ᐅ Should the hallway and the living/dining area have the same flooring?

I wanted something "soft" underfoot, like wood. Tiles are not an option for me in the living/sleeping areas or kitchen. When we renovated the kitchen, there was about a 120x100cm (47x39 inches) section of bare floor. We couldn’t get the exact same wood flooring, and the sun also contributed to a change in color. Since our countertop on the island extends all the way down to the floor on the side, we tiled right next to it in a shade that’s almost the same color. I avoid that area, but I also don’t wear shoes inside. It’s hard.

Our wooden floor shows signs of wear, but that doesn’t bother me. My home is for living in, not just for looking at. It’s engineered wood flooring, and the grandchildren haven’t damaged it yet, though things do occasionally fall or a piece of furniture gets moved around carelessly (without protection underneath). We don’t have a dog, only a cat.

The flooring that Nick described is probably the most comfortable to walk on (similar to cork in that regard). I just don’t like how it looks.

Connilein schrieb:
I just had the idea of using wood-look tiles instead of vinyl. The floor will be pleasantly warm anyway because of the underfloor heating. Somehow, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Especially considering that you might be bringing groceries into the kitchen with shoes on or someday have a dog running around. Tiles would probably be easier to maintain in that case.

We chose vinyl for all areas without tiles. Tiles were installed in the hallway, utility room, bathroom, and WC. After two months, I’m very satisfied with the vinyl floor. You have to like the feel of it, though. I appreciate how easy to maintain the vinyl is and how warm it feels. We have underfloor heating but, as is common nowadays, with a low supply temperature. I often play on the floor in my 1-year-old’s room, and it’s comfortable to sit on. The vinyl is soft and, thanks to the underfloor heating, feels almost skin-warm. It tolerates a lot; so far I see no damage from my child banging it with everything they find. It’s also resistant to water and dirt. Partially chewed food, water drops, milk drops – you can wipe it up wet without leaving marks. I haven’t seen any scratches either. We have wood-look tiles in the bathroom, and I don’t like them as much as the vinyl. Even with grout color matching, you can still tell they are tiles. So for the bathroom, I think it’s absolutely fine, but I wouldn’t want that look in the living room.

So, we have an open living/dining area with a kitchen, which is why we now want to use a uniform flooring throughout. Upstairs, in the bedrooms and hallway, we will have vinyl, but downstairs we will use tiles throughout. Simply because we think it is easier to maintain, we have an aquarium (so if anything spills, the tiled floor is more forgiving), and eventually, a puppy will be moving in. In the chill area, a rug can be added if necessary, but we are quite happy with this solution.