The dining room is the beating heart of the home. Flooring is a key consideration for such an important space, and it must coordinate with furniture to have the perfect effect. In this blog, we’ve partnered with quality furniture store Woods Furniture to reflect on how to choose the right dining room flooring for your home.
What should I consider when planning my dining room flooring?
There are numerous factors to bear in mind when planning your dining room flooring. Considerations must go further than the functionality of the space itself, and pay attention to the users of the dining room and the effect they may have. Read on to find out more about how room size, traffic and durability can all impact your decision-making.
Room size
Flooring can visually impact the size of your dining room. For example, long plank flooring like our Furrow Plank, from our Warehouse Collection can appear to elongate your space. Charlie English, marketing and ecommerce director at Woods Furniture comments, “consider positioning wooden tables so that the grain runs the same way as the flooring. Not only does this coordinate both furniture and flooring aspects of the space, but it also appears to extend the room.” Woods’ Adelaide Large Extendable Dining Table can work to create this effect.
Furrow Plank, Warehouse Collection
Aesthetics
Although the dining room is a focal point of the home all on its own, it is part of its surroundings. For example, it may look strange to have a brightly decorated dining room in a house of neutral tones. If you do choose to divert from the other rooms in your home with a solution like our new Brindle Herringbone, there are other ways to tie the home together. Charlie suggests, “we would recommend using furniture across the home that matches, whether that’s by material, style or feel. As long as every piece works with the flooring, this can give the home a well-put-together aesthetic.” Woods’ Harrogate Living and Dining Collection contains elements that can be implemented across the home, to create a coordinated look.
Brindle Herringbone, Project Collection and Woods Furniture Harrogate Extending Dining Table in Prairie
Amount of traffic
As with any space, practicality is key. One key consideration for your dining room flooring is the amount of traffic that you will welcome into a space. If you frequently host parties, the amount of footfall in your home will be high, so your flooring needs to be able to withstand this. We would recommend a hardwood flooring option such as our Santi Herringbone. If the dining room is used by many guests, there’s also a small chance that chairs may scratch the dining room flooring, when moved in and out. Solutions like Woods’ Paulo Corner Bench can be positioned in a way so as to not be pulled out to seat guests. We would also recommend using felt pads on the bottom of your furniture to protect your floor.
Santi Herringbone, Strada Collection
Children and animals
Wood is the best type of dining room flooring if you have children or pets in the home. This is because the flooring can be easily wiped down and cleaned, to prevent any accidents when walking around the dining room. English states, “alongside wood flooring, another way to make the dining room area safer for children is to opt for a round table such as our Amalfi Dining Table. This removes the prospect of corners that children could harm themselves on, as well as providing the setting for a cosy family dinner.”
Durability
Durability and practicality often work together for the best results. Dining room flooring that stands the test of time is favoured, as it will become a cherished staple in the home for years to come. Our confidence in the strength of our flooring is shown in the warranty for products like our Wiston Plank, which comes with an extended 30-year warranty. Charlie English also suggests, “consider placing a carpet like one of our Traditional Rugs underneath the dining room table. In addition to adding even more character to a room, rugs can help to prevent any scratches and damage to the dining room flooring.”
Wiston Plank, Crafted Textures Collection
What type of flooring is best for a dining room?
Once you have contemplated the considerations for planning your dining room flooring, it’s now time to think about what type of flooring is best for your space. Below we’re exploring some key options including herringbone wood flooring and dark wood flooring.
Plank wood flooring
Plank wood flooring, such as our Petworth Plank is ideal for smaller dining rooms as it can make a space appear larger. Ensure that the flooring is laid with the planks in the direction of the longest part of the room for maximum effect. This flooring is often paired with versatile extendable dining tables like Woods’ Toscana Motion Table to open up the space.
Petworth Plank, Project Collection
Herringbone wood flooring
Parquet flooring like herringbone blocks can bring design into the dining room. We would recommend using flooring like our Paperback Herringbone in larger dining room spaces, as herringbone flooring has the opposite effect of plank wood flooring when it comes to visual size. Charlie English comments, “to match furniture with herringbone wood flooring, choose simple styles like our Callum Dining Chair sets. This prevents the space from looking too busy.”
Paperback Herringbone, Create Collection
Blonde wood flooring
Blonde wood flooring can transform a room to be bright and welcoming. If your dining room isn’t very well lit, the pale tones of wood in this flooring style work can bring light to the darkest space. Linton and Haling from our Project Collection are a perfect blonde wood flooring choice for your dining room. Woods recommends coordinating this flooring with furniture that is slightly darker in tone, such as their Urban Dining Table Set.
Haling Plank, Project Collection and Woods Furntiure Urban Dining Table Set
Dark wood flooring
The brave amongst you may select dark wood flooring. This choice can add dramatic effect to your dining room, really making the statement that this room is the centerpiece of the home. Dining room flooring like our Stonewash Chevron adds a warm feel that should be balanced with lightly coloured furniture and walls.
Stonewash Chevron, Create Collection
You should now feel prepared to choose the right dining room flooring for your home. Start your renovation today with products from Ted Todd and Woods: just click the links to visit the websites.