Flooring: Hardwoods, Tile, Carpet and More

So. many. decisions.

I thought I knew what I wanted going into this house build and I have surprised myself so many times with our final choices for materials. Flooring is no exception. There are certain types of flooring that simply couldn’t fit into our budget and also other types that I had no idea I would end up using but am excited to see installed.

looking from second floor down stairs into living room

Since we are building a farmhouse and I love the look of classic farmhouse style that will stand the test of time, I knew I wanted wood floors throughout a good portion of the house. We decided to lay hardwood in most of the downstairs (living and dining rooms, kitchen, pantry, powder room) and are using a standard oak hardwood with a dark walnut stain. I would have loved to have done reclaimed heart pine throughout but it proved to be too expensive to fit into our budget.

first floor oak hardwood flooring, dark walnut stain

Our master bedroom is also located downstairs and it (along with all the other bedrooms) will be carpeted. We did this to make our budget work but also I just love the feel of carpet in a bedroom (even if I don’t like the look as much). We chose Mohawk Smartstrand Natural Splendor II in “soft linen” for the master bedroom. The entire upstairs (except bathrooms) will be carpeted as well since most of the rooms are bedrooms anyway. For the upstairs we chose Mohawk Horizon Collection in a light beigish grey color. None of the carpet has been installed yet (it’s the last thing that happens), so I don’t have any pictures to share yet!

The bathrooms are the only rooms we chose to do in tile and the girls’ bathroom is actually vinyl plank. We chose Armstrong Luxe Plank in “Farmhouse Plank.”

the girls’ bathroom flooring

girls’ bathroom flooring, Armstrong vinyl “Farmhouse Plank”

Picking out the tile was so much fun and I ended up choosing some tile that was way out of my “comfort zone” in terms of classic tile patterns and colors. Still, most of it is pretty neutral in color, classic in pattern, and hopefully will give the rooms a timeless appeal.

master bath tile flooring

The master bath floor is a white hex tile with grey grout, white subway tile walls in the shower with grey grout, and a (surprise!) “pebble” or stone shower floor in a white-grey-black color scheme. I’ve been told it feels super nice on the feet. The shower threshold and shelves are a grey quartz.

master bath shower “pebble” tile flooring

The guest bath is a classic white and grey hex pattern tile for the floor and shower floor and grey subway tiles with white grout for the shower walls. The shower threshold and shelves for the guest bath are a white quartz.

guest bathroom tile flooring

guest bathroom grey and white tile shower

 Can you tell I’m afraid of going with anything too trendy or committing to color?!?

laundry room flooring, vinyl plank “Meridian Stucco”

For our utility spaces, like the laundry room, we chose a vinyl plank in order not only to save on costs but also because wood flooring in a laundry room can be problematic with moisture issues. We chose Adura Max in “Meridian Stucco” for the laundry room which has more of the look of a light colored tile or stone.

laundry room flooring

With so many different wonderful options for flooring it certainly can get overwhelming at times. The key is to have an idea in your mind of what you like best, then chose an option that will match that but also be practical for your needs and your budget.

Another tip I highly recommend is going to one or two local flooring stores to make your selections–it keeps your options much more limited and manageable rather than having to search and compare everything on the internet and at all the big box stores.

living room oak hardwood flooring next to brick fireplace hearth

The house is moving along fast–our lighting fixtures and plumbing fixtures have been installed and all the little details are getting completed. Looks like we will be moving within the month (*deep breath*). Can’t wait to share pictures with you!