STEP INSIDE LIVING SPACES
Best Buys for Busy Lives Harvey Shaw, Store Manager of Grimsby Carpet Warehouse, discusses the
recent buying trends of consumers when it comes to flooring for high-traffic areas of their home.
Home flooring trends are ever-changing and impacted by a variety of factors, from developments in the personal tastes of consumers to wider cultural trends. For example, we have recently seen a rise in the popularity of eco flooring, as consumers become more interested in making environmentally-sound buying choices for their home.
Over the past decade or so, Brits have started to prefer open- plan living over the more traditional modular style, with many modern homes featuring large open living, dining and kitchen areas. These will also often feature bi-fold doors or floor-to- ceiling windows to accentuate the open look and give an even greater sense of space.
This trend kickstarted a move towards more durable flooring in the home and, over the past year, we have specifically seen a rise in the popularity of hard flooring, including laminates and luxury vinyl tiles (LVT).
LVT is definitely currently dominating the flooring market and would be something we would recommend to any customer who asks for a solution that is going to be durable over the long term, but also give a bit of home comfort in a large space.
LVT flooring is a cross between a laminate solution and cushion floor vinyl, but it’s a more suitable option for durability as, unlike laminate and cushion vinyl, it is resistant to water and not easily damaged. As well as this, it is scratch-resistant, very easy to clean and absolutely impossible to rip, making it a brilliant choice for busy households with children or pets. We’d also encourage landlords or other property owners to consider solutions like LVT in shared accommodation with a high turnover of people.
The practicalities aside, LVT flooring is also quieter and warmer underfoot, which makes it popular with modern
18 | Tomorrow’s Retail Floors
consumers who want convenience but do not want to have to sacrifice quality, comfort and style.
In terms of brands, we mainly recommend Moduleo and stock two versions, Dryback and Click. Dryback is installed in the traditional way and is simply stuck down to the surface, but the Click version is a great option for self-installers and something we often recommend to more DIY-savvy customers who want to take care of the work themselves.
We also recommend LVT to customers who like to switch up the style of their home on a regular basis, as it is much easier to replace than other kinds of tiling if you opt for a design overhaul.
While hard flooring is by far the most popular choice for high- traffic areas, we are also seeing a growing demographic of customers who are prepared to make a significant financial investment in good quality carpets. Technological advances in the industry mean it’s now possible for homes to have luxurious feeling carpets that are also very durable, meaning customers no longer have to make the choice between style and hardwearing solutions.
Modern luxury carpets are now super soft to touch, and are more and more popular as traditional shag pile carpets have been discontinued over the past few years. The majority of carpets are now bleach-cleanable, which gives customers peace of mind knowing that they can be easily kept in good condition, again making them sensible choices for busy households and justifying the higher price tag over time.
www.gcw.uk.com
www.carpetrunners.co.uk
www.tomorrowsretailfloors.com
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