What type of flooring suits your decor?

As with anything to do with home improvements, a lot of the design decisions you make will depend on how much money and time you’re willing to spend. Then there’s the question of whether you want your flooring to stay in keeping with your existing decor, or whether it’s time for a change and you want to make your flooring the main attraction, contrasting it with furniture or accessories you already have.

In this guide, we’ve examined lots of different design styles and types of homes to bring you the best products that will work best in those spaces – we’re positive we’ll find something to suit your taste and budget! So, let’s dive in.

There are a couple of different factors to keep in mind before you jump into picking a new carpet or type of flooring. It needs to work to all your requirements, including budget, taste, lifestyle, and condition of your home. You should start with your budget, and how much you’re willing to spend on new flooring. This will help to eliminate some options right away, making your choice a lot easier.

Once you have your budget sorted, the next thing to consider is the overall effect you’re attempting to create. This again will depend on your existing decor, but more importantly, on the requirement of the room you’re redecorating. For instance, there’s no point in trying to emulate the stark, sleek lines of an industrial warehouse loft, if the room is used by small children to play with lots of soft toys and games. Conversely, the star of your bedroom may be your king-sized bed or patterned wallpaper, and you may not want a busy printed carpet to overwhelm that space.

If you live in a modern home – anything built within the last 50 years – then you’ll appreciate how it typically has large, airy, and regularly shaped rooms. Anything goes in this age of home, from traditional decor to something more cutting-edge. How you choose to style it is up to you - we recommend something that leans into the more contemporary elements of interior design, for instance, the maximalist or the monochrome trend, but it’s entirely up to you.

Matching your existing decor – maximalism

This trend’s biggest rule is more is more! So, if you’re thinking of matching flooring to your existing decor, then go for the carpet or flooring you like, and don’t worry about clashing colours, textures, or styles. We love patterned carpets like zebra print, as it makes a ‘walk on the wild side’ statement in any room or on the stairs, and taps into the current fad for tropical or jungle-themed patterns. It’s a wool blend, so it’ll be long-lasting and keep your rooms warm – but maybe not as hot as the African plains!

Matching your existing decor – moody and magnificent

This trend works beautifully in modern homes, but also fits in well in an older house which may be darker and narrower. You may already have lighter-coloured sofas or walls, so all the attention here is focused on the floor. This look toughens up any decor, or if you have a new build that’s just a white box, can add some drama and interest.

We love deep and dark wood-effect vinyl for this look - the black tones draw the eye down to what we call the ‘fifth wall’ in the room, the floor. This also works well if you like the monochrome look, or if you want to take inspiration from Art Deco interior design.

Matching your existing decor – back to black

If you want a chic style that off interior designer vibes, then stick to one colour, such as black, grey, or dark brown, and just choose various tones of it throughout the room. Make sure you include plenty of natural light and perhaps a metallic colour to bounce the light. We’ve provided some more inspiration in our Ideas Hub, including our grey living room decor ideas.

Matching your existing decor – monochrome, with colour

If you’ve already chosen black and white as your decor, then a floor that emphasises that pairing is a no-brainer. We love diamond-patterned vinyl because it looks elegant and timeless. But we’re also fond of how our customer has added pops of pastel colours to their kitchen. It reminds us of Neapolitan ice cream and is a fun and friendly way to completely transform monochrome. And it’s making us hungry, too!

When we talk about an older home, we mean any home that’s over 50 years old. This could be a Victorian villa, a 1930s chalet bungalow or even a 1970s townhouse. These properties often have period features – moulded ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, picture rails, dormer windows, and narrow staircases – which may need to be considered when you’re choosing flooring to match your existing decor. Or you may just want to pick your favourite floor based on how soft the carpet feels or how pretty the pattern of the vinyl is!

Matching your existing decor – calm and welcoming

If you’ve chosen beige tones in your home and you want to highlight them further, then be our guest! The simplest way to match your existing decor with this look is to incorporate another element – whether it’s a subtle beige carpet, adding earth shades or elements from nature, exposing brick or beams and adding plants or grasses in vases.

Matching your existing decor – glamorous

This idea rolls out the red carpet, literally. You may already have – or want –  elements of the boudoir or the theatre in your home, so this suggestion makes more of that look by adding a sumptuous red carpet and golden, silver or glass highlights. We’ve got several ruby red looks to choose between, as well as some amazing inspiration from our clients on our Flooring Ideas page.

