Having just completed the attic conversion before Christmas (don’t worry, full reveal coming very soon) my head is still full of all the decisions we had to make along the way. I never realised that there would be so many, and that they would be so difficult. One big one, which we went back and forth on, was the bedroom flooring. Not one for being overly traditional, we knew we wanted it to be different and the architect had some good ideas. Still, it was going to be a hard decision that would take some time.
As we’d converted the room into a bedroom, the natural flooring option is to go for a carpet. The room is at the top of the house so the floor needs to absorb sound (and not create extra noise) but as we weren’t putting children up there, we felt we could be more flexible on this.
And I really do feel that you don’t have to follow convention. Why not push the boundaries and do something different? It’s my home after all, and I’m the one who has to live here, and enjoy the space. Creating a room that was aesthetically pleasing, packed a punch and yet was practical and beautiful too wasn’t easy, but adding a statement floor helped.
In the end we chose a very dark solid wood bamboo flooring, as you can see above. Against the white walls it has real impact and sets off the rest of the decor. Covered in sheepskins, it’s warm underfoot, and whilst it does show the dust, it’s also hygienic and practical for my asthmatic husband.
The whole process has made me think about the choices we make for our bedroom decor. Why do we feel the need to be curtailed by tradition? Shouldn’t we be making our flooring and interior decisions based on what works for us as an individual or a family, and not what brands and magazines set out? On my recent QVC show, we talked a lot about allowing your home to be an extension of your personality, and to be confident enough to make personal choices for your decor. It was a great way to be able to give inspiration and I hope the viewers liked it.
I like the approach that Carpetright are taking at the moment with their #DoItDifferently campaign. You can see here, just how passionate they are about giving people options and choices when it comes to decorating their bedroom floor. And it gives an inkling into how thinking and trends for this area are changing. We don’t have to always put carpet on the floor in our bedrooms; there are great alternatives which create a very different interior. So if you’re interested in doing something new do consider the options.
Vinyl flooring has made a strong comeback in recent years and isn’t as cold underfoot as it used to be. Now available in lots of different finishes and textures, it’s a practical alternative for a bedroom floor. I know The Ana Mum Diary recent kitted out her girls’ bedroom floors in a vinyl with huge success.
Carpet tiles can create a fabulous statement on the floor, particularly if you use them to create a pattern or effect like this below. If you’re a fan of the geometric trend, cutting and laying tiles in this way will create an immediate wow factor, and set the tone for the rest of the decor.
For many years we’ve all opted for a plain flooring in most of our rooms, the bedroom included. But maybe it’s time to embrace colour, pattern and print again. Stripes are great, and can make a room feel bigger and longer. Plus combining two textures, perhaps to section off parts of the room from each other, is a good use of flooring options. In the bedroom, I love this idea of carpet under the bed, and vinyl around the dressing table. It’s a great way of making more of a feature of the bed too, another big investment in any bedroom. We spent a lot of time at Carpetright, trying out their beds, before choosing ours.
Whatever you choose to put on your bedroom floor, it has to be something you are happy with. I can’t tell you how much I love our dark, wood floor, even though we were told again and again it was a bad choice. I’m really pleased that we chose to Do It Differently!
Will you be doing something different with your bedroom floor?
Images: 1. Jen Stanbrook || 2, 3, 4 Carpetright
Commissioned post
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