Sharon's choice: KITCHEN FLOORING

Make finding and purchasing the right flooring for your kitchen a breeze, so that you can enjoy it for years to come

- HEATHER YOUNG

When designing the heart of your home there are countless decisions to be made. One of the bigger choices is kitchen flooring – in addition to good looks, the flooring needs to be durable and easy to maintain and clean.

Consider materials

Flooring comes in all manner of materials, but for a high-traffic and, let’s be frank, messy space like the kitchen, it’s one of the most important surfaces to get right. Choose from natural stone, porcelain, real wood, cork, laminate, vinyl and many more.

Choose the right look

A good rule of thumb is to decide whether you want your flooring to co-ordinate or contrast with your cabinetry. To co-ordinate, go for materials in the same finish (matt or gloss) and match the colours as closely as possible. Choose a material that can be used for both worktops and floors, or match, say, a walnut floor to a rich brown stone or composite worktop. For contrast, choose different finishes in the same colour or different colours in the same finish – or both for a dramatic contrast.

Check the maintenance