What should I decide first in a renovation: paint colours or flooring?

Flooring. It's the largest continuous surface in most rooms and influences every other colour and material decision, so choosing it early makes the rest of your renovation easier to plan around.

How do I know which flooring will suit my lifestyle?

Think honestly about foot traffic, pets, kids and moisture exposure in each room before you look at colours or styles: durability requirements should narrow your options first, aesthetics second.

Should I get samples before deciding?

Yes, always. Borrow full-size samples and view them in your own room, under your own lighting, next to your existing furniture. A sample under showroom lights can look completely different at home.

Hard Flooring

3 Tips for Choosing Your New Floors for a Renovation

Jo McAuliffe28 May 2019

Renovating is exciting, but flooring decisions often get squeezed in at the end, after paint colours and cabinetry are already locked in. After years of helping Melbourne homeowners through renovations, our advice at Camberwell Floorworld is simple: get your flooring decision right early, and everything else falls into place more easily.

1. Decide on flooring before you finalise other finishes

Your floor sets the tone for the whole room. The warmth of a honey-toned timber calls for different wall colours and furnishings than a cool grey hybrid plank. Choosing flooring first gives you a foundation to build the rest of your palette around, rather than searching for a floor that “sort of” matches decisions you’ve already made.

2. Match the product to how you actually live

A young family with a dog needs a different floor to a couple planning a quiet home office. Be honest about foot traffic, moisture exposure, and how forgiving you need your floor to be. This is the conversation we have with every customer who visits our Camberwell showroom, because the right answer is different for every household.

3. Take samples home and live with them

Lighting changes everything. A colour that looks perfect under showroom spotlights can look completely different in your north-facing living room at 4pm. Take full-size samples home, place them where the flooring will actually go, and look at them morning and evening before you commit.

Getting it right the first time

A renovation is disruptive enough without having to redo your flooring a few years later. Taking a little extra time upfront (deciding early, matching the product to your lifestyle, and testing samples in your own light) makes the difference between a floor you tolerate and one you love.

Ready to start? Book a free in-home measure and quote and our team will bring samples to you, or visit our Carpet and Hard Flooring ranges to start exploring your options.

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