Interior Designer’s Favorite Luxury Flooring
Top interior designers often opt for luxury flooring that combines aesthetics, durability, and exclusivity. Here are some of the most luxurious flooring options favored by high-end designers:
1. Exotic Hardwood
- Ebony, Brazilian Cherry, and Teak: These rare and exotic woods are prized for their rich colors and distinctive grain patterns. They add a sense of opulence and uniqueness to any space.
- Wide Plank & Custom Cuts: Designers often use wide planks and custom-cut patterns to enhance the luxurious feel of the space.
2. Marble Flooring
- Calacatta, Carrara, and Statuario Marble: These Italian marbles are renowned for their elegant veining and timeless appeal. Calacatta, with its bold, dramatic veins, is particularly sought after for luxurious spaces.
- Polished and Honed Finishes: Depending on the desired look, marble can be polished for a high-gloss finish or honed for a more subtle, matte appearance.
3. Hand-Scraped and Reclaimed Wood
- Custom, Hand-Scraped Finishes: High-end designers often choose hand-scraped wood flooring for its bespoke, artisanal quality, giving each plank a unique texture and character.
- Reclaimed Wood: Sourced from historic buildings or structures, reclaimed wood adds a sense of history and authenticity, often with a rustic, weathered look that is impossible to replicate.
4. Parquet Flooring
- Herringbone, Chevron, and Versailles Patterns: These intricate wood flooring patterns are synonymous with luxury. Originally popularized in grand European estates, they add a sense of elegance and sophistication to modern homes.
- Custom Inlays: Designers may incorporate contrasting woods or metal inlays into parquet patterns to create bespoke designs.
5. Terrazzo
- Custom Terrazzo: Made from a mix of marble, quartz, granite, and glass, terrazzo can be customized with different aggregates and colors to create one-of-a-kind flooring that is both durable and visually striking.
- Polished Finish: High-gloss terrazzo floors are a favorite in luxury homes for their sleek, seamless look and ability to make a bold design statement.
6. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
- High-End LVT with Realistic Textures: While traditionally seen as a more budget-friendly option, luxury vinyl tiles have evolved with high-end versions offering incredibly realistic textures and patterns that mimic natural stone or wood.
- Custom Designs: Designers may opt for custom patterns and finishes in LVT to create a unique, luxurious floor that is also highly durable and low-maintenance.
7. Natural Stone Flooring
- Limestone, Slate, and Travertine: These natural stones offer a more earthy, luxurious look, often used in high-end interior design for their rich textures and colors.
- Book-Matched Stone: This technique involves aligning two slabs of stone to mirror each other, creating a stunning symmetrical pattern that is highly prized in luxury interiors.
8. Custom Tile Work
- Mosaic Tiles: Handcrafted mosaic tiles made from glass, stone, or ceramics can be used to create intricate patterns and designs, often as focal points in luxurious spaces.
- Encaustic Cement Tiles: Known for their vibrant colors and patterns, these tiles are often custom-made and used in high-end interiors for a unique, artisanal touch.
9. Leather and Hide Flooring
- Leather Tiles: Made from thick, durable leather, these tiles add a rich, warm texture to interiors, often used in libraries, offices, or luxury dressing rooms.
- Cowhide and Exotic Animal Skins: These are sometimes used as flooring materials in ultra-luxurious settings, adding a unique, tactile element to the design.
10. Custom Rugs and Carpets
- Hand-Knotted Rugs: Designers often select custom, hand-knotted rugs made from the finest wool, silk, or other luxury materials, which can serve as both functional floor coverings and works of art.
- Silk Carpets: Luxurious silk carpets are chosen for their softness, sheen, and intricate designs, often used in living rooms, bedrooms, or other high-traffic areas where luxury is paramount.
These materials are often chosen for their ability to transform a space into something extraordinary, providing both visual impact and a sense of exclusivity.