The room in my house where I spend the most time is the living room and I expect this to be the same for most households. It’s called a living room for a reason as we do most of our living in it! These rooms are where we relax after work, sit in the morning with a coffee, and spend precious family time together.
Because of the importance of the living room, you want to make sure that every aspect of yours is perfect, including the flooring. Below, I take a look at how to choose the best flooring for living room areas including common factors like comfort and style, and give you some popular options to think about.
Comfort and Texture
Most evenings I relax in my living room so I want the flooring to be comfortable and warm and I bet that most families feel the same way. If you do value comfort above everything else, carpets and rugs are the best options.
These have the best soundproofing, offer the best cushioning for walking on, and make your living room warmer. Rigid core LVT options and laminate flooring are also comfortable but slightly colder, and hardwood flooring and tiles can often make living rooms cold and are much harder to walk on.
Style and Aesthetics
While comfort is important, you can’t overlook the style and aesthetics of your living room flooring. As it’s a room you use so often and a room where you will entertain guests, you want your living room to look fantastic!
Consider the decor and colours you have in your living room including the furniture and walls. How would different flooring styles match with this decor? Would a particular color fit well? If so, which flooring types is it available in?
Remember that some flooring types like hardwood floors and engineered wood floors have a limited selection of colours and patterns compared to LVT flooring and carpet which are much more versatile.
Withstanding Daily Wear and Tear
I can’t count the number of times I walk through my living room daily! Aside from my stairs, it’s easily the floor that sees the most traffic and I am sure most people are the same. This means that you have to choose a flooring type that is durable and can withstand daily wear and tear.
The wear and tear is only compounded if you have children and pets. LVT, laminate, and hardwood floors all have excellent durability and can withstand high traffic easily. Carpet is relatively robust too, but with constant wear, the pile can become thinner and it can lose its padding over time.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Many people eat their meals in the living room and have drinks while watching TV. Combine this with the increase foot traffic and living room flooring can easily become dirty and need repairs. Out of the floor types, carpet is not the best flooring for living room areas as it is the most difficult to clean stains and dirt from.
In contrast, if you have a particularly messy household, you could benefit from flooring like LVT, laminate, or engineered hardwood that is much easier to clean.
Popular Living Room Flooring Options
Some flooring options are better than others for living rooms and I have listed my top picks below.
Vinyl Flooring
LVT flooring offers more comfort and warmth and better soundproofing compared to hardwood floors and tiles, but it is still colder than carpet. You can get vinyl floors in a range of styles that emulate traditional floors like wood, stone, and concrete.
Carpet
Carpet is the favoured option for many in the living room as it’s the most comfortable and warm choice with the best soundproofing. Available in a myriad of colours and patterns, the only drawback is the maintenance and cleaning.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood floors made from woods like oak and maple look amazing and they are a great choice if you want to make a statement with your flooring. However, they can be cold and are one of the most expensive options.
Area Rugs
You can complement a hard floor like LVT, laminate, tiles, or hardwood with an area rug. This negates some of the coldness and adds an extra layer of padding and comfort.
Tile Flooring
Tiles are uncommon in living rooms and they are typically more favored in kitchens, but they can make your living room flooring stand out and could be a great choice if you have messy children and pets!
Find the Right Flooring for Your Living Room Today
Because of the importance of the living room in most households, I urge you to think about the flooring options carefully. Oftentimes this is the room where we spend the most time so you want it to look great, fit with your decor, but also be comfortable and make the room pleasant to relax in. Hopefully, the considerations I have listed above should help you find the best flooring for living room areas in your home!
