Vinyl / Resilient Flooring Styles

Vinyl flooring is as versatile as tile, laminate and carpeting. The colors, textures, patterns and designs are calculated to stir your imagination and fit your budget. Today’s vinyl flooring is the great imposter.  It can have the look and feel of brick, stone, marble, linoleum or wood.  The only limits are in your mind’s eye.

Vinyl is the acknowledged workhorse of the flooring world. That’s why we love it for our kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.  It’s practical and durable and very fashionable.  It can go anywhere.  Imagine it in your living room, dining room and bedrooms.  It’s warm and cushiony underfoot and so easy to clean.  Learn about luxury vinyl tile or find design ideas for vinyl flooring, in our Designer's Corner.

Resilient vinyl flooring comes in a wide price range.  As you move into the more expensive products, you’ll find a greater selection of colors and textures — plus enhanced performance.  That all important wear layer is often tougher and thicker in the premium flooring, which means it’s more resistant to scratching, staining, denting and tearing.  Some premium wear layers are enhanced with aluminum oxide, providing outstanding resistance to scratching.

Choosing the style or pattern that’s right for you

This is the fun part.  You’ve done your homework.  You’ve made your decision.  You want resilient vinyl flooring.  So how do you even start to narrow down your choices?

How big is your room?

Start with the size of your room.  Keep in mind that rooms appear smaller if the flooring is dark and larger if you choose a light color.

How big is your floor pattern?

Now consider the pattern of the flooring.  In most cases, a smaller pattern works best in small rooms where the pattern will be visually interrupted with pieces of furniture, say a bathroom vanity or a dining room table.  On the other hand, to make the room feel more spacious, you might use a larger pattern.

How will your flooring work with your wallpaper or fabrics?

Think about what else is in the room.  Just like matching the right tie to the right shirt, if the wallpaper has a large pattern, you should probably choose a small pattern for the floor.  And the opposite works, too.  Fabric or wallpaper with a small pattern can look terrific paired with large patterned flooring.

One final shiny consideration.

Vinyl flooring comes in a range of gloss levels.  The lower the gloss level, the more resistant your floor will be to the wear and tear of daily life.  Just something to keep in mind when choosing the floor that’s right for you.

Your style is a reflection of you.  It can’t be dictated.  There is no formula.  So have some fun.  The perfect vinyl flooring for your project is just waiting to be discovered.

Photo:  Armstrong - StrataMax - Multi