As you know we’ve been working on redecorating our new home for a few months now, and we are making slow progress. The whole process has involved so many different decisions, and I’ve found myself really trying to make the best choices I can to: a) fit our tight budget, b) work for us (a young family with an aversion to too much housework) and c) fit the aesthetic I really want for our home – that’s a lot of boxes to tick! When it came to flooring I was adamant I wanted wipe clean, especially after a year of living in a house with brand new cream carpets and a young child. I was so pleased to discover the wooden floorboards under the nasty carpet in this house, but here are some thoughts on other flooring options.
Original Floorboards
If you’re lucky enough to live in a property with it’s original wooden floorboards then I think this is an ideal flooring choice. It definitely could be the most labour intensive choice though, depending on what kind of state they are currently in. You will need to spend some time sanding them down and sanding old paint/glue off before choosing a wax, stain or varnish, but in my opinion the end result is worth the effort. We were able to hire a floor sander from a local tool shop which got the bulk of the floor done, but we had to put a lot of time into the edges using a belt sander and it was pretty time consuming so you have to be prepared for that, but I feel a huge sense of achievement now they are down.
Carpet
While I was busy insisting I was going to sand and varnish these floorboards, everyone around me was trying to convince me that carpet was a better choice. I totally understand the appeal of carpets – it would’ve saved us about a week of sanding and varnishing, as well as adding softness and warmth to the room. Carpets are available in such a huge range of colours, patterns and textures now so you can find something to compliment your decor or really make a statement. Adding soft carpet can really change the feel of a room, as well as alter the acoustics which can be useful with noisy kids around. The downsides of course are the inevitable spills and stains that are common with children (and clumsy adults – me), and the need to ban slime and play dough from the house because they are so impossible to clean off of fabrics.
Wooden Flooring
If the risk of spills and stains is enough to put you off carpet, but you don’t have original floorboards hiding away (or you do but you can’t be bothered to spend time sanding them), then why not look into other ways to get high quality wooden flooring. Whether you opt for something like laminate, engineered wood or LVT (which we opted for in the living room), the options are really endless and maintaining wood flooring is easy. This gives you all the benefits of a wipe clean wooden floor, and all the choice you could wish for, for a variety of budgets. If you want to soften the affect with more textures you could add a pretty rug – which is easier to wash and much easier to change than carpet.
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
Vinyl
A less common option, but something that I think is a great fun option especially for a kid’s room is coloured vinyl – either a sheet or tiles. Whether you opt for a fun pattern or a bright and bold colour, it could really add something different to the room. Durable, wipe-able and something a bit unique – I think this could be a really cool way to decorate a kid’s or teen’s bedroom. There’s some really awesome vinyl patterns out there now, and now that I’m moving on to decorating the bathroom and kitchen I’ll definitely be taking a closer look at vinyl options.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure it’s something that you (and your little ones) love, as well as something that’s practical for the room and for your family. As with any decision, especially one that’s going to cost you a considerable amount money, you need to consider all of the pros and cons of each option, as well as the overall look that you want to achieve in the room. Hopefully the flooring you choose will complete the look, and you’ll end up with a bedroom that you adore!
*This is a collaborative post*
