They’re an enormous potential canvas on which to express your style, yet flooring is often treated as an afterthought when homeowners set out to design a room. The exciting news is that the range of available options in terms of materials, treatment and coverings have never been wider. Before settling for the everyday, consider taking your floors in an inspiring new direction.
Durable rugs
Area rugs offer an easy, reversible transformation. But are they strong enough to withstand the rigors of life in your home? Enter durable rugs for indoors and out. New York-based textile designer Liora Manné creates hand-crafted rugs for home, public and hospitality settings. Her Lamontage range is made from felted polyester with antimicrobial nano silver particles, and can endure between 30,000 and 60,000 double rubs in a Wyzenbeck test. Several performance fabric producers, including Sunbrella, create rugs that boast the good looks of indoor rugs, yet are completely fine on the patio.
Painted wood floorboards
Painted wood floors are a classic Scandinavian style statement. Keep it low key by opting for a soft neutral or whitewash; go bold with a full-strength red, yellow, green or black; or take the painted look to a whole new level by painting in stripes or geometric patterns. Painted floors naturally coordinate perfectly with Danish Modern furnishings; but they’re also an option with fantastic potential for transitional and industrial spaces.
Stained or polished cement
On the subject of industrial style, no roundup of contemporary flooring would be complete without a mention of concrete treatments. Concrete is polished using extremely fine grinding tools, which create a glossy effect on the surface. The result is good looking, low maintenance, and has a minimal environmental impact. But if simple polished concrete doesn’t offer quite the amount of drama you desire, there’s always acid staining. In contrast to paint or polish, concrete staining produces interesting mottled effects that are unique to every floor. Color options range from sophisticated walnut browns to fun and fearless aqua blue.
