Pros and Cons of Common Kitchen Flooring Types
Your kitchen is a natural centerpiece in your home. It’s a room where family and friends tend to gather, guests and loved ones share meals and conversation seems to fly when the kitchen is bustling. It plays host to people you care about on a daily basis and is a central hub for culinary creations. For these reasons and many more, it’s an extremely important room in your home and as such, you want it to represent your personal style and taste. Your kitchen should be an aesthetic testament to how you live and what’s important to you, but it also has to live up to the daily wear and tear that comes with foot traffic and general use.
Choosing the Right Flooring Material for Your Kitchen
One of the most important factors to consider when it comes to this is the flooring you install. Flooring options for kitchens are numerous and can be overwhelming at first, but when you really step back and decide what’s important to you in your home, the options get easier. Flooring is a unique feature in that it can work as the centerpiece of your kitchen, or can be crafted so that it acts as the perfect accent to whatever feature you want to stand out. For example, if you have exquisite dark granite countertops in your kitchen, you may want flooring that plays out the lighter tones so that your guest’s eyes are automatically drawn to your sleek surfaces. Alternatively, if it’s the flooring that peaks your fancy, you’ll want to invest in something eye catching and durable to match your home’s style and function. Whatever route you choose, it’s important to know the options that are out there.
Take your time with tile selection
Tiles are an excellent choice when it comes to kitchen flooring. Durable, easy to clean and versatile with colors and textures, there are tiles out there to match any and every theme or color palette you could choose. Tile holds up well under hard wear and tear so if you have children, teenagers or play host a lot of gatherings, tile could be your best best when it comes to longevity and easy clean-up. Additionally, tile can be fun to mix and match to create a unique, standout kitchen floor. If you are feeling extra-colorful, try mixing in a few talavera tiles to give your kitchen a southern flair.
Make sure to consider grouting options when you go with tile kitchen flooring as well. If you cook often or have small children, it may be beneficial to go with a dark grout that doesn’t show as much staining or moisture damage when spills inevitably happen. On the flip side, light grout can really expand the feel of kitchen flooring and make your kitchen look even larger than it is. If you are considering decorating or painting with darker hues, light tiles with light-toned grout could be a great options to offset and balance out that color scheme.
Take a chance on bamboo
While it may seem unique at first, bamboo kitchen flooring is gaining popularity for it’s moisture resistance, durability, unique look and sustainability factor. Bamboo is a flexible material, so when you install bamboo flooring in your kitchen, you get options on appearance such as a natural finish or a distressed finish for a more rugged or rustic look. Additionally, bamboo is one of the most renewable resources on the planet and therefore, a kitchen with bamboo flooring is an eco-friendly option that may compliment your family’s environmental efforts. If nothing else, it makes for a great conversation starter and if you’re a person who loves to host gatherings, you’ll definitely appreciate this factor in your flooring options!
Consider all of the facts
Kitchen flooring is one of those primary home features that can be affected by several factors. Before you decide on a flooring option, be sure to consider the surrounding features in your home. Your kitchen lighting can play off of different flooring materials or colors in different ways and therefore, needs to be taken into consideration before you install. If you prefer dim lighting, darker flooring colors may lose some of their dramatic effect. Similarly, if you choose a vibrant flooring color or material and your kitchen has fluorescent lighting, you may notice colors you didn’t even know where there initially.
It’s also important to take cabinet colors, accent pieces and trim into account before you lay down brand new kitchen flooring. Taking the time to see how all of these colors, materials, textures and hues work together is important. Your kitchen flooring will have to hold up under a lot of use and needs to be durable while still maintaining your own taste and style. Be patient when deciding on flooring for your kitchen because your central hub needs to have flooring that lives up to your lifestyle.
