Sheet flooring Softer and warmer than stone or timber, sheet floorcoverings – vinyl, linoleum and cork – are relatively inexpensive and straightforward to lay (even on slightly uneven floors), and are easy to clean. Lino is a traditional material made from natural ingredients, and has its own lovely patina, while vinyl is a PVC-based man-made material, which comes in a huge range of textures and patterns, many of them good imitations of stone, wood or ceramic tiles. Cork, often under-rated, is hard-wearing, resilient to water and offers an interesting, natural look.
Rugs With any flooring other than carpet, you will probably want to put down one or more rugs, adding softness, colour and extra interest. A rug can disguise poor flooring – and can be taken with you when you move. Often a good starting point for a decorative scheme, rugs come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes, textures and colours, patterns and prices. There’s a wonderful range of hand-made rugs from around the
Oak Palazzo Rovere – a Dutch pattern design oak floor with a satin lacquer prefinish, from £50.15 per m², Kährs, 023 9245 3045; www.kahrs.co.uk.
36
world, including Indian dhurries, Greek flokatis, Middle Eastern kelims and French aubussons. Modern machine-made rugs can be very attractive, and you can even have a rug woven to your own design.
BOX – Unusual choices • A leather floor (tiles or sheets) is warm, soft and quiet underfoot, and requires little more than regular buffing and waxing. It wears well, too – scuffs and marks acquired over the years are part of its attraction. • Concrete floors, though cold and hard, can be dyed in innumerable colours and given an interesting variety of finishes, from polished to painted. • Rubber floors have a cool, stylish look and are great for waterproofing bathrooms. They come in tile or sheet form, and can be solidcoloured or patterned, smooth or studded. • Bamboo is thoroughly environmentally friendly, being fast-growing and everregenerating. The stems are laminated together to form boards as strong as wood, then coated with lacquer for a durable surface.
Fenton sofa in Bantry Weave natural, £1,099; Greenwich coffee table, £499; Greenwich side table, £349; Painterly Floral rug, from £75; all M&S, www.marksandspencer.com.
www.thegranitecitygazette.co.uk
t : 01224 - 318561
Neisha Crosland for Harvey Maria Vinyl floor tiles, Parquet Charcoal, £47.89 (pack of 12), John Lewis, 08456 049 049; www.johnlewis.com.
e : gazette@fsmail.net