Don’t Be Floored!

A number of considerations will influence your choice of flooring: the age of your home, the size of a room, the existing floor and the type of heating you favour. You might want to walk in bare feet, or, as is usual in Sweden, request that houseguests wear slippers. Perhaps you may simply be aiming for the ‘wow’ factor?

For newer houses, engineered flooring is convenient, easily fitted and wears well. Anthony King, Managing Director of Devon Wood Floors, says engineered flooring now accounts for 90% of fittings, with ‘natural oak’ the most popular option. “One of the really practical things about engineered wood is that there is less of a height difference when adjoining rooms with carpets, giving a smooth transition from room to room.” 

Parquet flooring, which was in vogue between the Edwardian era and the 1930s, is bang on trend according to Anthony. “Parquet has a lovely retro feel and customers like the look. Herringbone is always chic, but there’s increasing demand for other designs, such as chevron, basket weave and continuous weave.” 

If you have an older house, you may be more inclined to plump for solid wood floorboards, as engineered wood might appear too pristine. Winkleigh Timber sources old floors as well as wood from joists and beams, which is cut to the required size. “Real wood flooring comes with a look, character and patina all of its own,” says Russell Molyneux, Director of this family-run firm. “It has incredible longevity – often lasting hundreds of years. There’s something wonderful about recycling aged wood, giving it a new life.” 

Along with oak and other common woods, Winkleigh Timber supplies reclaimed pitch pine, often difficult to come by. “Real pitch pine takes 40 years to cure as it’s a resinous wood. It is a great material, boat builders love it as it’s so water resistant.” The company specialises in unearthing old timber, not just in the UK but around the world, including from America and Eastern Europe.

For a real warm and welcoming floor, what can beat a proper wool carpet? Axminster Carpets has produced beautiful British wool carpets since 1755 and this year celebrates 260 years of weaving for royal households, luxury hotels and private homes worldwide.   

Design Director Gary Bridge, who is a recognised industry leader in carpet design, says: “We are certainly seeing recent catwalk trends of geometric designs and cool greys coming through into interiors and carpet design, but also an appreciation of classic, period architecture and associated interiors.” Gary has noticed a strong move back towards natural fibres, explaining that all Axminster Carpets’ products are at least 80% wool. “Wool is naturally luxurious, durable and easy to clean, and with many stylish ways of weaving wool it brings beauty to any room, while meeting modern living demands.”

Other natural fibres, such as sisal, seagrass and jute, provide a workable flooring solution. “Natural fibre is very relevant to family or holiday homes as it is both hardwearing and attractive,” explains Stephen Moore from Rendles Flooring in Kingsbridge, which supplies floor coverings by Crucial Trading. “We particularly recommend sisal for heavy-duty areas such as hallways and stairs.”

Stephen says the older variety of naturals often buckled and twisted with age, but the material is now rubber-backed so the natural fibre is supported and keeps its shape. Natural fibre flooring is available in different weaves and, usually, in neutral shades. “The material is not normally dyed, but there are plenty of shades to choose from - charcoal greys to pale and darker browns. Natural fibre complements a wide range of decor.”

For a contemporary look, polished concrete is becoming a flooring of note for a certain kind of house, says Jon Davies from Exeter Floor Restoration, an expert in installing concrete floors. “Polished concrete is spot-on for properties like barn conversions; the industrial style complements rustic wall coverings such as lime render. Flagstones and natural stone used to be fashionable, but concrete is ideal for transferring and retaining heat, perfect for underfloor heating.” 

Jon lists the various finishes. “There’s a ‘full aggregate’ style where the stones are very visible, a salt and pepper finish from a lighter grind, or polished power float. Cement-over toppings are useful as they produce a no-aggregate show and come in various colours. In general though, people like to see the stone within the highly polished flooring.” 

Jon advises that concrete flooring is most suited to new properties or conversions where the floor is dug out completely, as a screed depth of 100-120mm is necessary with standard concrete. “It is an impressive surface – reflecting light beautifully as well as being robust. And concrete ages wonderfully.”

Clearly there’s plenty of choice available locally, whatever type of flooring you opt for.

“Natural fibre (flooring) complements a wide range of décor”