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FlooringDesign Dilemma
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how to choose colour of LVT flooring

Tani H-S
5 years ago

Floor is finally being screeded this weekend (had to wait a month for the fitter to be free) and I'm under pressure to choose the LVT (vinyl tiles) gluedown for the whole open plan room.


The worse thing is that there are barely any showrooms with displays except Karndean and Amtico and our price range is limited to under £30psqm ranges so there weren't many to look at. There are a lot of either grey or very "out there" colours/styles and the nicest ones we saw were double the price.


I've ordered a few samples online but of course they only come in teeny tiny pieces. It's a lot of money to spend out for a large area so I wondered if anyone had any ideas for ones to go for??


The room is wide L shape - very sunny as South facing and has a dark black/grey with blue tinged kitchen and almost black living room walls. The rest is brick wall and white painted. Modern and semi industrial style.


Grey is too cold for the room and makes it feel a bit drab. Thought maybe more subtle vintage Oak might be nice - nothing too bright yellow or orange or too light grey.


Anyone had LVT recently that can recommend one? Or a brand online to get decent sized samples from?


Much easier to choose laminate. LOL



Featured Answer
  • Anthony (Beano)
    5 years ago
    My advice, just put a cheap laminate down for the time being until you can get what you want, I’ve just done it in my bathroom (10 squid a m2), it will only be down for a year until I fully revamp with new sink, unit, tiles and bath, if you choose something half heartedly, (esp something that will be glued and hard to remove) I think you come to regret not holding on and getting what you really wanted.

    Comments (37)

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      5 years ago
      @Beano - I did think about that but anything semi waterproof laminate wise is going to cost a lot and we have a kitchen and full width bifolds and dogs so it seems a waste of money. Even £10 a sq m would cost us about £600 plus all the underlay etc.
      It’s just that most flooring places have larger samples of laminate on display than LVT so you can see them better.

      - any thoughts on colour? Knowing our room? Ha ha

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    • Anthony (Beano)
      5 years ago
      Have you any recent pics of it painted? I know it might sound cheap but what about a cheap lino for the time being? Some can look pretty ok? Ps you won’t spill that much that will matter on a laminate so I wouldn’t let that put you off! I know it’s still 600 but if you can live with it for 2 years and then change, have you seen one you really love? How much was it?
    • Huw Buckley
      5 years ago
      I would go with a mid oak, possibly Polyflor?
    • Slimgimli
      5 years ago
      Our builder recommended ' Quickstep' it's fully waterproof ( we have dogs as well) and comes in a range of oak colours.
      Have a look on their website, ours was about £25 pm and we are having the whole of the downstairs done in the same colour.
    • PRO
      User
      5 years ago

      Tani, look for the websites such as Flooring supplies that will send out the super sized samples. Karndean themselves will send out full samples for £3 each.


      When we bought our Karndean the RRP was over £40 per sqm and I got it down to £26. When you have found your fitter ask them how much they can get it for as often they have sources to get it cheaper too.


      I had a shop around as if we decide not to sell then we're changing all of our downstairs flooring ( not a small undertaking ). So, we picked the slim plank Da Vinci Lorenzo Warm Oak and it's listed as rrp £42.90...........having shopped for around 10 mins we got that down to £30.90 from LIfestyle Flooring


      £30 a sqm for a lifetime guarantee sounds pretty good to me!



