It’s no secret that the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. Not only is it where you cook, but it’s often also where you eat and socialize with friends and family. As such, it’s important to make sure that your kitchen flooring is up to par with the rest of your home.
Whether you’re looking for something traditional or want to try something new, there is sure to be a flooring option that fits your style. Below are some of the most popular types of kitchen flooring, along with a few tips on how to select the right one for your home.
1. Linoleum
Linoleum is a traditional, yet durable kitchen flooring option that can be installed in any home. Linoleum flooring comes in rolls so they’re very easy to install DIY, and they’re anti-absorbent and stain-resistant.
Remember the famous checkered floors from the 1950s? They were mostly linoleum-based; today, linoleum comes in a huge variety of designs and patterns.
Whether you choose to go with a shaded gray tile pattern or a faux stone linoleum floor, your choices are virtually endless. The rest of the kitchen design will depend on what linoleum floor design you end up with.
2. Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl plank flooring has become increasingly popular in the past couple of years because it’s extremely versatile and can be installed over any surface, including concrete. It’s also water-resistant and it comes in a wide variety of colors, styles, patterns, and sizes.
If you go with vinyl planks for your kitchen floor, try to keep things simple. Pick out a color that complements the rest of your home, then stick with that color.
You can go with white or grey or even red if you want to give your kitchen a warm, classic look. Due to its low-cost, vinyl is a great option if you are looking to give your kitchen a quick update.
If you’d like to go with a stone design but don’t actually want to use stone (or concrete), you can go with a luxury vinyl tile or LVT – these are at the higher end of vinyl planks/tiles that give a natural stone aesthetic. Luxury vinyl tiles (or luxury vinyl plank) are also a good alternative to a porcelain tile kitchen.
3. Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tile is extremely durable but requires a high level of upkeep. It’s also easy to clean and can be custom designed with your choice of glaze, color, and pattern.
To complement your ceramic tile kitchen floor use a white or gray kitchen cabinet, countertops, and backsplash. For a different option use a dark, solid-colored tile which will make the room feel large and more open.
To decorate your ceramic tile floor you can use either a small kitchen rug or an area rug.
To add color simply place colorful flowers in vases on top of the cabinets and countertops (if they’re white) or if your cabinet and countertop colors contrast with the tiles (such as black or dark wood cabinets with light floors) then place colorful flowers in vases on top of the respective cabinets and countertops.
A second option is to create an area rug design by using contrasting colors of tile, such as white, gray, and black tiles. This will be more difficult than simply using one color of tile but the result is a unique and creative design.
4. Wood Flooring (Or Engineered Wood Flooring)
Wood is a classic flooring option that’s simple to clean and maintain. It can be stained or painted any color you want, but it also requires regular refinishing in order to retain its original appearance.
For complementing a wood floor, use neutral colors in your kitchen: beige or cream for the backsplash and beige for the walls. Wooden floors (and cabinets) look best in warm lightning. For the countertops, you can use black granite or marble; these give the wooden cabinets a bit of a formal finish.
If you are getting solid wood floors (rather than tiles that look like wood) make sure to keep up regular maintenance. Wood is a great option for kitchens but is scratch prone.
Another option is getting an engineered wood floor; it is more resilient than natural wood against wear and tear.
5. Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring goes great with a farmhouse-style kitchen. There are a lot of different kinds of hardwood flooring, and you can style your wood to make it look like it’s an old farmhouse floor. You can use a stain on your hardwood floor to make it look old – you’ll have to apply multiple coats so that the color is consistent.
You can use the different colors in your hardwood flooring to make it look like you have random boards that are of different colors – this gives it a more ‘old’ look.
If you’re not into the ‘old floor’ look, then just use a hardwood floor to make a very sleek and modern kitchen. Hardwood floors go best with extremes: either choose a neutral theme for your kitchen (beige or ivory or sand-colored cabinets and walls) or go with a darker kitchen (navy blue cabinets, charcoal gray walls, and island).
6. Mosaic Tiles For An Artistic Kitchen Floor
If you want to go with something that’s completely different, why not style your kitchen flooring like an artistic mosaic? There are different kinds of mosaics you can get that will fit with your kitchen, you just need to know what kind of style you’re looking for.
You can get different-sized tiles that are metallic or colorful and then paste them together to create a design. Make sure that the adhesive you use for your tiles is of good quality so that they don’t come apart later.
Designing with mosaics is very fun; you can go the regular route and make the whole floor a uniform pattern or you use different mosaics together. Usually, when choosing a mosaic floor, it is best to incorporate the design either in the backsplash or some other surface/wall in your kitchen as well.
7. Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring doesn’t have to be bland and boring – you can style your laminate flooring with different designs that will make your kitchen look expensive and high-class.
Use gray laminate floors to make the kitchen cool and comforting; pair it up with gray chairs and a white table. Have a yellow accent wall (gray goes great with yellow) to add some pop.
You can also get laminate flooring that looks like expensive hardwood flooring (or porcelain tiles), so if you’re on a budget this is an excellent idea.
Use Bright Colors To Create A Fun And Cheerful Kitchen That Kids Will Love.
If you’re looking for a fun and cheerful kitchen flooring option that kids will love, then bright colors are a great choice. You can choose from a variety of colors to create a look that’s perfect for your home. Be sure to style the rest of the kitchen accordingly to complete the look.
Do that by painting the walls bright red, turquoise (Pantone’s color of the year for 2010), yellow, or blue. Add an accent wall that’s a different color.
If you’re using a flooring option that has a bold pattern, add a rug with a complementary pattern to add even more texture and interest to the room. Have a single-color rug in a solid shade or a patterned area rug with a small print.
8. Bamboo Kitchen Floors
Bamboo flooring is a good choice for eco-conscious kitchen remodelers; it can be finished to take on a variety of different looks, from rustic to modern, for an individualized look. Bamboo floors have a natural luster, are naturally anti-static, and provide sound insulation.
9. Stone Flooring
Different types of stone can be used, such as granite, marble, or slate, and they can be either polished or left with a more natural look.
When styling a kitchen with stone flooring, it’s important to consider the color scheme and the other materials in the room. For a traditional look, try pairing a slate floor with wooden cabinets and a granite countertop; for a more contemporary look, go for all-stone surfaces with metallic accents.
10. Concrete Flooring
Concrete is a durable floor option – and it’s affordable too. It has a sleek, modern look, and can be finished in any number of ways to suit different styles.
To complement your concrete kitchen floor use a white or light-colored island with a dark countertop and dark cabinets. Or, go the other way around – have a white or light-colored island with a dark floor and dark counters.
If you use a lighter color for both the tiles and the entire kitchen surfaces it will reflect more light into the room making it look bigger. If you use a dark color for both the tiles and the kitchen surfaces, it will make the room appear smaller.
Make sure to style your kitchen with warm colors – browns, oranges, yellows, reddish hues. Keep metal appliances white to balance out all of that warmth. And then choose an accent color – turquoise or bright green – this will really pop and be a stand-out.
Kitchen Floor Ideas For 2022
A kitchen is one of the most important places in your home, and as such when designing your kitchen (or kitchen floor) do consider using materials that be a good long-term investment. A good kitchen aesthetic is equally as important, but not at the cost of poor-quality materials.
These are 10 reliable kitchen flooring options; make sure to consider your own kitchen needs and then make your kitchen flooring choice for 2022.
