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What’s under your feet?
May 23, 2021
By Mrinmoy Dey
The kitchen of a modern home is one of the most prominent and fascinating spaces for a family. It deserves as much attention in styling as any other room while also considering the comfort quotient.Great flooring can visually impact the décor of any room. For a kitchen, matching the flooring with other elements like countertop, walls, appliances and cabinets adds real value and create and help in improving the overall aesthetic of the place.
The kitchen floor, apart from being practical and durable, is a major design statement and affects every other element of design. Nowadays, flooring is widely used to give character to modern kitchens with a variety of options to suit different looks.
Tile floors are a great choice for kitchens because they are hygienic and easy to clean. Designers look for anti-skid durable tiles that are apt for kitchens as they can withstand scratches. Tile is hard, durable, water-resistant and shrugs off stains. The kitchen flooring ideas will blossom when one looks through the huge array of styles, shapes and colours available, hence making tiles as the best option for kitchen flooring.
Modern ceramic and porcelain tiles tend to be the most hard-wearing choice for kitchen flooring, and they are waterproof, stain resistant and scratchproof, as well as easy to clean. While laying the tiles, one needs to ensure least amount of joint to prevent accumulation of dirt in kitchen floors. Matching the tiles with the kitchen unit gives a seamless look.
Joydeep Mukherjee
Executive Director and CEO
H&R Johnson
However, choosing the right kind of flooring is not an easy task, especially with the multitude of choices available today. The huge range of materials, colours and textures available provide nearly endless choices. From natural stone, vinyl flooring to ceramic tiles, floors come in all styles and patterns to suit any budget.
And then each of these categories is also full of options with just a shuttle differences. Also, there is a choice between a locally procured flooring and products available from the globally renowned brands. In a nutshell, the selection of flooring is one of the most important decisions.
Type and Location of Tiles
Different type of tiles suit different locations in the kitchen. When choosing kitchen tile, it is important to consider where it is going to go. Glossy tiles that go on a wall do not work as flooring tiles. Flooring tiles have to be safe to walk on, and glossy floor kitchen tiles could be unsafe under foot. Tiles can also be placed as a backsplash behind a stove or on countertops. For countertops, ceramic tile is durable and will hold up to heat from hot pans, and is easy to clean and maintain. Unfortunately a ceramic tile surface can be uneven and it can easily crack or chip.
Flooring Budget
Kitchen tiles are available to suit all budgets from inexpensive vinyl and linoleum tiles to expensive custom designed ceramic tiles. Linoleum and vinyl tiles are also easy to install and come in a variety of patterns. Laminate floor tiles are durable, affordable and can mimic the look of upscale materials like wood, stone and marble. High-end natural stone and hardwood floors give a warm feel to a kitchen and are easy on the feet apart from offering an elegant look.
The look
Wood finished tiles is a popular choice for today's kitchens. It feels good underfoot and creates a warm look. They can withstand heavy traffic and water stains. Ceramic and vinyl tiles are practical and easy to maintain. Flooring in a kitchen can also be mixed and matched to define different zones where wooden tiles can be used in the food preparation area and ceramic tiles can be used in the cooking and cleaning areas. However, it is recommended that a single material be used throughout to maximise the sense of space.
Abhishek Somany
Managing Director
Somany Ceramics
Durability, Hardness& Maintenance: Kitchen floors take a beating, from hours of standing, foot traffic and spills, so when weighing your options, consider durability and ease of maintenance.Besides durability, cooking usually requires long periods of standing and walking back and forth. Flooring that has some cushioning is helpful, especially if the user suffers from back issues.
Budget: While selecting kitchen flooring, budget will be perhaps the most important factor. There are options in every price points and the interior designer can choose from the vast array of products according to the budget. For example, for luxury or premium range, solid wood or stone may be the preferable option. In the mid-range, there options like laminate, porcelain tiles etc. In the affordable section, vinyl and concrete is there.
Kitchen is the most complex area in designing. Besides making the area aesthetically attractive, the interior designer has to consider its utility aspect too. Kitchen is an extensively used area, and constantly comes in contact with water, heat, acidic food ingredients, detergents, etc. Hence, the flooring surface has to be low on porosity and scratch resistant.
