Many features pull together to make the perfect kitchen. Having carefully selected your beautiful and hard-wearing wooden worktops, sturdy and reliable solid oak cabinets, and a selection of kitchen appliances, your attention may turn to your next design feature: flooring!
There is a wide variety of flooring suitable for oak kitchens and – being located in one of the busiest rooms of the home – it is important to ensure your final flooring choice is designed to withstand all the comings and goings of a dynamic household for years to come.
To help you choose from an array of options that suit both your practical requirements and your design preferences, we have devised this helpful kitchen flooring information guide:
Solid Wood Flooring
What could be more appropriate for combining with hardwood cabinets than solid wood flooring? Wood has been a popular flooring material for many a century, thanks to its natural robustness and distinguished grain. This floor covering looks especially attractive when made from oak planks to perfectly match oak cabinetry, and can also be treated to match the hue of your timber worktops and create a splendid sense of balance. Wooden flooring brings wholesome warmth to kitchens, which is difficult to achieve with other cheaper alternatives.
Linoleum Flooring
Whilst bearing many similarities to vinyl flooring, we prefer linoleum, as it is equally easy to install but is manufactured from much more environmentally friendly materials. Where petroleum is used to produce vinyl, linoleum is comprised largely of linseed oil. Although many designs of decades past have become heavily dated, there is now a broad range of modern linoleum on the market. The major benefit of linoleum is that it is waterproof and easily cleaned, making it a highly practical choice for bustling family kitchens. It is also soft to walk on, making it a quieter choice.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring has been a bit of a game-changer in the world of floor surfaces. In addition to being relatively easy to clean, laminate floors – or so-called ‘click flooring’ – are straightforward to install, simply by clicking each uniform plank together. What’s more, thanks to a ‘wear layer’, laminates are more resilient to stains and smudges caused by mud or dirt, and are naturally resistant to the growth of bacteria. It is worth remembering, however, that – unlike real wood – laminate flooring feels more unnatural and cannot be refinished.
Tiled Flooring
Tiled flooring is a practical and sophisticated choice for any kitchen. Once coated with a protective glaze, tiles are impervious to water and staining, and can withstand high humidity. For use in a busy kitchen, we advise that you choose tiles of sufficient thickness so that they do not shatter beneath dropped pans or crockery. Dirt is easily identified on tiled flooring, making it easier to ensure your kitchen stays clean and hygienic.
Carpet
Whilst carpeted floors bring warmth and cosiness to bedrooms and living areas, we would not recommend them as suitable flooring for your kitchen. Spills are most likely to occur in a culinary environment; these are quickly absorbed by carpets and can cause stains that are difficult to remove. As a result, carpeting in kitchens is more likely to harbour bacteria than other alternatives. For these reasons, it is advisable to opt for a floor surface that is easier to clean.
Other kitchen flooring options include cork and bamboo, which are also worth considering. Cork can now be found in a variety of colours and patterns that bring it up-to-date for the 21st century. It is also a great choice for dedicated cooks who spend a good deal of time on their feet, as internal air pockets create natural cushioning and act as a shock absorber to reduce the possibility of damaging dropped plates. As cork flooring is essentially derived from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, the sourcing of this material is also highly sustainable.
Bamboo, is very ecologically-friendly too, thanks to the rapid growth rate of bamboo plants. Although it is actually a grass, bamboo has many of the excellent qualities of hardwood flooring, as it is incredibly strong and hard-wearing. Whilst this material is susceptible to scratches over time, it is easily refinished in much the same way as hardwood floors.
Don’t forget, you can envisage a number of flooring options alongside wooden cabinets using our Kitchen Style Tool for oak kitchens. For tips on making the most of this handy visualisation tool, take a look at our ‘How To Use Our Kitchen Style Tool’ information guide!