bringing green and blue tones into their home, which are very on-trend at the moment. Too much strong colour can be overwhelming though, so we often see people opting for a bright feature floor or feature wall, paired with more muted tones throughout the rest of the room.
The Rebel Emerald porcelain tile, which really stands out for its visually striking aesthetic with a stylish, oxidised metal appearance, is a great option for those wanting to go bolder with their interior choices. However, if you prefer a more subtle incorporation of colour, there are plenty of options to choose from such as neutral toned marble floor tiles enhanced with rich, colourful veins of varying hues. Marble is an age-old classic which guarantees a glamorous and sophisticated effect when introduced to any room of the home, and with lots of incredibly realistic marble-effect tiles on the market, there are options for every budget.
Dulux’s 2022 Colour of the Year is Bright Skies, and we are definitely seeing this invigorating, light and airy shade cropping up a lot this year. Said to bring a breath of fresh air, this palette introduces brightness and will certainly inspire interior decorating dreams! This beautiful sky-blue shade is also soft enough to be used in patterned floor tiles, without appearing too busy.
For more information about Real Stone, Tile & Bathroom or to get advice on choosing the right flooring for your home, visit https://realstoneandtile.co.uk/