Our favourite living room flooring ideas showcase how practical materials can be both cosy and stylish
(Image credit: Lifestyle Floors)
Choosing practical and beautiful living room flooring ideas can make the difference between a cosy space and a cleaning nightmare. Not only can flooring take up a large chunk of your budget, but flooring will hugely impact how you interact with this social space.
From comforting and compact snugs to larger spaces fit for entertaining, researching the types of flooring that suit living rooms, how they are best maintained and how they will fit into the overall design will make all the difference once installed.
Take a look below at our guide to living room flooring ideas.
What to Look for in Living Room Flooring Ideas
(Image credit: Shimu)
Every home is individual, so there's no 'best' living room flooring.
Open plan kitchens and living areas with high traffic from kids and pets, for example, will naturally require a level of easy cleaning which adult-only smaller snugs don't demand.
When starting to look for ideas and styles (and also determining your budget) consider what the room will be used most frequently for. Will shoes be off and feet up to watch TV, or will the room be a spot for a cup of coffee and a catch up with friends? Are you aiming for a dark and cosy atmosphere where a luxurious carpet might work best, or is your dream room light and bright with a calming wood floor?
Creating a sort of wish-list will help narrow down the ever-increasing amount of options and make your final decision easier.
Carpet is an Old Favourite for a Reason
(Image credit: Carpetright)
Plush, luxurious and always in style, carpet has been a firm favourite in living rooms for decades. Bringing a warmth and texture to any sized room, carpet is also great at sound deadening, perfect for when the family is snuggling down to catch up on a box set.
However, while improvements in carpet cleaning technology has come on leaps and bounds, if you have young children, or pets which shed, cleanliness can be a concern, so it's worth looking into the right types of carpet for these sorts of homes.
Is LVT a Good Choice for a Living Room?
(Image credit: Quick-step)
LVT flooring (luxury vinyl tile) is not just an affordable option, but also one that's ideal for all different styles of living room. With finishes including wood and stone effect, LVT is also sound-absorbent, compatible with underfloor heating and soft underfoot — everything a living room deserves.
Install Throughout Your Ground Floor for Seamless Transitions...
(Image credit: Flooring Mountain)
When designing an open plan living, dining or kitchen area using the same flooring throughout will create a unity and simplicity to the interiors.
In this design, engineered wood flooring continues from the living room to the dining area, with elegant glazed room dividers and doors. This type of flooring is easy to clean and it suitable around areas that are prone to water splashes, like kitchens or bathrooms.
Or Use Different Living Room Flooring to Zone Large Spaces
(Image credit: Chris Snook)
Contrasting styles and materials in large open plan spaces is a smart way to create divisions between uses. Here, the polished concrete floor of the kitchen and dining area transitions to engineered wood in a herringbone pattern to create warmer living room zone, while still retaining a cohesive, connected feeling.
Use Living Room Flooring to Connect with the Outside
(Image credit: Walls and Floors)
Porcelain tiles are not only a practical choice, but one that can create an amazing connection with the outdoors as they can be installed both inside and out. Here, one large living space has been created by laying the wood-effect tiles on the patio and in the living room.
A happy compromise between practical and luxurious is to lay LVT, laminate or engineered wood and use soft rugs to enhance the cosy feeling of carpet. This will not only be easier to clean, but can offer cost-effective updates when required.
Give a Small Living Room a Pattern Identity
(Image credit: Carpetright)
If your room isn't spacious and you're after a comforting snug to settle down in, choosing a dark-coloured carpet with a simple pattern will transform the space. Rather than fighting with the limitations of a compact sitting room, embracing deeper colours and creating a solace to relax in is key.
Remember, if you're choosing a carpet in a family living room where drinks might get spilled or mud carried through, opt for one where a light bleach can be utilised, like Carpetright's Madagascar carpet shown.
Whether you choose a laminate, tile or wood wide planks will always be a classic laying pattern to choose. Sleek and simple, there is a reason why installing like this will always be on trend, allowing your other furnishing to take centre stage.
Renovate and Update an Existing Living Room Floor
(Image credit: Furniture and Choice)
Restoring old wooden floorboards is a sure-fire way to retain character in a living room. For a more modern look, paint a light colour, as shown here, and pair with a natural jute, sisal or seagrass rug.
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Assistant Editor Amy began working for Homebuilding & Renovating in 2018. She has an interest in sustainable building methods and always has her eye on the latest design ideas. Amy has interviewed countless self builders, renovators and extenders about their experiences for Homebuilding & Renovating magazine. She is currently renovating a mid-century home, together with her partner, on a DIY basis, and has recently fitted her own kitchen.
