11 Living Room Flooring Ideas

Find The Right Finish For Your Floor

While a room contains several surfaces, the floor is the one that works hardest. Choosing the best flooring for your living room is crucial. The floor binds a room together, withstands furniture and footfall, and is an investment worth making.

Living room ideas influence the type of flooring that you choose. Space usage is carefully considered. Ensure your living room flooring will last by selecting a style that is matching the colour scheme in your living room.

An attractive feature of certain floor types is that they don’t require much maintenance over their lifetime: vinyl tiles need no cleaning at all; concrete requires periodic scrubbing, which is easily done by most homeowners; ceramic tile needs little more than sweeping and mopping, and stone floors require a good dusting and vacuum once a month.

You may also want to consider whether you would like to add carpet or rugs to your living room flooring ideas. If so, then this decision should be made after considering how often your family uses the area with the possible rug vs. without. Rugs should not be used on wooden flooring as they will rot them.

In short, there are many different types of flooring to choose from depending upon what fits your budget and lifestyle. It is always recommended that you consult an expert before making decisions regarding flooring material and installation.

 

Choosing the right flooring for your living room

Living rooms are often the focal points of our homes. They’re where we spend the majority of our time and they’re where we entertain guests. Whether it’s a formal living room or a casual family room, there are many different types of flooring options to choose from. When shopping for living room flooring ideas, consider these factors:

What will the room be most frequently used for? Will it be a place where people gather around the TV or computer screen, or will it be a place where guests relax? If it’s a gathering spot, think about the amount of foot traffic and whether it will be high-traffic areas like the kitchen.

How much maintenance do you want to put into the flooring? Do you prefer hardwood floors that require regular refinishing or laminate floors that don’t need refinishing? Are you looking for something durable that won’t chip or peel away easily?

Is the room located near a busy area such as a hallway or staircase? If so, are you concerned about noise levels?

Do you plan to use the room for entertaining? If so, consider having carpet installed because it makes it easier to clean up spills and stains.

Does the room have enough natural light? If so, consider installing tile or stone that reflects light. This helps brighten dark spaces and make the room feel larger.

Can you live with the colour scheme? You might love the look of one style of flooring over another, but it could take some getting used to.

 

Living room floor ideas

Whether you’re looking for something trendy or traditional, there are plenty of options out there for living room flooring. From solid wood flooring to tile, luxury vinyl tile to deep pile carpet, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite picks.

1. Make a neutral space stand out with a rug

A rug adds texture to a flat surface. If you want to make a room feel bigger, use rugs to cover up the flooring. Rugs are great because they can soften the look of a hardwood floor, tile, linoleum or concrete. You can choose a patterned rug or one with a solid colour. For example, a bold red or orange rug can bring energy into a living room. Or, a simple white rug can calm down a busy kitchen.

When choosing a rug, consider how big it needs to be. Do you need something small enough to fit under a coffee table, or do you need a large area rug to fill out a hallway? There are many different sizes of rugs to choose from, including wall-to-wall carpets, runner rugs, ottomans, and mats.

2. Select a plush carpet

A plush carpet will give your space an inviting feel. You’ll want something soft against your feet. If you have kids, look for a rug that won’t scratch their knees.

Choose an easy-to-clean carpet. Most carpets come pre-treated with stain-fighting chemicals. Most carpets are treated with a combination of chemicals designed to resist stains. But some carpets require extra care to keep them looking good. Look for a carpet that says “easy-care.”

Carpet styles range from traditional to modern. Traditional rugs feature bold patterns and rich textures. Modern designs tend toward geometric shapes and simple lines. Whatever type of design you like best, just pick one that suits your taste.

3. Add a flatweave rug to your floor for a unique focal point

Flatweaves are great for adding texture to a space without making it look too busy. They’re also easy to care for and relatively inexpensive. You can find some nice ones for under £100. Here’s how to make one yourself.

You’ll want to choose a fabric that’s sturdy enough to withstand wear and tear, but still soft enough to feel good against bare feet. You’ll also want to pick something that coordinates with your existing colour palette. For example, if you already have dark blue carpeting, go with a light blue or white flatweave. If you’ve got orange walls, consider a grey or black rug.

4. Invest in natural flooring

Natural flooring is good for the planet and your health. Hardwood floors emit fewer VOCs than laminate and vinyl. Wood floors are naturally resistant to moisture, temperature fluctuations, spills, and insects. And when you replace your old hardwood floor with new maple flooring, you get a new home improvement project that lasts for decades.

