Flooring Ideas for Every Room and Every Style

Each room has its own unique needs: a bathroom requires materials that can withstand water, bedrooms call for cozy comfort underfoot, and high-traffic areas need to handle wear and tear. Your flooring choice sets the tone for the space while ensuring it functions with your lifestyle.

Ready to find the perfect fit for every room? Let’s explore the most popular flooring materials and which options best suit each room’s needs.

Most Popular Flooring Materials for Homeowners

Popular flooring materials have earned their status for good reason. They offer a mix of style, durability, and functionality that works in a variety of spaces and budgets and suits every lifestyle. Whether you’re drawn to the timeless elegance of natural hardwood or the practicality of luxury vinyl, understanding the materials and the pros and cons of each option can help you choose the perfect foundation for your home.

Horizon Three Floor Plan, Horizon Townhomes Portfolio, Midtown Community, Denver, Colorado

Hardwood

Timeless and elegant, hardwood brings warmth and character to any room. It’s durable, easy to clean, and works well with almost any design style. Hardwood also adds value to your home, making it a worthwhile investment for both style and longevity. If anyone in your household has allergies, hardwood is a better option than carpet as it doesn’t trap dust or pollen.

Genuine, solid hardwood adds a luxurious aesthetic due to its natural beauty and organic feel. With a variety of wood types, finishes, and plank sizes to choose from, you can customize the look to perfectly complement each room’s aesthetic.

Pros:

• Long-lasting and durable with proper care
• Easy to clean
• Can be refinished multiple times to refresh its look
• Adds value to your home

Cons:

• Susceptible to scratches and moisture damage
• Higher upfront cost compared to other materials
• Requires regular maintenance

Ponderosa Floor Plan, Highland Ridge Collection, Alamar Community, Avondale, Arizona

Carpet

If you’re looking to make a room feel cozier, carpet is the way to go. It adds warmth, softness, and sound absorption to create a snug space ideal for relaxing. Carpet provides a plush surface that meets the needs of every generation.

For children, carpet is a soft, cushioned foundation perfect for sitting, crawling, or playing on the floor. For aging adults, it offers extra safety by providing traction to help prevent slips and cushioning to soften the impact of falls.

Carpet comes in a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns, meaning you can easily find a style that enhances your room’s ambiance and reflects your personal taste.

Pros:

• Soft and warm underfoot
• Reduces noise and improves insulation
• Affordable and available in a wide range of colors and textures
• Safe for kids and aging adults

Cons:

• Captures stains and odors
• Requires more frequent cleaning to maintain appearance
• Holds dust and allergens
• Less durable in high-traffic areas
• Not moisture resistant

Sterling Floor Plan, Single Family Homes Collection, Wendell Falls Community, Wendell, North Carolina

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) and Tile (LVT)

Vinyl flooring is often misunderstood, conjuring up mental images of outdated sheets printed with tacky patterns (think grandma’s kitchen in the ‘70s). Nowadays, vinyl plank flooring has had the glow-up it deserves, earning its reputation as a top choice among homeowners.

Modern planks not only look and feel like real hardwood but are also waterproof, meaning you can use them throughout your entire home for a beautiful, cohesive design. The material clicks together for easy installation and can be placed directly on top of existing concrete or tile flooring.

It is also incredibly durable, easy to clean, scratch-, stain-, and fade-resistant (meaning it’s great for homes with pets and children), and affordable. Luxury vinyl flooring is typically designed to replicate the look of hardwood or stone, making it easy to achieve a high-end look on a budget.

Pros:

• Water-resistant and waterproof options
• Durable
• Easy to clean and install
• Scratch-, stain-, and fade-resistant
• Good for homes with pets and children
• Low maintenance
• Budget-friendly

Cons:

• Susceptible to gouges and dents
• Potential for fading in direct sunlight
• If glued down, it can be hard to remove if you ever need or want to replace
• May not add as much resale value compared to hardwood or natural stone

Residence 1 Floor Plan, Sundance Neighborhood, Rosewood Community, Morgan Hill, California

Tile

Tile is water-resistant, easy to clean, and incredibly durable, making it a classic choice for your kitchen or bathroom. It’s also a low-maintenance material that only requires vacuuming and mopping as needed, making it a great option for households with pets and children.

Whether your style is traditional or modern, tile comes in an almost endless number of design styles. Wood-look tile has been increasing in popularity, resulting in even more shades, textures, and styles becoming available. Higher-end products may even be distressed or hand-scraped for a more authentic look and feel.

