How are bedrooom floors used?
The bedroom floor is the first surface you stand on when you wake up, and the last surface you stand on before going to sleep. It won’t see as much foot traffic as the living room will so durability is less important, although in some cases people may use the bedroom floor for exercising or similar activities. The floor will need to support a moderate amount of furniture - more if you don't have built-in wardrobes.
Image by athomenetwork, used under the CC BY 2.0 license.
What to look for when choosing bedroom flooring
- Comfort under bare feet
- Relaxed and warm aesthetics
- Great thermal and acoustic insulation
Because the bedroom is a place of rest and relaxation, your flooring choice should reflect what you feel most comfortable with. That first step out of bed will make a huge difference to how you start your day. Whether your preference is for a soft, cushioned feel or something firmer, you will want a surface that retains heat in cool weather, and which releases it in warmer weather. Some buffering against carried noise from outside is helpful too for those in busy households.
To add to the overall sense of comfort your floor will provide, it should also look warm and inviting. This is a place where you will come to recharge your batteries, and a floor with an excessively busy pattern or harsh colours may defeat the purpose.
Other factors
While the floor may not see a lot of mess in an adult bedroom, as anyone with kids can tell you, a child's bedroom can be an entirely different story! For young children in particular (who are capable of all kinds of crimes against hygiene), a floor surface that is easy to clean and sanitise may save you a lot of trouble.
Bedroom floors should ideally be hypoallergenic too - remember, you will be inhaling that air while you sleep, so you’ll want it to be as clean as possible. The bedroom typically won’t see a lot of daylight exposure, so unless your bedroom gets a lot of direct, natural light, fade resistance isn’t a massive factor.
Recommendations
The majority of bedroom floors, particularly in the southern parts of Australia, are surfaced with carpet. Even those with harder floor surfaces will usually use an area rug to provide something cosy to stand on while you get changed or get out of bed. Carpet feels good underfoot, keeps the heat in well, and comes in so many different patterns and styles that you will likely have trouble settling on only one to match your décor. Carpet also acts to dampen sound too, which may help you to sleep.
Other recommendations include wooden floorboards,parquetry cork and for tropical climates, tiles can make a good choice as they will reflect heat and be cool underfoot all year round.
