KITCHENS & DINING AREAS A Change of Appetite Considering the ever-changing home-working lifestyles of many as a result of
the pandemic, Atkinson & Kirby shares how kitchen-diner flooring trends have evolved over the past year.
The pandemic has drastically influenced interior design trends over the past year. As more and more businesses embrace flexi-working, individuals are adapting their homes to create multi-purpose living and working spaces.
For those who aren’t blessed with a home office, the kitchen- diner has become the ‘go-to’ place to set up shop. What was once a place for eating, cooking and socialising has now transformed into a home office for many.
Whilst open-plan kitchen-diners were very popular pre- pandemic, people are now longing for a few strategically- placed walls so they can take their zoom meetings in peace. Many homeowners have started using ‘zoning’ techniques to create separate work and living areas in their open-plan spaces. Creating ‘zoned’ spaces using furniture, textures and different wall colours, whilst having a continuous flooring throughout, helps to marry the different areas of the room and create a cohesive and united finish.
However, when it comes to kitchen and dining areas, practicality must be considered as much as the visual appeal of the flooring. Carpets are prone to more general wear and tear and stains, so are not suitable for a kitchen. Equally, stone flooring in a dining area can create a cold and unhomely atmosphere. Wooden flooring, however, is durable enough for the kitchen and warm enough for the dining room, making it a perfect option for open-plan kitchen-diners.
Without a doubt, hygiene has become one of the most important priorities for people since the pandemic. According to research conducted by the global public health and safety organisation
https://www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/germiest-items-home 26 | Tomorrow’s Retail Floors
NSF International, the kitchen is the most germ-ridden area of the house. With this in mind, homeowners have been prioritising easily-cleanable flooring now more than ever before.
While natural wood flooring may look beautiful, the deep grooves of an unsealed wood floor can allow harmful bacteria to build up over time. To keep the visual appeal of wooden flooring while maintaining a hygienic and safe kitchen-diner, homeowners have been opting to select a lacquered finished wood. The additional benefit of a lacquered finished wood floor is that it is renowned for its durability and can withstand the daily wear and tear of kitchen and dining areas. Unlike cheaper, easy-cleaning alternatives such as laminate, engineered hardwood can be sanded and refinished time and time again, making it a far more cost-effective option in the long run.
Over the course of the pandemic, more and more homeowners have become concerned about the environmental impact of their consumer habits. As a result of this phenomenon, Atkinson & Kirby has witnessed a growing demand for long-lasting and sustainably-sourced flooring.
The heavy footfall and furniture inherently associated with kitchen and dining areas means that a durable flooring is imperative. Due to its incredibly hardwearing nature, oak is arguably one of the most sustainable flooring options. With UK forest management and protection programmes regularly replanting oak trees in woodland areas, it has one of the smallest carbon footprints of all woods and releases fewer toxic emissions during the manufacturing process than other options.
www.akirby.co.uk www.tomorrowsretailfloors.com
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