Hard & Soft Flooring | By Judy Schlicksup, Knilans' Designer

Whenever you can, it’s best to coordinate your flooring with all the other elements of your project, such as paint, window treatments, and furnishings. Usually, this is not the way it goes and the task is not always easy.  You may consider contacting a designer to help with this process.

Flooring has come a long way and your options and opportunities are endless in the types of the materials that are available.  The trend in the last few years seems to be the use of more hard surface options using area rugs for softening and accent.

When choosing a floor, consider if an area would have potential for high moisture, or if it is a high traffic area that needs a more durable product.  Then consider what you would like to invest in the project including installation and prep.  Most hard surface flooring today seems to have a long life-cycle and might even trend out before it wears out!

Hard Surface Flooring

If you are hoping for a “wood look”, you could achieve this by using solid hardwood, engineered wood, laminate or even porcelain or ceramic tile. Vinyl plank and tile are very popular options and are available in many patterns and colors giving you the option of creating hundreds of unique designs!

Carpeting

Hard surface flooring is a great option, but you might enjoy the softness, warmth and comfort of broadloom or “wall to wall” carpet.   Carpeting is available in loop patterns, textures, twists, cut and loop patterns and many beautifully woven wool patterns to name a few endless choices.  There is great news for those who have pets and are worried about caring for their carpet.  Many styles of carpet now have built-in stain protection with zero percent moisture absorption to resist pet odors in the carpet fibers. 

Carpets can last for years if they are vacuumed and cleaned properly, but a good quality pad is almost as important as the type of your carpet.  Pads come in various weights and thicknesses and can extend the life of carpet.

Area Rugs

Area rugs are very plentiful and come in any shape and size.  Besides being like pieces of art that help define your space, they can also add softness and warmth, texture, pattern and color bringing all of the elements of a room together.  Unlike other surfaces, area rugs can easily be replaced or moved to a different area to change the whole look of a setting.

Consider your furniture arrangement before choosing the size of your rug, and make sure that it is large enough for your space.  As designers, time and again we see that the size of the rug is too small.  If you can’t find the right size, pattern, or color for your room, there are many options available to create your own design and color scheme.  Choosing a quality rug pad can prevent slipping, provide comfort and warmth and extend the life of your rug.  Pads are available for both hard surfaces and soft surfaces.  This is important, especially when you are placing a rug over broadloom carpet.  

The process of selecting flooring can be complicated when thinking about how a space will be used, measuring, and proper installation and preparation of the area.  It is always a good idea to have a designer help with this process.