Flooring Trends, Styles and Kitchen Flooring Costs
Kitchen flooring options let you select a material, color and pattern to give you the look, feel and performance you want. There are choices ranging from very affordable to decidedly high-end, in almost any style you choose. Most flooring options are easy to clean and care for and require very little maintenance, if any. This kitchen remodeling guide to flooring will give you remodeling ideas you can use to search for the perfect flooring to complete your kitchen.
Trends in Kitchen Flooring
One of the newest directions in kitchen flooring is bamboo and cork. Both are made from natural materials that produce hard, durable and very attractive flooring. They are also popular with advocates of environmentally responsible building materials because both are renewed very quickly. Cork flooring is compressed, not like the cork used in bulletin boards. Linoleum is also making a comeback because it is attractive, versatile and very green also.
Concrete floors, once considered just functional, are now making a comeback with new techniques that add pigment, etching, embossing, stamping, texturing or terrazzo to the floor. If you go with concrete, consider adding in-floor heating to the kitchen remodeling plan for a warmth you’ll enjoy on those colder days and nights. Bare feet on a heated floor is something you will not want to do without.
Kitchen Floor Pictures from our Pinterest Board
Styles of Kitchen Flooring
The style you choose should be dictated by the rest of your kitchen or home remodeling theme. Whether you want a very traditional look, a transitional motif, a country feel, a very modern approach, a retro-chic look, or something European or Mediterranean, there are flooring materials that work very well in all price ranges. Tile is very versatile and can be used to give your kitchen almost any style, based on the size and pattern you use. Make sure you use a grade and texture of tile manufactured for kitchen use. Wood remains popular and is also adaptable to many looks that can work with many different themes. Wood comes in traditional types as well as the more exotic varieties. If you want the look of wood with greater durability and less maintenance, consider a high-quality laminate. Natural stone floors are pricey but add tremendous beauty in a remodeling design. They’re pleasantly cool in summer but can be chilly in winter. Carpet in the kitchen is more popular than it has been in a generation. If you choose carpet, make sure it is water and stain resistant, easy to clean and expect to have it cleaned regularly. You might consider modular carpet because if one or two of the sections get stained, they can be replaced. If affordability is a main goal, vinyl kitchen flooring comes in a multitude of patterns and colors to work with any kitchen remodeling theme at some very competitive prices.
Kitchen Flooring Costs
There is a kitchen flooring type to meet any budget. On the affordable end, with vinyl and some wood or tile options, your remodeling prices can be less than $5 per square foot. Most types of kitchen flooring cost $5-$15 per square foot. Natural stone, some exotic woods, and terrazzo can cost a lot more than that. Kitchen flooring contractors usually work with one or just a few types of material so you’ll need to talk with several remodeling contractors to get bids for the types of flooring you are considering.
Conclusion, While some homeowners know what type of flooring they want and then build their kitchen remodeling project from the ground up, many settle on cabinets and countertops, or the overall theme, and then select the right flooring to complete the design. Either way works, and with the sheer variety of kitchen flooring available, you’ll have your choice of many that will work very well for your kitchen remodeling.