    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      5 years ago
      @Beano - not sure a single vinyl floor would cover all of our room, ha ha.
      No, not seen any laminate I like particularly- it’s not the cost so much as you can get cheap LVT it’s just the lack of showrooms selling them that makes it difficult to see them. Have to order a billion samples in now, lol.
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      5 years ago
      @slimg yes I saw the quickstep one in the showroom. Didn’t see any colours I liked at tje time but then I don’t know if that was their full range or not
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      5 years ago
      @MATM thanks for that info! Will check them out today :0)

      I’m sure my fitter said he can get some cheaper but he’s coming on Saturday so will double check with him then. So far we have only looked at the cheaper range but if he can get them half price then we can look at a heck of a lot more!
    • kikiamack
      5 years ago
      I agree with MATH that you could get Karndean down within your budget. We certainly never paid anything like RRP when we had ours installed. Karndean has a very good visualiser you can use on the iPad where it superimposes their products over your floor. Worth using to narrow down your general colour choices even if you go with another brand. if you were to go for Karndean, I suspect the ArtSelect range will be out of your budget, so in terms of wood effect, you have to decide if you want narrower planks with a bevelled edge (DaVinci) range or wider planks with no bevel (Van Gogh) range. That will narrow down your choices so it’s not so overwhelming. Also think about how the colour of your lighting will affect the floor. Warm bulbs will bring out the warmer tones. If you can’t get large samples, one trick I use is to lay the various elements in a room - floor, paint, sofa material, kitchen cabinet colour etc, in a collage (just laid on floor) that represents the proportions, eg 40% floor, 30% paint etc. Have the elements that touch next to each other. Then look at this through a picture mount or finger frame in various lighting conditions and you should be able to see if the colours all work together.
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      5 years ago

      @ kiki ah thank you. We paid a deposit on 3 samples of the Karndean flooring for full size pieces and they did look so different in the house. One that looked good and neutral in their shop - against our very dark walls, looked too dark and country cottage esque. Another looked too orange and the grey one we had just looked green tinged! LOL.


      I think a plain/vintage mid oak (as MATM suggested) - or one that has maybe some washed grey undertones to take out the yellow would work.


      One I thought looked great and was similar to our old laminate I loved just made the cabinets looked too retro ie orange floor against blue toned units. So the samples were a great help.


      Not even thought about the planks and bevelled edges - usually they are standard on laminate so not sure how they will look if they don't have bevelled edges?? Will they look 'wrong' ? Prefer the larger planks personally anyway just because the room is so large.


      ps didn't know Karndean had a visualiser either so will check that out as well!

    • User
      4 years ago

      Design

      You'll never go wrong with some form of traditional oak. Never dates, compliments just about every decor style and adds an element of warmth/cosiness, rather than the stark feel greys can give.


      Large herringbone is all the rage at the moment but this fad may pass and therefore date over 5-10 years time. Not saying it will, but it is possible. Straight lay plank or at a 45 degree angle seldom looks dated.


      Brands

      No matter what anyone says, Karndean and Amtico are the brand leaders. Amtico been about for 50+ years, Karndean 25+. They are great at marketing and their position in the market means you pay over the odds for what you get. They both deliver very, very good products and designs but compared to other reputable manufacturers on the market (like Huw Buckley recommended - Polyflor) they are pricey.


      Sure, you'll find someone online, such as Lifestyle Floors (recommendation from Man About The House) offering keen prices plus a two week all inclusive holiday in Corfu but there's a reason for that. Check their Trustpilot reviews here -> Lifestyle Floors Trustpilot. We have over 1,000 reviews and that took us from June 2013 to achieve those. 8.8/10 may sound good but they rank 80th in Trustpilot's Flooring category. Their level of customer service clearly isn't great and when you are thinking of spending £30m² on your flooring are you prepared to take a gamble of that magnitude?


      We know one LVT manufacturer is having all kinds of issues with this online business as we write this post. What it means to the consumer is if you buy from them there is a very high chance you will not have the manufacturers warranty back up. Lots of their products are purchased through third parties, making any discrepancies a real headache for the consumer. Not every manufacturer supports Lifestyle Floors, so be mindful of this, folks.


      Suggestions

      All the following products are made from reputable manufacturers. Their products are robust (all have warranties) and are authentic in appearance. Both of these features are critical for LVTs. There is little point in finding an incredibly cheap LVT if it looks shiny and not a close reproduction of the wood or stone it is mimicking.


