What is the best flooring for living rooms?

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From vinyl to laminate to carpet, there are so many options when it comes to choosing living room flooring, and our handy guide will help make it easier to find the best flooring for your living room.

What is the best flooring for my living room?

The best floor for your living room will need to fit these three categories:

Suits your current decor
Functions for a high or medium traffic area
Fits into your budget

It might be a good idea to consider your living room flooring ideas together with your decor and furniture - how do you want it to work in the space? Do you want it to be hard or soft underfoot, absorb noise, cater for pets, last for a very long time? If you’re unsure what direction to go in, why not book one of our handy free home visits to have a Tapi expert help you out. Our handy guide on 'What type of flooring suits your decor?' can also help you here.

Could there be a risk of spills or other accidents? If so, it might be worth thinking about laminate or vinyl flooring to replace your current living room floor, because it is amazingly easy to maintain and keep clean. Different flooring types can vary in cost, and ensuring that there are no unexpected fees will make the entire process a lot easier. You can book an appointment at one of our Tapi stores to talk to one of our flooring experts for a better idea about costs.

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Carpet

Carpet is designed to provide warmth, comfort and softness underfoot, and is always an excellent choice for living room flooring. It’s a great sound absorber and can even hide uneven floors. Carpet works well in low traffic areas, such as living rooms, and is an effective way to make a strong style statement. For busy family homes and a low maintenance option, consider one of our stain-resistant designs.

Laminate

High up the list of flooring ideas for living rooms is laminate flooring. An attractive, durable, and cost-effective alternative to wood flooring, laminate comes in a variety of different styles and finishes to suit any style scheme. It can simulate the look of hardwood, stone, and tiles, it’s easy and quick to lay, and it’s suitable for use on most floor surfaces.

Vinyl and vinyl tiles

Vinyl and vinyl tiles are an excellent alternative to ceramic tiles. Vinyl comes in a huge variety of effects including hardwood, tiles, marble and stone, in a wide range of patterns and colours. Hard-wearing and affordable, it’s easy to lay and also to maintain. A cushioned option works well for extra softness in a living room. It’s most suitable for even floors and rooms without heavy furniture. Vinyl tiles or LVT (as it’s often referred to) come in a myriad of fantastic finishes and realistic textures, so whether you’re looking for a rustic wood effect, a realistic tile finish or an ornate Victorian pattern, you’ll be sure to find an LVT that suits your home and style.

Tiles and hardwood

Luxury options such as a tiled or real wood floor can be slightly more expensive, but will always create the ‘wow’ factor in a formal living room. There are cheaper options available if you want to achieve the warmth and character of hardwood. Engineered wood is the practical and low maintenance option to hardwood flooring as it has one authentic top layer that consists of real wood, and multiple layers of different materials underneath. This innovative flooring solution is not as prone to shrinking or warping like solid wood, and makes a great alternative to hardwood flooring. You could also opt for a simulated tiled or wooden floor in a fabulously cost-effective vinyl or laminate. There’s a huge range of tile and wood designs available that will suit any home and all budgets.

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Alternative options

Cork, bamboo, and natural fibres, such as jute and sisal, are all sustainable, eco-friendly flooring options, or you could consider rubber tiles, available in a wide range of colours.

There are so many different looks you could go for with your living room flooring, and we’re practically bursting with ideas to share with you! Check out our ideas hub for all the different ways we’ve reimagined living room flooring ideas; or alternatively, discover how you can style flooring for your kitchen and the best flooring for conservatories, as well as a complete guide on how to feng shui your living room. If you’re still undecided, our Tapi flooring experts at your nearest store would be more than happy to talk you through the different options and send you home with some exciting samples.

Post author

Jeremy Garrish Buyer Jeremy has 35 years of carpet industry knowledge

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Published: 16-03-2022