Matching your existing decor – country vibes

There are two ways to take this trend, either towards a cosy cottage look (see above) or the more masculine lines of an old-fashioned study or library. Tartan carpet ticks all the boxes – it’s soft, hardwearing and makes a statement. The tartan pattern is familiar but it’s not likely that anyone else you know will have a carpet like this, while the colours can be subtle enough to fit in with any existing decor. 

Matching your existing decor – a great all-rounder

If you’re looking for something that can work well in any space, from a 1950s flat, to a new build or a stately home, then we’d suggest anything from the new Sonata collection. This luxury vinyl clicks together and copes brilliantly with splashes or stains, resisting water and heat. It looks good and wears well in a modern or traditional setting because its herringbone pattern is classic and timeless.

In this section, we’ll go through all the favourite types of flooring available in-store, online or can be shown to you by one of our Floorologists on a home visit, and list the advantages of each so you can make an informed choice before you buy.

Carpet

Enduringly popular for a reason, there are a host of reasons to choose carpet. During a cost-of-living crisis, the most important one is how well it insulates a room and how much money you can save on energy bills. Carpet retains warm air longer than any other flooring and provides a comfortable cosy environment in your room whether you’re standing or lying on it.

Other benefits of carpets include:

1. It improves the quality of air - Carpet traps dust, pollen, and particles, making it a good flooring option for those people with asthma
2. Carpet softens slips and falls - It minimises injuries if you fall, protecting toddlers and older people. And when you install underlay first, this only improves its softness.
3. Carpet reduces noise - And we don’t just mean from stamping feet. If you like your TV up loud, or play music or computer games, you’ll notice the carpet absorbs sound better than a hard floor – and underlay makes it even better.
4. It comes in a great array of styles and colours - If you need inspiration, Tapi has a colour finder which allows you to browse through and choose your favourite, not just the solid shades but the patterns, textures and stripes we offer, too. If you want to read more, we have a selection of care guides and hints and tips on our Ideas Hub.

Laminate

This is an affordable option for anyone considering changing up their flooring to suit their decor. Laminate is made from wood pressed together rather than solid planks, so it’s better value for money than natural timber. Other benefits of laminate include:

1. It’s hardwearing - Laminate is created with a scratch-resistant top layer, so it’ll cope with pets, children, and rugby teams – well, maybe. It also is treated to avoid fading so it’s a good option for sunny conservatories.
2. Easy to fit - Most confident DIYers can install laminate flooring, giving this another tick in the ‘budget-friendly’ box
3. It looks good - You won’t be able to tell if it’s not natural wood, as laminate comes with embossing on the top layer to mimic the grain and texture of a plank
4. Easy to clean - If you have a spill, then you can just wipe it away or vacuum up any bits of dust or dirt. You can plenty more on how to care for your laminate in our laminate care guide.  

Engineered wood

It looks just like real wood - because it is! The clever construction of engineered wood lies in its many layers, which are glued together against the grain. So, it has more stability than a solid plank of wood as it won’t expand or contract. The other great reasons to choose engineered wood include:

1. It’s hardwearing - It’s robust and will cope with whoever stands on it, for years. And because it doesn’t warp, it’s perfect for kitchens and bathrooms too
2. It can be sanded or refinished - If you don’t like the look of the engineered wood you’ve bought, you can refresh it or change it. You can find out more about this process in our guide on how to fit your own engineered wood flooring.

Vinyl and luxury vinyl

While these aren’t the same product, several similarities make vinyl or luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) a great choice as flooring for your home. As well as being at a keen price, it’s made from strong, hardwearing materials, so it’ll last for a long time and so offers great value for money.

The other great reasons to choose vinyl or LVT are:

1. It’s warm underfoot - Gone are the days of freezing feet or cold lino. These modern products are cushiony soft and warm to the touch
2. It’s resistant to moisture - This makes vinyl and LVT a great choice for rooms that get humid or damp, like bathrooms or kitchens. It’s also slip-resistant, too
3. It insulates sound - It absorbs sound better than a solid wood floor
4. It looks like natural timber - But you won’t have to bother with oiling it or worrying about dents. If you don’t want the stylishness of solid wood, there are a vast array of patterns and styles to choose from, including checks, geometric prints and concrete-like textures.

If you’re keen to find out more about the different ways you can match a new floor to your existing decor, then why not go to your local Tapi store and discuss it with our friendly floorologists, or book a free mobile showroom appointment for our team to come to you if you'd like to find out more about Tapi's services.