      Here are our recommendations to you:


      Our own label LVTs - click here to view. 0% finance available on them all. Samples readily available.


      Polyflor -> Click here for Polyflor's site. You can order larger samples directly from Polyflor on their site. Click here to view on our site where you can purchase Polyflor's products.


      Cavalio -> Click here for Cavalio's site. You can order larger samples directly from Cavalio on their site. Click here to view their products on our site where you can purchase Cavalio's products.


      Natural Solutions -> Click here for Natural Solutions site. You can order larger samples directly from Natural Solutions on their site. Click here to view their products on our site where you can purchase Natural Solutions products.


      We're cute, we're cuddly… we're the Flooring Gurus!


      t: 01622 790 356

      e: info@flooringmegastore.co.uk


      Unsure of our credentials?

      Check out our independent, high scoring Trustpilot reviews here. We currently score 9.4/10



    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      Fab! Thank you for all the info.
      I’ve already ordered some samples from Cavalio so glad they come recommended at least, ha ha.
      Will check out Polyfloor as well..
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      Oh funnily enough I just checked who I ordered other samples from yesterday and it was indeed lifestyle flooring :0/
      I hope they are rubbish when they arrive then so I don’t want to buy them. LOL
    • minnie101
      4 years ago

      Tani, I had a couple of samples from Cavalio a few years ago. I quite liked the limed oak light which was part of their project line range which has a wear layer of 0.55mm. The vintage oak grey also looks quite nice online. I personally preferred it to a lot of the Karndean ones which was a texture thing and I also liked it against real wood (seen on the left of my very scrubbed pine top table). At the time (and now) I was struggling to get reviews of them. I had seen a couple of interior designers recommend them on here plus I've seen them named as some of the best LVT's in a couple of reviews but there's not much else out there. There are a couple of bad google reviews though if you look, with that in mind I would probably steer towards the commercial grade project line rather than their concept line personally. I was also looking at using their design strips which I think look effective, think you could still get it all in under £30. They only recommend using authorised retailers and there appear to be a few close to you



      https://cavaliofloors.com/where-to-buy/#map_top





    • Ribena Drinker
      4 years ago

      We went with Amtico, fortunately we were able to make the decision based on the samples they sent, we went for one of the oak finishes. When we were getting one of our bathrooms done I ordered samples on 3 or 4 occasions, which enable me to order the same sample several times, which gave me a much clearer idea or what the floor will look like.


      As an aside, once you've decided, those samples make excellent coasters to put under plant pots and saucers to avoid scratching and discolouring on the window sill.


      But I know Amtico can be quite pricey - so that's absolutely of no help to you at all!


      That said, if I were in your shoes, I'd be tempted to steer clear of anything grey in tone, I think it would make your space look like a warehouse, I'd be tempted to go for a warmer wooden appearance or a warmer looking stone effect.

    • Juliet Docherty
      4 years ago

      I would choose something classic, maybe a pale oak, not too warm but not grey. Avoid trends if possible.

    • kikiamack
      4 years ago
      Just so you can get a sense of Karndean, this is Van Gogh Classic Oak. Bright morning, East facing. These are the wider planks with no bevel. It’s got a good mix of colours that stops it being too dark or too light. The paint is Stiffkey Blue, so lighter and bluer than what you have. The table is oak.
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      @ Kiki - I actually got a full sized sample of that plank! I like it - but, it seems really dark in my room (even south facing!) and looks quite orange toned against my dark units bizarrely!. The back room which doesn't get as much light makes it look even darker which is a shame.

      I like the mixed tones in it so could do with it being just a tone down from this. Of course it might be that I happen to have a sample which has mostly dark areas in it, LOL.

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      Quick pic. South facing but it’s overcast and dark cloudy

      Nicest colour is from the brand/company someone said to avoid LOL (ie middle piece of the three samples on the floor) right one is the classic oak from the other pics
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      @Minnie I’ve ordered samples from Cavalio and still waiting for them to come. Will update when I have them.

