Fine Floors

When I came to view the house, I knew straight away the carpets had to go. As it had been a rental it was fitted with beige carpet everywhere, only the kitchen and bathroom had tile and the hall had some dark laminate.

Check out that crooked curtain pole!

The carpet wasn’t in good condition, it was grubby and discoloured in patches, I really disliked the colour.

I spent many hours looking around stores and online at my different options. I thought this would be my chance to have beautiful oak floors amd dreamed of a chevron or herringbone pattern. Even though it wouldn’t of been in keeping with the age of the house it would of been difficult not to.

After lots of thinking and listening to my mum 🙂 I realised that with two dogs who come running in with wet paws and occasionally throw up that an oak floor wasn’t my brightest idea.

I wasn’t sold on the idea of laminate either, I had no idea how good some laminates are now, when I started looking it changed everything.  I found a lovely light oak coloured laminate that looked so much like real wood, I wasn’t actually sure what it was when I first saw it.

It was so well priced and the colour variation in the planks sold me.

The flooring was fitted over two days and all the beige carpet was no more. Well, apart from the stairs.

I really wanted to have it put in without the beading around the edges,  I asked the fitter to remove the skirting boards and for the floor to be fitted under them. I also chose to not have any threshold bars in doorways so the flooring flows right through.

Overall, I love the floor. It’s laminate so it’s easy to keep clean, I don’t have to worry about spills or wet feet, human or doggy, and I can mop it as often as I need to without the worry of caring for real wood.

It’s a warm colour and I’ve covered so much of it up with rugs I honestly don’t think it’s obvious that it’s not real wood.  Up close if you stare at it, obviously you can tell.  I chose a good insulating underlay too as the floors downstairs are concrete and I wanted to block out as much cold as I could.

I know some of you prefer carpet in a bedroom or even throughout the whole upstairs but I wanted to use rugs instead then I have the freedom to change them and replace if needed which would be much more cost effective than replacing a carpet. I have been known to drop a whole can of paint on a carpet. Probably wasn’t my fault. Honest.

What do you think? Would you choose laminate over real wood for convenience and cost?