There has never been a been a better choice of flooring available, from carpets and ceramic tiles, to the growing number of luxury vinyls and engineered boards. Whichever you choose, practicality is key – the function of the room should always be the starting point.

Which flooring where?

• HALL

Entrance halls endure a lot of traffic and should also create a good first impression, so flooring needs to be both hard-wearing and easy to keep clean and maintain. The classic choices are stone ceramics and wood (engineered is a good option). Good-quality laminates combine practicality with a huge range of choice.

• DINING ROOM

If this room opens into the kitchen or family room, try choosing the same flooring throughout. Hardwood, laminate, terracotta or tiles are all good choices, as are sisal, coir or jute. If you opt for carpet, go for one treated with a stain inhibitor. A twist, loop or flatweave carpet is less likely to show chair marks than one with a velvet pile.

• STAIRS

Carpet or natural flooring is the obvious choice for stairs. Runners create a smart look, while edge-to-edge carpet avoids the need to paint stair edges. If you use natural flooring, ensure it's designed for stair use, and have it fitted professionally. Avoid looser weaves and slippery finishes such as seagrass; tightly woven sisal designs are recommended.

• LIVING ROOM

For a floor that needs virtually no upkeep, consider hardwood, and soften the look with thick, textured rugs such as a "room square" – a giant-sized rug that will cover most of the room. In the main family room, carpet needs to be easy to clean: 80 per cent wool/20 per cent nylon or all-wool will do the trick. Polypropylene twist pile resists wear and tear, too.

• CORRIDOR

Carpets and natural flooring work well in corridors and landings, but avoid large patterns in narrow areas and consider stripes carefully – they tend to emphasise the wrong proportions. Here, soft-toned stripes make a subtle design statement. With less footfall in this area of the house, you can use pale carpets.

• BEDROOM

These private spaces don't necessarily need floor coverings that co-ordinate with other rooms. They also suffer less wear and tear, so light colours, softer finishes and smoother piles can be used. The same applies to rugs; fix them in place with anti-slip backing. For children's bedrooms, consider practical laminate, vinyl or linoleum.

• KITCHEN

Limestone, porcelain, hardwoods and laminates are good options if you want a
pale floor. Dark slate tiles work well as a contrast with white glossy cabinets and won't show marks if sealed and finished. Terracotta also suits a kitchen, and vinyl flooring (sheet, planks or tiles) is hugely practical for this room, as is linoleum.

• BATHROOM

Constant splashing and pools of water mean carpet, most wood and laminates are to be avoided. Hard tiles, whether in stone, ceramic or porcelain, are the best choices here, as are vinyl tiles or luxury sheet vinyl; if you have young children, consider vinyl with an anti-slip finish. Always make sure stone tiles are sealed, as advised when installed.

TIMBER
Wooden flooring can look fresh and modern or aged and rustic. If your home has serviceable wooden floors, think before replacing them, especially if they're original and well worn; add beautiful rugs or "room squares" – large rugs that cover most of the floor. Floorboards can be stained, painted or varnished and will provide a hard-wearing and practical surface. Look for reclaimed timber in salvage yards; parquet floors are often sold in room-sized quantities, too.
If you're fitting wood flooring, there are three main options. Solid hardwood floors are planks, strips or boards (terms vary among manufacturers) of a single thickness of the timber used, such as oak, ash, beech or cherry. It can be sanded and refinished if necessary, which is often mentioned as a selling point but, unless the room has exceptional wear and tear, the flooring won't need sanding – just refinishing. Choose between matt, satin, and high-shine or gloss finishes, and lacquered, oiled or waxed surfaces. Look at samples of each, preferably in the room they're for, in natural and artificial light. Glossy wood finishes can look shiny, so be sure before you choose. Grades differ too – prime, natural and rustic – depending on the amount of knots, markings and blemishes in the timber.
Engineered timber floors have all the advantages of solid wood floors, and are said to be more stable. The top layer of wood, such as oak, maple and so on, is glued to a high-density fibreboard core, which is glued on to a base board, usually in pine; this type is also called multi-layer or veneered wood flooring. Element7's range uses the same wood on the top and bottom layers, and the centre core is formed from softwood blocks, whose grain is alternately opposed.
Parquet floors are built up from smaller wooden blocks or tiles. As an alternative to real wood, consider wood-look laminate flooring.

