Posted By Laura in #New!, In the Home | 1 comment

I always knew I was wa-a–ay ahead of the trends… (does it count of you do something 2 years before it become ‘trendy’? Or does that just make you a bit odd?)

When we had the extension built 12 years ago, it was an amazing opportunity to start afresh; we had complete blank canvases in three new bedrooms and a huge living room – but the budget was tight, so we had to think practically about what would work best for us.
Most of our downstairs was laminated, and we had plans to remove the carpet in the current living room which was soon to be a dining room – the kitchen has slate tiles, but everywhere else has hard shiny surfaces which are just easy to keep clean when you have a large family plus a dog.
The new living room flooring choice was easy though – a huge, thick, deep carpet in the room that is the socialising focus of the house – we want it warm and cosy, and carpet was the shortcut to making such a big floorspace (it’s 32′ long) feeling welcoming.

Antique Oak Laminate from Carpetright – Perfect for lounge, dining room, hall and bedroom, it is so fantastically hardwearing with a fade and burn resistant surface that it’s also great to use as kitchen laminate flooring too.

But the boys bedrooms, that was a different matter. In the old part of the house, we’d stripped the floorboards in No.1’s nursery, and absolutely loved the practicality of the wooden floor. Laying gorgeous new floorboards was out of our budget in the extension though, so we went next-best-thing, and completely laminated through the entire first floor of the extension.
And it was a brilliant decision.

I know it often gets a bed rep as cheap imitation flooring… but laminate is so flipping practical! It can completely transform a room, and it’s durable, easy to install (we have done ALL of ours ourselves, and we’re no great shakes with power tools) and it’s simple to maintain. We haven’t looked at the new tile effect laminates, but the wood effect options are just… gorgeous.

The boys could play with their cars and train sets and Scalextric with ease. Lego models have no issue standing up sturdily one a smooth hard floor. Playmobil models also stay on their feet. I know these sound like small considerations, but when you’re 7, they’re Very Big Indeed.

Love the cool and calming shade of the Quattro 8 Loft White Laminate, it makes a true style statement.
Bringing the beautiful look of real oak, combined with the modern benefits of white laminate flooring, this is suitable for your bedroom, dining room, kitchen and lounge.

We made sure each of the boys had a nice thick rug on the floor – moveable if necessary, but an area of softness for sitting and reading, or lying on whilst constructing the mother of al LEGO towers.

And then there’s the unexpected benefit – sick bugs are MUCH easier to clean up form a hard floor. There’s been any number of times over the years that I’ve blessed those floors at 2 in the morning…

Now we’re in the process of planning our own bedroom makeover, and I’m torn. The husband is yearning for a lovely soft carpet to sink his early morning toes into, but I’m not convinced that laminate and a rug isn’t the best way to go for us too.

I’ve been meandering through all sorts of Laminate options (who knew there were so many? ) and have fallen a little bit in love with this Portico Wide Classical Laminate from Carpetright…

This Classical laminate flooring has a natural wood effect and will make your home feel like a country cottage as you step in. This is a slightly lighter shade of laminate and will give your home a rural edge and a sophisticated appeal. Allow this laminate to radiate your home and make it feel like an urban retreat. Made with an incredibly scratch resistant surface, it is also fade resistant which means it will keep your flooring protected all year round.

 Don’t you think it’d look gorgeous with a fabulous softly-coloured rug on top? I found this one on Nourison Summerfield rug that will work perfectly…

Although, having watched Diana Civil’s video about the new colour trends, I’m wondering if something far bolder would work in our room. I do really love the boldness of a strong turquoise, and those walls above a pale bleached laminate floor would be bright and awesome, wouldn’t they?