Flooring aethetics dilemma for mil.

Bendy_House

Hi.

Mum in law has just found a bungalow to move in to. It has solid-type floors with underfloor heating - great - and currently has old carpet on top which she's going to replace with not-carpet.

She has a dawg, so likes the hygiene and easy-to-clean nature of a hard floor such as solid wood, laminate or LVT, so carpets are oot.

In their last home, they had solid oak (well, a nice thick top layer) Karndean floor in a dark oak which matched their dark oak furniture ('Old Charm'...)

In the extension room where she's currently staying, we had a medium-oak laminate put down, and whilst her dark oak furniture doesn't exactly stand out in any weird way in contrast, it clearly isn't 'right'.

Sooo, really looking at ideas of what will look ok on her new floor, without her necessarily having to go for the 'matching' dark oak finish she had in her old bungalow.

I guess the main Q is, will/can a 'contrasting' wood finish to the dark oak furniture work on the floor? Or would having two shades be daft? Ie, would a 'wood' style finish have to be close to the dark oak for it to not look weird? Is it possible to go for a completely different shade of 'wood' on the floor - a stripped limed oak?!

What other finishes are available in LVT or laminate that isn't a 'wood' finish, but still looks 'natural' and warm? Is there anything apart from 'tiles'?

Seagrass?

Thanks for any pointers.

tacpot12

A contrasting colour would work. We have a light brown carpet at home with a lot of dark wood furniture that my partner inherited from her parents. 

As an alternative to LVT with either a wood or tile design, you can get a fabric design like this linen one:  https://www.flooringdirect.co.uk/vinyl-flooring-c1/lifetex-vinyl-flooring-p991/s6279

There are also bamboo designs like this dark brown Tatami mat one: 
Interface Native Fabric Tatami 50x50cm Luxury Vinyl Tile LVT 2.5m2 - Access Flooring Shop

There will also be stone designs like this one (although I don't think the colour of this one is going to go well with dark brown furniture): Naturelle Design Flooring Luxury Vinyl Tile Chalk Stone 

But if you were going to have a stone design, tiles would be a better match with the underfloor heating. 

You can even get Seagrass LVT: Forbo Allura Click Pro Natural Seagrass LVT | DCTUK

Bendy_House

Many thanks, Tacpot - I think you've pretty much covered the options. And thanks for the links.

Going back to 'contrast', do you think a different shade of timber flooring works? I mean, if the flooring is going to be 'wood', does it HAVE to be the same shade? Can two differing shades work? Light and dark?

Cheers.

vic_sf49

Definitely go for different shades. I think you'd be hard pressed to get a match anyway.

I've just had wood effect tiles laid in my kitchen, dining & conservatory.

They sit next to a dark brown carpet (open plan to the lounge), and I have various bits of wood in the area.

The shades don't match, but the tone sits well with the carpet and worktops. I'd tried a lighter oak effect tile, and it clashed.

My dining table is closer in colour to the "knots" in the tiles.

Wish I'd had the floors done years ago.

Rosa_Damascena

Differing shades can work but trial and error is involved. I wasted hours of my life getting this right in the summer!!

Bendy_House

Thanks Vic and Rosa.

Hopefully problem solved as it looks as tho' she's going the original choice of Rustic Timber - a sample tile looks very nice indeed.

(Glued-down 'looselay'!)