* Price points From about £35sq m for solid hardwood and engineered floors. Parquet costs more; if reclaimed, may be priced for a room size. Some hardwood can be laid as a structural floor. Most retailers supply matching skirting boards, thresholds, beading and stair trims.

CARPETS
Making a comeback in recent years, carpet has warmth, colour, pattern and texture. It can add vibrancy to a minimalist scheme, and careful colour choices can link separate rooms or areas. Pattern is back; there are also lots of stripes and clear colours. Texture is in favour, making neutrals more interesting and practical.
There are two main types of carpet: woven and tufted. Woven carpets are described as Wilton or Axminster, which describes the method of production. Wiltons are plain; most Axminsters are patterned, using up to 12 colours in patterns that are usually intricate and beautifully defined. Axminsters have a smooth velvet-pile finish; Wiltons can be velvet-, loop- or twist-pile. Tufted carpets are the most popular type of construction and incorporate a backing fabric and secondary latex backing; the yarn is punched into the backing fabric and creates cut-pile or loop-finish carpets. The most important thing to bear in mind when choosing a carpet is the appropriate grade for the room. Halls and living rooms, and possibly stairs, need heavy domestic-quality carpet; bedrooms have light-domestic carpet. Fibre content is crucial and dictates the feel and look of the carpet, with pure wool designs desirable and luxurious. Wool also has good resilience so is unlikely to flatten. However, most carpet specialists agree that an 80 per cent wool/20 per cent nylon mix offers the best resilience, longevity and "cleanability". Man-made fibres are less costly; although not always as hardwearing as wool blends, they're good for bedrooms, studies and dining rooms that have less intense use. Polyester carpets feel soft and have a longer pile – the material is often used in Saxony designs. Polypropylene has good stain resistance and can be an inexpensive, practical choice for children's rooms. New underlay is important when laying carpet, if the old carpet is worn; the old underlay will be worn in the same places.

* Price pointsGood man-made fibre carpets, from around £17sq m; top-quality wool or wool/nylon starts at around £25 sq m. Allow from around £4 to £6sq m for underlay, and around £7sq m for fitting.

NATURAL FLOORING
The term "natural flooring" refers to woven floor coverings that are made from grasses and fibres such as coir, jute, sisal and seagrass. Paper and bamboo designs are also natural floorings. Texture is all-important, with intricate weaves leading the visual impact. Colours are mostly in the neutral/natural palette, although there are some colourful additions (notably from Crucial Trading and The Alternative Flooring Company), with designs that add coloured or metallic strands to the weave. This type of flooring has a latex backing, and also needs an underlay. Weave patterns include basketweave, herringbone, bouclé (where the weave is ribbed) and Panama (in which two threads in the warp and weft are woven together), but there are also more intricate and elaborate versions to choose from.
All of the natural grasses are hard wearing; choose according to what you want to feel underfoot. Coir is hairy and quite rough; the weaves are looser and the fibres thicker. Sisal is finer; its weaves and patterns can be more intricate and it's also the most suitable natural flooring fibre for stairs. Jute has a silkier finish and appearance, and can look and feel similar to a flat-weave carpet. Seagrass is known to be slippery, so should be avoided on stairs; its waxy finish, however, also means that it has a higher stain resistance.

* Price points From under £20m, but check less expensive versions carefully for density and colour variation. Use installers experienced in laying natural flooring.