5. A wood floor in your living room will never go out of style

Wood floors are one of those things every homeowner wants to do at some point in their life. But what type of wood flooring should you go for? Solid hardwood flooring is a classic choice, but it could cost hundreds of pounds per square foot.

Also consider engineered wood floor, which combines the beauty of natural wood with a humidity-resistant structure. Engineered wood flooring offers many benefits over traditional hardwoods including durability, low maintenance, and easy cleaning.  Ensure the engineered wood has a finishable top layer if it gets dented – inferior versions may not have this feature. Depending on the colour and style, there are plenty of options available.

6. Laminate creates a wood-like appearance

Laminate flooring is one of the most popular choices for homeowners looking for hardwood alternatives. 

A laminate floor provides a great alternative to traditional hardwood floors because it’s low maintenance, long-lasting, and easy to install. In addition, it looks like real wood and feels like real wood. This makes it a good option for those who prefer a natural appearance without the hassle of sanding and refinishing.

You should invest in high-quality laminate to ensure that it will last for a long time. You should also choose a model that can withstand high traffic.

7. Vinyl is a good choice

Vinyl flooring is an affordable way to add luxury to your home without breaking the bank. You might even find it cheaper than most types of wood, tile, stone, laminate or carpet. But what exactly is vinyl flooring? And how does it compare to other options? Let’s take a closer look.

Vinyl flooring consists of layers of plastic film bonded together. These films are typically composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When PVC is heated and pressed, it becomes flexible and durable. Because of this, vinyl flooring is extremely easy to install. You simply lay down sheets of material and press them into place. Once installed, vinyl flooring looks like real wood, tile or stone.

8. Natural stone is the luxury you deserve

Natural stone floors are beautiful and timeless.

There are three main types of natural stone: granite, marble and travertine. Each one offers unique benefits. Granite is typically used for countertops because it is strong and highly resistant to heat and scratches. Marble is often chosen for high-traffic areas like entryways and foyers because it is stain-resistant and easy to maintain. Travertine is similar to tile, but it tends to be softer and easier to install.

Granite feels cool underfoot and is very hard-wearing. If you want something that looks luxurious and expensive, go for granite. The marble is warm and soft, making it perfect for living rooms and dining rooms. Travertine is smooth and slippery, making it ideal for wet spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms.

9. Make the floor of your living room tiled

If you want to add some warmth and texture to the living room floor without spending too much money, consider porcelain or ceramic tiles. These materials look just like natural stone and offer many of the same benefits, such as durability and ease of cleaning.

A tile is an ideal option for almost any type of floor. It looks like real hardwood and offers the benefits of either carpet or hardwood. If you choose to go with a tile floor, make sure it’s sealed properly so water doesn’t seep into the subfloor. Tiled floors are generally less expensive than solid hardwood.

10. Make a dramatic statement with black wood

In today’s market, there are many different types of hardwood floors available. From light oak to rich mahogany, you can find a wide variety of options to choose from. But what about the colour of those floors? While white and lighter colours like cream and taupe are still popular choices, some homeowners are looking into darker woods like ebony, cherry, walnut and even black.

Black wood flooring can be used throughout your entire house. It can be installed over existing hardwood or laminate flooring, making it easy to incorporate into your current decor. You can use it in living rooms, bedrooms, dining areas, kitchens and hallways.

The best part about black wood floors is that they don’t compete with other design elements in the space. Instead, they provide contrast, adding depth and dimension to the room. They are also very durable, meaning they won’t crack or peel easily. Plus, they look beautiful no matter where you put them.

11. Concrete is a good choice for open-plan spaces

Choosing a floor type for an open plan room can be a challenge,  even more so if there is a kitchen included, which has its own requirements. This type of space might benefit from concrete. 

There’s nothing more dreamy than an open living room with a concrete floor integrating the kitchen and providing essential functionality, with an expansive rug beneath the seating area that provides a sense of comfort.

 

Final thoughts

Your living room is probably one of the main spaces in your home, which makes it the perfect place to show off your personal style.

It’s important to ensure that the budget option doesn’t sacrifice comfort when it comes to living room flooring ideas. You should consider every aspect of the flooring you choose when you are looking for a value living room floor.

Before choosing your flooring, consider how the room will be used most commonly. As well, consider the level of maintenance you are willing to devote to your new flooring.