Is this the lamin-age of interiors?

Laminate flooring is bit of a kitchen favourite – particularly in the summer months, when being cold underfoot is a real bonus and being able to clean the floor with ease is a necessity as people trample in and out treading dirt with them.

It’s for these very reasons that laminate flooring is becoming a bit of a darling in the interiors world and has moved its way out of the kitchen, into the living room and up the stairs. This is in part due to the myriad of more natural-looking laminate floor designs from the likes of Topps tiles, which offer all the benefits of synthetic materials combined with the appearance of wood or tiling and a sleek modern finish.

Another reason laminate has found favour is the prevalence of allergies, which can be exacerbated by types of flooring that catch dust and other particles. Leading charity Allergy UK recommends that allergy sufferers choose flooring that is easy to clean and fitted tightly around fitted cabinets or to walls. Laminate is great for this – because it is easy to lay with a tight fitting and is often chosen for use in small spaces for this reason; allowing for easy cleaning of spills and stains immediately, even in the most confined of spaces.

In the bathroom where using carpet can encourage mould and house mite growth, laminate is a tried and tested choice, though it’s often wise to use washable cotton rugs to avoid slippage and injury! Despite being hardwearing, this type of flooring is fairly inexpensive, which means you can update it when the mood takes you, though you are unlikely to need to. Unlike carpet, laminate flooring is not sensitive to UV lights, so it shouldn’t fade. It’ also scratch resistant, so if you like to move furniture around regularly, or have pets – it should put up a fight when it comes to wear and tear. Finally, in the event it does befall some kind of accident and your laminate is torn or nicked – you can replace the affected section easily by slipping in some fresh laminate.