Pros:

• Incredibly durable and long-lasting
• Water-resistant and waterproof options
• Good for homes with pets and children
• Stain-, slip-, and scratch-resistant
• Individual tiles can be replaced if damaged
• Easy to clean and little maintenance
• Budget friendly
• Can be used indoors and outdoors

Cons:

• More challenging to install
• Unless you install radiant heat, tile is cold underfoot
• Doesn’t muffle noise, so not ideal for upper-story installation
• Grout maintenance
• Prone to cracking

Dickinson Floor Plan, Urban Courtyard Homes Collection, Easton Park Community, Austin, Texas

Laminate

Laminate flooring has come a long way from its former state. Modern laminate planks are a hybrid material consisting of a particleboard wood base topped by an image layer and a transparent wear layer. They’re inexpensive, durable, and available in a wide variety of styles and colors. Because they’re “clickable” (or a “floating floor”), they can easily be installed on top of tile or concrete flooring.

While it’s not waterproof, laminate is water resistant, so it can be used in high-traffic areas like kitchens and hallways. It is also stain—and fade-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about spills or sunlight damaging your flooring.

Although not guaranteed to last a lifetime, the initial cost and ease of maintenance are tradeoffs most homeowners are willing to make. Laminate can easily be swept and mopped as needed—just be sure not to oversaturate, use abrasive cleaners, or use products that may cause slipping once dry.

Pros:

• Easy to clean and install
• Durable
• Low maintenance
• Scratch-, stain-, and fade-resistant
• Good for homes with pets and children
• Budget friendly

Cons:

• Moisture-sensitive
• Cannot be refinished
• Potential hollow sound when walked on
• Can feel less authentic when compared to natural hardwood

Purcell 24 Floor Plan, Front Garage Collection, Creekstone Community, Calgary, Alberta

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood flooring is similar to laminate in that it has multiple layers, but instead of a photographic layer on top, there is a thin slice of real wood. If you have a specific hardwood you’ve fallen in love with, but your budget won’t allow for the real deal, chances are you can easily find it in an engineered form. While it isn’t 100% hardwood flooring, it isn’t far from it, and most people won’t be able to tell the difference once it’s installed.

Like laminate, engineered hardwood is moisture-resistant, meaning it’s great for most of your home but not your bathrooms or laundry area. Unlike laminate flooring, engineered wood can be sanded down and refinished, but only once or twice in its lifetime.

Engineered hardwood can be installed in a few different ways. Some products are designed for glue-down application, meaning the job is better suited to a professional, and some products are nail-down installation or floating floors, which can be done yourself.

One of the biggest drawbacks to engineered hardwood is its high maintenance level, which keeps it shining – similar to the care real hardwood requires. Unless you’re prepared to keep up with regular maintenance, this product isn’t well-suited to homes with pets and children.

Pros:

• Temperature and moisture-resistant
• Durable
• More budget-friendly compared to real hardwood
• More authentic look and feel of hardwood
• Can be refinished if the veneer is thick enough

Cons:

• Limited resurfacing
• Higher level of maintenance
• Prone to fading, scratches, and dents
• Not as budget-friendly compared to other hardwood alternatives
• Not suited for homes with pets and children

Chorley Floor Plan, 36' Detached Collection, Midhurst Valley Community, Barrie, Ontario

Natural Stone

Stone flooring adds elegance and natural beauty to any home. It can tolerate heavy foot traffic, create a sophisticated look, and increase your home’s value. Its unique patterns, textures, and colors ensure that no two pieces are exactly alike, creating a one-of-a-kind look.

Popular stone flooring choices include marble, granite, slate, and travertine. Travertine offers a warm, earthy look, while granite tiles provide durability and resistance to wear. Marble showcases intricate veining patterns that can make a bold statement, and slate brings in a touch of rustic charm.

Pros:

• Timeless beauty
• Extremely durable and long-lasting
• Unique patterns and textures in every piece
• Potential for a higher resale value for your home
• Eco-friendly since stone is a naturally occurring material

Cons:

• High cost of materials and installation
• Requires regular sealing and maintenance
• Cold underfoot
• Slippery when wet
• Potential for cracking and chipping

Residence 6 Floor Plan, Row Collection, New Haven Community, Ontario, California

Living Room Flooring Ideas

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, your living room might be the soul. It’s where comfort meets style and where family and friends gather to be comfortable. Your flooring choice plays a big role in setting the tone for this versatile space. It needs to be durable enough to handle daily life yet inviting enough to create a cozy, welcoming vibe.

From classic elegance to modern flair, there are plenty of options to match your vision. Here are some of the best flooring materials for a living room:

• Hardwood
• Engineered Wood
• Luxury Vinyl
• Carpet
• Laminate

If you love the look of hard flooring but still want a cozy touch, layer with an area rug. It adds comfort and style while being easy to swap out as your tastes change. A rug that is too small looks silly and almost uninviting, while a rug that is too large swallows the room and makes it feel smaller. Check out our blog, “How to Choose the Right Rug Size,” to ensure you have the perfect fit.

