You don’t have to be an interior designer to decorate your home in a way that suits both your sense of style and your lifestyle. Hiring an interior designer can be useful, but if your budget doesn’t allow for that there’s only one rule to follow… there are no rules! With so many misconceptions about the “right” way to decorate your home, we’re taking a look at some common flooring myths and giving you the facts.
Myth: A dark floor will make a room look smaller
Fact: It’s not the tone you choose, but how you lay the floor that will impact how big or small the room is perceived to be. Lay planks or tiles along the length of the room to elongate a space and across to widen. A 45-degree angle, herringbone or chevron pattern can also create the illusion of a larger interior.
Myth: Carpet is the best type of flooring for bedrooms
Fact: Many homeowners gravitate towards carpet for bedrooms because of the belief that other flooring types will be cold and hard underfoot. Some natural materials like ceramic will be colder to walk on, but you certainly aren’t limited to carpet in the bedroom. Karndean luxury vinyl floors are softer and warmer underfoot than natural materials and they’re also compatible with underfloor heating. Choosing designs with warm shades or earthy tones will also create a warm atmosphere in the bedroom, which when combined with bed linen and soft furnishings can produce every bit as cosy an environment as carpeted rooms.
If you have an ensuite shower or bathroom then luxury vinyl flooring is an ideal solution for both the bathroom and bedroom as it’s waterproof and can be easily cleaned. Use the same design flooring to continue the flow from one room to the other, or different but complementary styles to separate off the two areas.
Myth: A stone or tiled floor is better for kitchens and bathrooms
Fact: This misconception has developed mainly due to the need for waterproof floors in these spaces. A downside to natural wood flooring is that it swells and cracks when exposed to standing water, which is why tiles became the norm in kitchens and bathrooms. Advances in flooring technology, as well as current style trends, mean that wood style floors have become a serious alternative to stone. The wide choice of designs now means it is easy to coordinate your flooring to complement cabinets, worktops and other furniture in these rooms. With Karndean Designflooring, you can get a beautiful realistic wood-look floor in a variety of designs including oak, beech and native Australian species such as spotted gum, ironbark and blackbutt. All Karndean floors, whether wood or stone in style, are waterproof, durable and easy to clean!
Honey Ironbark LLP325 and Natural Blackbutt RKP8121
Myth: In an open-plan layout, floor should be laid the same way throughout the entire space
Fact: This comes down to the type of floor you choose for the space. For example, with hardwood it is recommended that the planks be laid perpendicular to floor joists for a secure installation. Other types of flooring come in sheets, so you don’t have much control over the layout.
Our gluedown and loose lay products are available in individual planks and tiles and are multi-directional, meaning they can be laid in any direction. Because of this, certain areas can be sectioned by laying the planks or tiles in a different pattern or direction. Create zones for areas with specific functions such as a dining table or kitchen island.
While these guidelines are useful to keep in mind, as we mentioned before there are no definite rules. If you’ve chosen a Karndean Designfloor for your next project, we highly recommend working with your retailer or designer to choose the floor that best complements your style and the layout of your home
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