Soft Flooring Guide for Home Decor

Soft flooring, for example rubber, vinyl, linoleum and leather, are now becoming popular flooring choices for unique home decor. The following tips will show you why and how.

Soft flooring is a natural selection for high-traffic areas as it is smooth, resilient, hard-wearing, quiet, warm, comfortable to stand on and require low maintenance.

Treated with respect, the more expensive materials like linoleum, rubber and high-quality vinyl will last for a decade or more. Cheaper vinyl and vinyl-faced cork tiles have a shorter life, but allow you to treat the floor as another element in a decorative scheme that can be changed without too great an outlay.

Vinyl flooring comes in sheet or tile form, and is more often patterned than plain. The patterns either simulate materials like wood, brick, and tile, or come in abstract, modern designs. The finishing can be either matter, gloss or textured. They resist water, oil and most chemicals. For extra heat and sound insulation, use cushioned vinyl.



Rubber flooring is usually made from silica, clay, rubber and pigment. It is sold in tile form in plain colors or patterns, with a smooth or textured surface, and in either matte or polished finish. The textured surface is non-slip and the polished finish extends the surface life.

Linoleum flooring, a natural material made from linseed oil and either wood flour or powdered limestone. It comes in continuous sheets or tiles, in a good choice of solid or marbled color. It can also be inlaid with motifs and borders in standard or customized designs.

Leather flooring, is a relative new comer. It is expensive, luxurious, and wears well but it will stain and scratch if it is not treated with care. Because is it warm and giving to touch, it is sensually appropriate for the bedroom.

Take a look at home decor flooring guide for other flooring selection. Alternatively, here're other flooring selections:

Hard flooring

Wood flooring

Carpet and rugs

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