STONE
Tiles or flags in stone can be used in all ground floor rooms, and have the advantage of being tough enough for porches, boot rooms, utility rooms and conservatories. Stone is rarely used in upstairs rooms, apart from in bathrooms, and then it must be installed onto a very stable floor. Limestone is popular for bathrooms and kitchens, but the current trend is for grey and light black, to replace yellow-naturals.
Remember that stone tiles look very different once they're sealed, so choose colours and textures from sealed samples in the showroom. Stone is usually sealed once it has been laid, and will need sealing approximately every three to five years. Many suppliers recommend sealants and cleaners by LTP. Silicone sealant prevents liquid spills and dirt from staining stone tiles, and is easily applied with a cloth to a clean stone surface.
Limestone is available in various finishes; try to look at as many examples as you can. Honed finishes are frequently used for elegant kitchens and conservatories; brushed, aged, tumbled and distressed finishes are more rustic and better suited, therefore, to country homes and casual kitchens. Slate comes in a wide range of colours – greens, blues, rusts and greys and combinations thereof – with a riven (rippled) effect where it splits horizontally along the surface. Good in bathrooms, kitchens and halls.
Marble is often seen in halls and, of course, can be fashioned into stairs as well. It's suitable for bathrooms, as it won't be damaged by water, but avoid using marble in kitchens as it is more porous than other stones and could be stained by food or liquid spills. Granite is a good choice if you want a highly polished finish, and comes in glossy jet black as well as mottled green/grey/cream colour options.
Man-made stone tiles and flags are a perfect alternative to the real thing; not only are they equally hardwearing, but they don't need to be sealed. Try Zeus Limestone from the Good Flooring Company, which is a mixture of resin and real stone.

• Price points From about £25, but £50sq m is average; professional installation recommended. Timber floors need a layer of 18mm plywood; a waterproof membrane is usually advised for bathrooms, a screeded surface for other rooms.

LUXURY VINYL
Vinyl flooring is available in several forms. Sheet vinyl can be installed seamlessly, like fitted carpet; it's also available in tiles and planks. Luxury vinyl can mimic natural materials, and the stone, tile and timber designs from Amtico and Karndean are worthy alternatives to the real thing in bathrooms and kitchens. Individually designed floors can feature borders and motifs. Vinyl planks, such as those from Gerflor, are self-adhesive; look for textured finishes.

• Price points Individually designed tiled vinyl floors cost around £50sq m; luxury sheet vinyls and planks are from around £20sq m.

RUBBER
Originally developed for commercial use, rubber flooring is now becoming more popular in homes. It's comfortable underfoot, highly durable and comes in a range of finishes and colours. Dalsouple offers a remarkable 80 colours and more than 30 textures.

• Price points Expect to pay in the region of £40sq m, but don't forget to allow for the cost of specialist fitting on top.

DIRECTORY

THE ALTERNATIVE FLOORING COMPANY, www.alternativeflooring.com

AMTICO, www.amtico.com

ARMSTRONG FLOORING, www.rhinofloor.com

BLENHEIM CARPETS, www.blenheim-carpets.com

BRINTONS, www.brintons.net

BROADLEAF, www.broadleaftimber.co.uk

CLASSICAL FLAGSTONES, www.classical-flagstones.com

CORMAR CARPETS, www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

CRUCIAL TRADING, www.crucial-trading.com

DALSOUPLE, www.dalsouple.com

DRUMMONDS, www.drummonds-arch.co.uk

EBONY & CO, www.ebonyandco.com

FORBO NAIRN, www.forbo-flooring.co.uk

THE GOOD FLOORING COMPANY, www.thegoodflooringco.co.uk

HARVEY MARIA, www.harveymaria.co.uk

JOHNSON TILES, www.johnson-tiles.com

JUNCKERS, www.junckers.com

KAHRS, www.kahrs.co.uk

KARNDEAN INTERNATIONAL, www.karndean.co.uk

KERSAINT COBB, www.kersaintcobb.co.uk

LASSCO, www.lassco.co.uk

MANDARIN STONE, www.mandarinstone.com

MARC EDWARD CARPETS, www.marcedwardcarpets.com

THE NATURAL WOOD FLOOR COMPANY, www.naturalwoodfloor.co.uk