insideKENT Magazine Issue 101 - September 2020 | Page 59

HOME+GARDEN
From footfall to football, floors in the family home need to be able to withstand it all -
but how do you choose flooring that is not only durable but stylish too?
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
FLOORING
FLOORING IS AN ASPECT OF OUR HOMES THAT WE DON’T EVEN GIVE A SECOND THOUGHT TO, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE HOME ENVIRONMENT. WE SPEND ALMOST EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY WITH OUR FEET
TOUCHING THE FLOOR. IT IS WHERE WE STAND WHILE WE COOK A FAMILY DINNER, WHERE OUR CHILDREN TAKE THEIR FIRST
STEPS, WHERE FEET ARE STAMPED AND TANTRUMS TAKE PLACE, AND WHERE KISSES WERE STOLEN IN THE EARLY MORNING.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FLOORING FOR YOUR HOUSE CAN FEEL OVERWHELMING, AS YOU TRY AND JUGGLE YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS,
THE AESTHETICS OF YOUR HOME AND YOUR OWN DESIGN PREFERENCES. insideKENT IS HERE TO SIMPLIFY THE MINEFIELD THAT
CHOOSING FAMILY FRIENDLY FLOORING FEELS LIKE, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SOME INDUSTRY EXPERTS.
The old saying of ‘Location, location, location’
definitely applies here, as it is imperative to consider
what the individual needs of a room are. Carpet in
the kitchen, for example, is a decision that would be
regretted almost immediately due to the high risk of
spillage, particularly if you have young children. By
breaking down the flooring options, room by room,
we aim to demystify the decision and allow you to
take control of the flooring in your home.
Bedrooms
In this flooring tour of a household we will be starting
in the bedroom. For adults, a sanctum of peace and
quiet where we collapse into bed after a long day's
work, for children a mystical play area where they
can day dream and imagine until their hearts are
content… and maybe occasionally get some sleep.
Tiled bedrooms can look aesthetically pleasing, but
come the winter may give the room a feeling of
coldness that, if not properly styled, can give the
room a bland, empty look. It can also become a
safety hazard if you regularly have little ones running
into the room after you. Vinyl is also a little cold for
a bedroom, and is more suited for the likes of a
kitchen or bathroom - more on that later though.
Carpets in bedrooms are the most popular and
perhaps most traditional choice of flooring. Soft,
warm, and inviting, carpets give bedrooms a vibe of
cosy homeliness that make you want to jump into
bed. Yasmin Vinten from Aylesford-based All Floors
(www.allfloorstradecentre.co.uk) explained to insideKENT
that fluffy carpets aren’t just good for our chilly
feet, they also provide soft landings for any accident
prone children you may have running around. They
are also excellent insulators, and are a fantastic way
to reduce heat loss, so if you live in a particularly
draft-prone house, carpets are definitely the
right choice for you. Scuffs from furniture are nonexistent,
and though anything particularly heavy
can leave dents in the fabric most high quality carpets
can recover quickly.
Carpets are also the perfect solution for children's
rooms! Toy and scratch proof, carpets compliment
the playful lifestyle of youngsters, while also providing
a safe, soft place for them to practice crawling,
walking and running! According to Deirdre Mc
Gettrick, the founder of ufurnish.com, carpets
have another benefit, particularly in babies rooms:
‘Carpet is strongly recommended for nursery rooms,
not only is it warm and cosy, it brings great noise
cancellation qualities, floorboards on the other hand
will ensure everyone in the house, is privy to a
screaming fit.’ Dark colours, and short pile carpets
are also a must for babies and toddlers’ rooms; we
all know how much children like to cause chaos,
from drawing on the floor, to Houdini-ing their way
out of their nappies and creating more of a mess
than any of us would like to think of. Black, brown,
navy blue, and other darker, short pile carpets will,
as Deirdre puts it, ‘Hide a multitude of sins!’ and
help keep general muck out off your child's floor.
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