Harry Murray
Join our newsletter Name: Your Email Address Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to Realhomes. It needs to stand up to the daily use of the whole family, including, in many homes, kids and pets, so it’s vital it’s durable.
It also has to be easy to clean and maintain as the room is going to see a lot of footsteps as well as possible spills.
The best living room ideas are always complete with stunning flooring designs that deliver when it comes to appearance and practicality too.
And with so many different types of living room flooring to pick from – carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl and tile are all among the top options – you're sure to find the style and material that will meet all your needs. There are a whole host of types of flooring you could use in your living room and the breadth of the options could feel exciting – or overwhelming.
Either way, it's simply a case of weighing up the pros and cons for each in terms of looks, durability, how easy they are to maintain and so on. If a surface that’s warm and soft underfoot is number one on your list of criteria, you may well think carpet is the best living room flooring for your home. Consider hard-wearing sisal, which can add subtle detail through interesting weaves such as bouclé and herringbone. Or try rustic seagrass (which may need protection for a heavy traffic area: check with your supplier).
There’s also robust coir, but it isn’t kind on bare feet, so won’t suit all households. Solid types of wood flooring will introduce an organic element to a living room scheme, and the variety of species, tones, and board lengths and widths, plus the option of geometric parquet patterns mean it can be as subtle or statement as you like.
It’s the favorite of Rick Abbiati, owner of Colony Property Investments (opens in new tab). You might also take a look at engineered wood, which has equal natural beauty and the benefit of a structure that makes it resistant to changes in humidity. Look for engineered wood with a top layer that allows it to be refinished should dents occur – lower quality versions won’t offer this.
‘Laminate flooring has come a long way in recent years in terms of quality and how closely it resembles real hardwood,’ says Julie Aragon of the Julie Aragon Lending Team (opens in new tab), who’s a property investor in Los Angeles and has worked in real estate and mortgage for 19 years.
Vinyl flooring also has the advantage of being more yielding and warm underfoot than some other materials, so it’s great if you have young kids. ‘Luxury vinyl plank flooring is a modern miracle with many options and usually has very affordable installation prices,’ says Andrew Ervin, founder of Maxsin Investment Group (opens in new tab).
It’s definitely one of the types of living room flooring you should check out, even if you’ve only used it in areas such as the kitchen or bathroom up to now. Both porcelain and ceramic can be eminently suitable for this high traffic space, and offer the opportunity to get the look of wood along with the durability of tile.
For living spaces, hard-wearing granite, limestone, filled travertine, slate, or even opulent marble are possibilities. Always check a particular tile’s suitability for this high traffic area with the supplier, though, and bear in mind that correct sealing is necessary.
A word of warning: some stones are more slip resistant than others, so choose with the home’s occupants in mind. Along with resin, concrete flooring is increasingly popular for contemporary homes, and ideal for emphasizing the dimensions of an open-plan layout.
Different finishes and colors can be achieved with resin or concrete flooring, and they’re both easy to clean and care for. If you love the contemporary look, but want something a little softer underfoot, rubber flooring is a more reasonably priced alternative, can be laid as tiles, and is durable, too.
Volodymyr Barabakh, co-founder and project director of Fortress Home (opens in new tab), recommends laminate.
If durability is the number one criterion for your living room flooring, porcelain will be at the top of the list along with ceramic.