Hudson 24 Floor Plan, Front Garage Collection, Silver Spruce Community, Calgary, Alberta

Kitchen Flooring Ideas

The kitchen is the bustling hub of your home—a space that needs to balance style, durability, and practicality. From cooking up family dinners to hosting lively gatherings, your kitchen flooring has to withstand spills, heavy foot traffic, and the occasional dropped dish. That doesn’t mean you have to compromise on aesthetics! The right flooring can tie your kitchen design together while standing up to everyday wear and tear.

• Tile
• Luxury Vinyl
• Engineered Wood
• Natural Stone

Residence 2 Floor Plan, Dwell Collection, New Haven Community, Ontario, California

Bedroom Flooring Ideas

Your bedroom should feel like a sanctuary – a place to unwind, relax, and recharge at the end of the day. The right flooring plays a significant role in setting the tone for this serene space, helping to create a cozy and calming environment.

There aren’t many restrictions to consider when choosing your bedroom flooring. Unlike high-traffic areas in your home, the bedroom has fewer practical restrictions, giving you the freedom to focus on warmth, style, and personal preference.

You want it to be comfortable for bare feet, stylish, easy to maintain, and complement the room’s overall design. Whether you’re drawn to carpet's plush comfort or hardwood's timeless elegance with a cozy rug, your flooring choice can transform your bedroom into a tranquil retreat that perfectly suits your lifestyle.

• Carpet
• Hardwood
• Luxury Vinyl
• Laminate

Columbia 2–24 Floor Plan, Front Garage Collection, Creekstone Community, Calgary, Alberta

Bathroom Flooring Ideas

Choosing the right flooring for your bathroom requires a careful balance of style, durability, and water resistance. Bathrooms are high-moisture spaces, so it’s essential to select a material that can handle humidity, water, and frequent cleaning without warping or staining.

Consider installing a radiant-heat subfloor beneath your bathroom flooring for added comfort and luxury. This innovative feature warms the floor from below, creating an inviting surface that’s perfect on chilly mornings. Radiant heat systems are compatible with many popular bathroom flooring materials, including tile, natural stone, and luxury vinyl, so it’s easy to use with your preferred style.

• Tile
• Luxury Vinyl
• Natural Stone

Whatever material you choose, prioritize safety and select a slip-resistant finish.

Wicklow Floor Plan, Duplex Collection, Livingston Community, Calgary, Alberta

Additional Things to Consider When Choosing Flooring

When choosing a flooring material, it’s important to think beyond appearance and specific room functionality and consider big-picture factors. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

1. The layout of your home

Consider the flow between rooms and how flooring will connect the spaces. Open-concept layouts benefit from consistent flooring throughout to create a seamless, cohesive look, while defined spaces allow for a mix of materials to suit each room’s specific needs.

To help you decide if the flooring should be the same throughout your home, we’ve put together some pros, cons, and considerations to make an informed decision. Check out our blog, “Is it OK to Use Different Flooring Throughout Your House?” to learn more!

2. The climate where you live

The climate plays a significant role in the durability and comfort of your flooring. For example, hardwood may expand and contract in regions with high humidity, while tile and natural stone perform well in warmer climates. If you live in a colder area, consider pairing hard surfaces with radiant heat or area rugs for added warmth.

3. Your household and lifestyle

How your family lives and your household’s unique needs are critical considerations when choosing flooring. Families with kids or pets may prioritize scratch-resistant, durable materials like luxury vinyl or tile, while allergy sufferers may prefer hard surfaces that are easier to clean. If your household has older adults, slip-resistant flooring is essential for safety.

4. Your budget

Flooring materials come in a wide range of price points, so it’s important to set a budget before you start shopping. Your heart may say hardwood, but your wallet may say hardwood alternative. In addition to the material price, you’ll need to factor in installation, underlayment, and any special finishes, as these can significantly affect the overall cost. If you’re planning to stay in your home for a long time, investing in high-quality, durable materials may be worth the upfront cost if you can manage it.

5. Maintenance requirements

Some materials, like hardwood and natural stone, require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best, while others, like laminate and luxury vinyl, are more low-maintenance. Consider how much time, effort, and money you’re willing to invest in upkeep.

Solstice Floor Plan, Mariposa Collection, Blossom Rock Community, Apache Junction, Arizona

Choosing the right flooring for each room in your home is a balance between practicality and style. From the timeless elegance of hardwood in your living room to the cozy comfort of carpet in the bedroom or the water-resistant durability of tile in the bathroom, there’s a perfect solution for every space and lifestyle.

No matter your design preferences or needs, the right flooring will set the stage for a home that’s both stylish and functional.

If you’re looking for more design advice, homebuying insights, or moving tips and tricks, the Brookfield Residential blog covers it all. Be sure to follow along for more!

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