One of the most common questions we get is “Should flooring be the same throughout the house?” While the answer to that depends on the design of your home and your tastes. It’s not unusual for a home to have different types of flooring. 

Some people decide to break up the monotony of one flooring type by placing different flooring in each room. Others just can’t afford to put the same flooring throughout their home. 

Sometimes, though, it’s just about preference: you might love your dream kitchen with its hardwood floors but prefer carpet in the bedrooms for comfort. Each room has its function and purpose, so it makes sense that different rooms might call for different kinds of floors.

To get a better idea of what product will work best in each room, you can consult our guide below. This takes into account factors like durability and environmental impact while also keeping an eye on cost. 

Following these suggestions will help you maximize your investment in flooring over the lifetime of your home.

Where To Begin?

You’ve decided to replace the floors in your home. The tricky part is, where should you start?

The first step is to think about the room you’d most like to update. Which one do you spend most of your time in? Which one would make the biggest difference in your day-to-day life?

If you’re planning on starting at home and working outward, it’s probably a good idea to start with your bedroom or living room. But if you want to start with rooms that are more visible from the street, or that might be top priorities for any guests you have over, perhaps you should begin with the kitchen or family room.

Either way, once you’ve got the flooring for one room done, it will be easier to plan how and when you’ll move on to the next one.

Factors That Play Major Roles in Your Flooring Selection:

Style of Your Home:

First, what is your home like? Is it an open concept with high ceilings and lots of windows? Will each room have its distinct personality? If so, then you’re likely better off choosing different types of flooring for each room. If not, then a single type of flooring throughout will look more cohesive. However, even if you’re going for the same style of flooring in every room, you can still mix and match colors and textures to create a more well-rounded look.

Your Budget:

Second, what is your budget? If you’re planning on putting hardwood floors in every room in your house, that could add up to a pretty penny. Consider using wood floors only in the rooms that you think will benefit from them most, rooms where they can show off their natural beauty and warmth (such as living rooms and bedrooms), but not rooms where they might get damaged or stained easily (like bathrooms).

Priorities:

Third, what are your priorities? Do you want something simple that will coordinate with the rest of your aesthetic? Think about the whole picture and where your priorities lie before settling on one type of flooring for any area of your home. 

Consider The Flow of Traffic:

There are many types of flooring to choose from, and which is right for your home will depend on your needs and preferences. Here are some of the rooms you might be considering flooring, ranked in order of their relative traffic:

1. Bedroom
2. Living room
3. Kitchen

For each of these areas, you’ll want to consider material, durability, maintenance requirements, and, if applicable, whether the material is safe for children or pets.

Hardwood Floors: 

A classic choice that’s both attractive and long-lasting (but can also be fairly pricey). While hardwood might work well in common areas and bedrooms, it’s not the smartest choice for places with moisture. While some wood floors can handle spills or even occasional flooding, if a hardwood floor gets too wet for too long, it could start to warp or develop mold. Hardwood flooring should be avoided in high-traffic areas where it is likely to get scratched or stained, but it can be a great option for more private areas like a bedroom or a study.

Carpeting: 

The advantage of carpeting is that it’s soft and warm underfoot; the downside is that it can also trap dirt and dust, creating an allergy risk for anyone in the household who suffers from asthma or other respiratory conditions. For this reason, carpeting may not be the best choice for a bedroom or living area where there’s a lot of foot traffic (and thus dust accumulation). 

Tiles:

You might also consider tile flooring instead of wood. It offers some different benefits than hardwood does, so it’s good to know your options. The main advantage of choosing tile over wood is that tile is an extremely durable option while hardwood flooring can get scratched up over time, tile is much more resistant to damage and can last for decades without needing any replacement or significant repairs.

Tile is also typically easier to clean than wood. That is why it’s a good option for bathrooms and kitchens. A bathroom is a place where water safety is a priority, so it makes sense that a bathroom would have tile or vinyl rather than carpet or hardwood.

Pros of Having One Flooring Throughout Your Home:

Pro: It keeps the house looking consistent

One of the benefits of having the same flooring throughout your home is that it will keep your house looking cohesive and consistent. If you have a color scheme or design that you like, having the same flooring from room to room will allow you to extend that feel throughout your house. 

This is especially good if you have an open floor plan, which consists of a large open space that combines the living room, dining room, and kitchen into one great room. By having the same flooring in each of these areas, you can create a unified feeling in your home by tying together all of the rooms.

Con: It doesn’t always work with every decorating style

If you want to get creative with your decorating style, using different flooring throughout the house allows you to add more variety to your home. 

For example, if one room has tile or hardwood and another room has carpet, it gives each area its look and feels which helps make it stand out from the rest of the house. You can choose different styles of carpet for each room, such as plush for a bedroom or Berber for an office. The options are countless.

Choose The Best Floor For Your Lifestyle:

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using multiple types of flooring in one house. Doing so can help create distinct looks in separate rooms and give you more ways to mix and match as you decorate.

If one room is more likely to suffer from water damage, for example, you might want to use tile in that area.  Or if you have children or pets, you may opt for carpet in their bedrooms. 

There are many good reasons why you might choose different types of flooring, just try to keep the overall look of your house consistent so each room flows nicely into the next. 

If you’re a fan of one type of flooring and want to use it throughout your house, go for it. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, just the way that works best for you!

We believe that no home should have to compromise its style for its security or vice versa and we’ll help you find just the right balance for each area of your house.