When you first walk into someone’s kitchen, what do you notice first? Is it their cabinets, their countertops or appliances?
Maybe it’s the floor. We think that the floor is an important part of your kitchen design that can either make or break the atmosphere of the room.
The flooring is often an area that’s somewhat neglected or discussed as an afterthought.
Instead, the flooring should be used to create an impact on anyone who walks in. As an integral part of your new room, the flooring should be practical, hard-wearing and easy both on your eye and your feet!
To do so, you can opt for a ‘wow’ factor or just a simple tone that blends in seamlessly with the look of the room. With so many products to choose from nowadays, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the kitchen flooring of your dreams.
What option should I go for?
Kitchens are built to last for a very long time (especially when you buy from someone reputable like us!). So the floor should last a very long time too! This is why we’ve rounded up some of the best options on the market, with the help of Karndean, to help you choose the best option for you and your family.
The most commonly used floorings include solid and engineered wood, ceramic or porcelain tiles, natural stones, or luxury vinyl. There are advantages and disadvantages to all these and the key to success is to choose the product most suited to your home, your family, and your lifestyle.
Which style should I go for?
A very popular option is natural stone effect. This has many advantages, for instance colour and beauty. Because they have been modeled from nature, you can easily have the most stunning yet naturalistic designs right below your feet. Karndean offers the selection of slate, marble, and even limestone effect, which means you’ll be spoilt for choice if you choose a stone looking floor.
What other options are there?
Wood is another popular option as it can add warmth to your kitchen design. By this, we mean the hardwood floors that many people already have. This could be maple, pine, popular or oak.
One of the best parts about this option is that if it gets damaged or scratched, it can be sanded down and re-varnished to look as good as new. It usually doesn’t need much maintenance either.
However, it is not ideal for the working part of the kitchen as it is susceptible to spills. You really don’t want to get oil or red wine on there!
If you’re really considering this option, think hard about the common footwear that will be worn within the room. Take it from us, wooden floors and stilettos are never a good combination.
What about ceramics?
Glazed ceramics are easy to maintain, clean, and durable too. But if you’re looking for something hard-wearing, then you can’t go wrong with porcelain. In our experience, this has proven useful if your kitchen also leads to an outside space, preferably through bi-fold doors. In this instance, for example, the porcelain can be used both inside and outside, which would link your kitchen seamlessly to your outdoor area.
Of course, one of the main disadvantages here is the temperature of the flooring. Many of our clients counteract this by choosing underfloor heating, which shows that there always is a way to get your dream kitchen!
Good quality vinyl can work too
Another great option is good-quality vinyl. In many ways it’s the ideal product for your kitchen. Their designs are also extremely varied and realistic, meaning that it would be great for those who have a specific design in mind already. But if you’re not sure you’ll definitely find a style you like. Because vinyl is man-made, it can be created to follow the design trends of your kitchen. Karndean is perfect for that, as it’s inspired by nature to create a range of floorings that look like wood or stone. So if you want to have these iconic looking floorings but don’t want all the hassle that comes with them, then Karndean could be the perfect choice for you.
Kardean is resilient, low maintenance, and comfortable underfoot. It’s also hygenic and extremely easy to wipe clean – perfect for your kitchen activities!
Just like with every part of your kitchen, the flooring can be totally customisable from start to finish, meaning that no two kitchen designs will be the same. Take advantage of that and start planning what you want your workspace to look like. We’ll be here to provide floors that are durable, stylish and liveable, to accommodate your space, your needs and your style.