Variety is the spice of life when it comes to flooring in your home.

Burbank Homes displays presentation co-ordinator Jacqui Mallia says flooring – whether it’s tiling, timber or carpet – doesn’t have to be uniform throughout the house.

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“Introducing different flooring allows you to zone off different areas and create interest,’’ Ms Mallia says.

“Just be careful to choose complementary colours to avoid a mismatched feel.”

Tiles

Ms Mallia says home floor coverings encompass everything from solid timber and ceramic to nylon and wool.

“Tiles are most commonly used in kitchens and wet areas for their easy-to-clean quality,’’ she says.

“It’s advisable to seal the grout in these highly workable spaces to help maintain colour and keep them looking new.’’

The Burbank spokesperson says porcelain tiles are popular with many aspiring homeowners because of their durability and colour longevity.

“The colour in a porcelain tile runs all the way through whereas in ceramic tiles the colour is mostly present in the glaze, so any chips will be more noticeable,’’ Ms Mallia advises.

Floorboards

She adds that wooden flooring also offers easy cleaning “as well as near infinite choice in its colour, grade and finish”.

Ms Mallia points out that within the wood and wood-styles categories, bamboo flooring has the highest durability rating, followed by laminate and real timber.

“Nowadays real timber floors are typically made from hardwood which is more resilient to indentation than the older-style softwood,” she says.

“However, depending on the finish, timber floors can still scratch or scuff easily, particularly with dress shoes and stilettoes, which makes them less advisable for high traffic areas.”

Ms Mallia believes that wood or timber flooring is a beautiful option in open living spaces, particularly when it leads out on to decking.

Carpets

When it comes to carpets, they are mainly used in bedrooms because of their softer, warmer feel.

“Nylon and polypropylene carpets are both soft, durable and resistant to stains,’’ Ms Mallia says.

“This makes them an excellent choice in bedrooms, particularly kids’ bedrooms, and even living areas or home theatre rooms where you want to create a warmer, cosier atmosphere.”

Rugs

Ms Mallia says householders looking for extra versatility “can’t go past the humble rug’’.

“Rugs can be rotated seasonally or can be placed on to timber or tiled floors for extra warmth – or to hide stiletto dents on the floorboards.”

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