The products with characteristics of being low or non –porous, hard, scratch resistant and easy on maintenance are the preferred choice of interior designers. The engineered quartz range fulfils all these requirements and hence is a favourable option for kitchen areas.
Marble still holds unalterable fascination for many and for these people engineered marble is an alternative for kitchen flooring. Being a manufactured product, the marble too is less porous, harder, more durable, and more resistant to denting, chipping, abrasion, and stainingas compared to its natural counterpart.
Vikas Kesarkar
VP-Marketing
Options Unlimited
There are plenty of great options to choose from as far as flooring is concerned. They also come in varieties of colours and shades giving aesthetic appeal. Here are some of the materials that are being used widely in Indian kitchens.
Laminate: Laminate wood flooring is an affordable and durable kitchen flooring idea. The top layer can withstand most abuse and if you add padding beneath, it’s a soft, ergonomic flooring solution. Easy to install and available in a wide variety of styles, laminate wood flooring is a simple, modern solution for kitchen floors.
Tile: Tile is basically a form of resilient flooring that can be laid in rows over a surface. For kitchens, suitable tiles can range from quarry, stone, cork, bamboo to vinyl, ceramic, porcelain and glass. Mostly, vinyl, cork and bamboo tiles are used in flooring, while quarry, ceramic, and porcelain are used for counters and floors. Glass tiles are suited for walls and backsplashes. Tiles are an excellent choice for heavy traffic areas as they are durable and available in an assortment of colours and styles.
''The kitchen is a high-traffic area, prone to spills ranging from water to oils, dishes and wine.The products with characteristics of being low or non –porous, hard, scratch resistant and easy on maintenance are the preferred choice of interior designers.''
Vinyl: Vinyl is affordable, comes in a variety of textures and styles and is one of the most water-resistant kitchen flooring options. Vinyl flooring can also mimic wood grain to a very good extent and thus gives the premium feeling too.
Stone:There’s a great variety of stone flooring available including the most popular marble, travertine and slate. Because of the variations in pattern and colour, stone gives the kitchen flooring a unique, earthy look. Moreover, Stone flooring is naturally cool, which is perfect in hotter zones. In quartz, dark shades are preferred for kitchen flooring.
Kitchen Flooring Ideas
Asian Granito India Ltd (AGIL) offers some kitchen flooring ideas to help selecting the best kitchen floor
Wooden floor tiles for your kitchen to give it a rustic look
Wooden Tiles have the ability to completely enhance the look of a room with their rustic feel. Having these tiles in the kitchen gives it a contemporary twist while their visual appearance also resonates cosiness at the same time. Kitchen Floor tiles require special attention in terms of hygiene and having wooden tiles makes it easier by simplifying the cleaning process.
Go for large sized tiles with glazed surface
Installing bigger tiles in a kitchen will not only create an illusion of a larger space but also give the kitchen a neat and comfortable look. Along with this, having glazed surface will also make the cleaning process easier. Include plain colours and there you have a perfectly designed kitchen with the floor tiles becoming the cherry on top.
Play with colours, whether loud or subtle
The colour that you choose has the power to completely transform the look of your space. The kitchen does not necessarily need plain colours. You can choose to have a dark shade for the Floor Tiles or play with multiple combinations to reflect just what you want and make the kitchen everybody’s favourite place.
Porcelain tiles for your kitchen floor
Porcelain Tiles have a thick density which carries the colour and pattern all through the tile. They make for a good option for Kitchen Tiles because of their absorption and scratch resistant abilities. These Tiles are most suitable for spaces that have high foot traffic.
Wood: Wood has traditionally been on the top of buyer’s lists for flooring choices in premium projects. Wood has a high-end, warm look that’s unique, according to grain and age. But wood in the kitchen requires special protection from excess moisture.
Concrete: The concrete flooring is coming back in trend in a big way. Concrete has a contemporary look and tone that is hard to match. Durable, it can withstand activity in the busiest kitchens and look great.There are various finishes available for customising its look. Freshly poured concrete can be stamped, while all concrete can be stained, polished, stenciled and waxed. However, being extremely hard, it can be hard on the feet while standing on the floor for long time.
If the interior designers are looking for green solutions, bamboo or cork flooring would be a good choice. Other than these, linoleum, rubber and carpet flooring are some relatively less used options that one can look at.
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