High-end flooring options are about more than aesthetics alone. Yes, their look does have to be perfect. They also have to be durable. They have to retain that aesthetic for years and years – and they have to offer many additional benefits. In this age when the most luxurious flooring has a wider range of looks than ever before, these other qualities matter more as well.
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High-End Hardwood Options
Saying hardwood isn’t specific enough. We need to examine more deeply the types of wood that are most luxurious. Cherry, hickory, oak, and walnut each offer a unique appearance, grain, and variety of cuts that change the feel of a room. The next step is to start exploring hardwood like Brazilian walnut, cypress, mahogany, and tigerwood.
Hardwood’s appeal relies on its irregularities: those visual textures that make a space feel more natural and open. They help a space breathe better. Hand-scraped hardwood is a terrific option because it brings those irregularities in the wood to the fore.
Beyond this, hardwoods are all extremely durable and easy to clean and maintain.
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Wool Carpet
Carpet covers the full breadth of quality, from the kind that will fall apart quickly to the kind that will last under heavy traffic for years. Wool is unique in that it’s specially evolved on an animal that lives in outdoor conditions. Wool on a sheep is laid on, muddied up, exposed to heat and sun, gets grit in it, is worn, rained on – anything nature can throw at it. If wool refuses to damage in these conditions, it can make it in any home.
Wool is sheared safely from a sheep, who regrows it yearly. Wool’s coil makes it hold its shape. The natural lanolin oils in it make it resistant to accumulating dirt or staining. Wool carpet holds up forever, and it holds its initial look far longer than other carpet options. It’s even safer, having a higher burn point that makes it exceptionally fire resistant. Sometimes you can’t improve on what nature’s evolved.
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Stone Tiles
Once again, a broad category can be boiled down to some essentials. Not all stone tiles are high-end flooring options. The most luxurious flooring when it comes to stone includes travertine, marble, and granite.
Travertine comes from limestone that forms in natural springs. The mineral deposits there give travertine a unique classical look. Its browns and golds would feel at home in ancient empires.
Marble is the most traditionally valued of the high-end stone options. It comes in whites, grays, and creams, with darker swirls. It immediately makes any room feel steeped in refinement.
Granite has a more mottled look but can shine when polished. It’s the most practical of these options. All stone has exceptional durability, but granite’s surpasses most. This makes it best suited to areas that see a lot of practical use, such as kitchens. It’s also a superb choice for outdoor areas, since it will hold up to weather the best.
East Coast Flooring & Interiors has experience in both selecting and installing high-end flooring options. Contact us today for help in choosing the right surfaces for your needs.