As we reach the end of our build, I wanted to talk about one of the success stories and why we chose Quick-Step laminate flooring for our home renovation.
We knocked down most of our downstairs walls to create open-plan living for our family and to compliment this, we used the same flooring throughout. This allowed the space to flow seamlessly into what was once several small rooms. Below is a picture of the finished room and then an image of how the room looked before the work – quite a difference! Thankfully, I always had the vision and confidence that we could create an amazing space.
We had the option of solid wood but decided against it and went for laminate. It ticked every box in terms of cost; appearance and low maintenance. Don’t get me wrong, I love solid wood, but as we still have two relatively young children and lots of traffic in and out of our home, we didn’t think this would be the right time to lay a super expensive floor.
We ordered lots of samples and added our favourite to the moodboard, along with our paint and tile samples. This part was crucial as we needed to make sure each element worked. We loved the idea of painting the room a deep green to contrast against the floor and create a warm and cosy living space. There is a huge amount of natural light in this room and so we knew it could handle a dark and dramatic wall colour.
Choosing the right tone and style of laminate is key as it forms the foundation of the room, it should compliment existing furniture and accessories and fit with the style of decor.
- Natural oak a mid tone wood which has the ability to sit quite comfortably within a traditional or modern home
- The dark floor (almost black) a popular choice, especially for high-end homes. It gives a classic look and makes items in the room stand out, especially paired with white kitchen cabinets and other light features in the room. Due to the dark colour, it also hides any marks or blemishes. The most popular stains are Charcoal, Ebony, Jacobean and Espresso.
- The grey floor, a continuing trend and showing no sign of slowing down. Popular shades are Grey lime washed oak (which I chose) as this sits nicely with a modern interior
- The white wood floor, this finish adds light and modernity to a home, especially with wider planks. Great for Shabby Chic or minimalist spaces.
- The reclaimed floor the appeal of a reclaimed looking floor is that it comes with it’s own story, often looking like it’s been salvaged from old homes or factories, it instantly adds character and warmth to the home.
- The patterned wood floor, such as herringbone or chevron (which are the most common, but by no means the only patterns available) are a great way to add style and drama to a room, breaking up the traditional parallel lines that we are so used to seeing. It’s also a very ‘of the moment’ pattern.
We chose a Woodland Oak in light grey, MJ3547, from Quick-Step’s Majestic collection. The finish is pale grey and whilst you can see the grain of the wood, it’s faded appearance means it is not too domineering in the room. We decided to lay it in the whole of the downstairs area, most definitely the right decision with children. My initial worry was that the living room wouldn’t feel cosy enough but as soon as we laid a large woollen rug, and all of our other soft furnishings, the room was instantly softened. With their extra-wide and extra-long planks, the Majestic floor has the look and feel of real wood. In fact, everyone who sees it thinks it’s a genuine lime washed oak!
Our fitter, Martin Tompsett, from Bishops Stortford, was a known and trusted fitter for Quickstep and was very familiar with their product. A recommended tradesman is something that I would highly recommend, either ask Quick-Step or visit a trusted tradesman site for your area.
Treated with a unique Hydroseal water-repellent coating, Majestic floors offer the ultimate in water resistance, making them the perfect fit for kitchens and bathrooms. From my experience, most people tend to worry about splash areas in the kitchen and how it their laminate. Whist this certainly used to be the case, Quick-Step’s laminate is tried and tested. Even our old Quick-Step laminate that we had in the kitchen for 6 years showed no signs of warping in splash heavy areas.
In terms of its low maintenance, the floor still needs to be cared for. To avoid any scratches, we have placed pads on the bottom of our dining chairs and sofa’s and we take our shoes off in the house.
Below are the finished pictures of the space – let me know what you think and please ask away with any questions you might have about the product.
All wood used in Quickstep’s laminate and engineered floors originate from sustainably managed forests. This means that you can be safe in the knowledge that your floor has made as small an impact on the environment as possible.
