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