      Might have to make another trip back to look at more expensive ranges then as my fitter is starting the dpm today so will check what discount get gets
    • kikiamack
      4 years ago
      I honestly would describe the Classic Oak as mid tone, so I think that is something to do with things looking lighter when applied to a big area, a bit like paint. But that doesn’t solve the issue of it looking orange against your paint. Have you tried Karndean hessian oak? That seems to have less of the warm tones without being too grey.
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      No - I will have a look again this weekend and see if I can borrow any sample boards. The tiny samples they give you are absolutely useless, lol.


    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      ps I just got the Cavallo samples and what a difference in finish! They look so much more realistic than the other main brand samples I have (less plasticky??)


      So I will see if I can get a full sized one

    • User
      4 years ago
      last modified: 4 years ago

      Information

      Cavalio are a spin off from parent company Polyflor/J Halstead plc, who float on the London Stock Exchange (ticker code JHD.L). They are a reputable manufacturer and the reason we recommended them to you. They tend to slip under everyone's radar but they really shouldn't… they are very, very good.




      As for recommended retailers, you'll find all manufacturers do this to support retailers showing their display units… which is fair, but you have to factor in you are very likely to be charged considerably more going down this route.


      Check our Trustpilot reviews and hopefully you'll feel assured you would be in extremely competent and safe hands.


      Anything else you need to know, Tani?

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      Ha that's good to know as my fitter just looked at the sample book and said 'it looks like Polyfloor!' LOL.

      Fab thank you

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      @ Flooring megastore. thank you. Had a look on your site and the Cavalio works out cheaper with you than another company I had found so just ordered some full sized samples from the manufacturer but they will take a few days to come so can't order anything until then. Unless you do full sized plank samples??

    • pmasmith3
      4 years ago
      Can't give any opinion on LVT but your patio (photo above) looks amazing - you must be pleased with it!
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      Oh thank you! @pma

      It black limestone and looks great. Just waiting to seal it now
    • Catrine
      4 years ago
      Looks like a fantastic room and beautiful garden! Mind me asking, what make are the bifold doors? Looking to get some!
    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      Not sure on the exact make but they were just a local company who made them (Lancashire) they only cost me £3,800 ish plus fitting and are almost 6m long in five panels aluminium and have laminated glass on the outside to help cut down uv rays (fading) . I can find out if you are interested anyway.
    • User
      4 years ago

      Hi Tani, ever so sorry for not responding sooner to your mention of full sized plank samples. We don't keep Cavalio samples here, unfortunately, and would have to pull them in from Cavalio. We would get them as fast as you can arrange direct with Cavalio.


      Is there anything else we can help you with at the moment?

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      No worries. I was hoping they would arrive today but they aren’t very fast at sending, ha ha.
    • User
      4 years ago

      Do you know, Tani, our industry is rubbish at getting samples out quickly. They are all pretty bad. Sorry about that but with a bit of luck you'll receive them in the next day or so.

    • Tani H-S
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      @flooring megastore - well my sample from the manufacturers finally arrive after almost a week and they just basically sent me the same small sample again! Arghhhh. Now I will have to wait another week before I can even order the flooring. They are useless :0(
    • User
      4 years ago

      Bonkers… aaaarrrggghhh! We don't know what to say, Tani. Not acceptable but this trade of ours is poor at this sort of thing. Mind you, you do get them FOC. Paint… there's another story. Have to pay £5+ for a weeny sample pot.


      Delays are flippin' annoying but much better to make sure you are certain about your choice. We don't have a display unit in our showroom (drat!) otherwise we'd suggest you come and have a look whilst sipping on one of our exceptionally decent coffees.

    • Catrine
      4 years ago
      Sounds like they are amazing bi-folds will keep in mind what is on offer when speaking to the local window company over next few weeks. Thanks a mill! Good luck with your project!
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