Flooring purchases are seldom made without firsthand experience by buyers. This often involves a visit to a showroom, or more frequently, obtaining a sample. Wood and Beyond stands in line with other top flooring retailers, providing complimentary samples across its selection of Engineered, Luxury Vinyl, and Laminate flooring. It’s advantageous for buyers to maximise the utility of these samples to guarantee contentment with the flooring once installed.
6 Steps To Make The Best Use From Flooring Samples
Step 1: Experiment With Different Lighting Conditions
When considering new flooring, it’s crucial to observe how it behaves under various lighting conditions within your home. The appearance of flooring can dramatically change from the bright glare of midday sun to the subtle hues of dusk or the artificial light after dark. This variance is especially important when selecting flooring online, as images may not accurately reflect the product’s true colour and texture due to screen resolutions. Place the sample in different rooms and under different light sources to get a comprehensive understanding of its appearance throughout the day. This step ensures that the flooring you choose will meet your expectations in all lighting environments, maintaining its appeal and complementing your home’s aesthetic under any condition.
Step 2: Underfoot Experience
The tactile sensation of flooring under your feet is an aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. Every day, the feel of the floor beneath you contributes to your comfort and overall satisfaction with your choice. To gauge this, walk barefoot on the samples, stand on them for extended periods, and even sit down to assess their comfort level. This hands-on approach will help you understand the material’s warmth, texture, and resilience, ensuring that your final choice not only looks good but feels right too. Remember, your flooring should cater not just to the eye, but to the touch as well, enhancing the living experience in every step.
Step 3: The Cleaning Test
Durability and ease of maintenance are key factors to consider when selecting flooring. To test this, subject your samples to common household spills and challenges. From muddy shoes to accidental spills, simulate these scenarios to observe how the flooring reacts. This will give you insights into stain resistance, ease of cleaning, and how the flooring maintains its appearance after cleaning. The goal is to choose flooring that not only looks beautiful but can also withstand the rigours of daily life, ensuring it remains an asset to your home rather than a liability.
Step 4: Choose Varied Styles
Diversity in your selection of samples is vital to finding the ideal flooring for your space. Experiment with a spectrum of styles, textures, and colours to understand their impact on your home’s ambiance. Consider how each sample aligns with your home’s current design theme, how it feels underfoot, and how its colour complements or contrasts with your existing decor. This broad approach allows you to visualise the potential of each flooring type in your environment, ensuring the final choice harmonises with your home’s character and meets your aesthetic and functional needs.
Step 5: The Stress Test
To assess the long-term viability of your flooring options, conduct a stress test on the samples. This involves more than just spilling water; introduce them to potential stain-causing substances like wine or coffee, and observe the ease of cleanup and any lasting effects. If pets are part of your household, consider their impact on the flooring by simulating their movement across the samples to check for scratch resistance and durability. This proactive approach ensures that the flooring you select can withstand the demands of your daily life and remain a lasting element of your home’s interior.
Step 6: Create a Simple Mood Board
Integrate your flooring samples into a mood board that includes elements of your home’s decor, such as paint swatches, fabric samples, and pieces of furniture. This holistic view allows you to assess how each flooring option complements your existing aesthetic and contributes to the overall feel of your space. By placing samples alongside key components of your rooms, you can make an informed decision that ensures cohesion and harmony in your home’s design. This step is crucial in visualising the potential impact of your new flooring on the overall ambiance and ensuring that it enhances your living environment.
Wood and Beyond offers an extensive selection of engineered wood, luxury vinyl, and laminate flooring, all of which can be ordered as complimentary samples. These samples are dispatched on the same day and typically arrive the following day. For prospective buyers keen on experiencing the texture and quality of their future flooring in person, a visit to the Wood and Beyond showroom in London is highly recommended.
—
FAQ
Why is it important to test flooring samples under different lighting conditions?
Testing flooring samples under various lighting conditions ensures that the chosen flooring will maintain its appeal and complement your home’s aesthetic in all types of light. This step is crucial, especially for online selections, as product images may not accurately represent the true colour and texture due to screen resolution differences.
How can I assess the comfort and feel of flooring samples?
To properly evaluate the comfort and feel of flooring samples, it’s recommended to walk barefoot on them, stand on them for prolonged periods, and even sit on them to test their comfort level. This hands-on approach helps you understand the material’s warmth, texture, and resilience, ensuring your final choice is not only visually appealing but also comfortable underfoot.
What should I consider during the cleaning test for flooring samples?
During the cleaning test, simulate common household spills and challenges on your flooring samples to assess their durability and ease of maintenance. This test provides insights into the flooring’s stain resistance, ease of cleaning, and how it maintains its appearance after being cleaned, helping you choose a floor that can withstand daily life’s demands.
Why is it beneficial to choose a variety of flooring sample styles?
Selecting a diverse range of flooring samples allows you to understand how different styles, textures, and colours impact your home’s ambiance. This approach enables you to visualise the potential of each flooring type in your environment, ensuring the final choice harmonises with your home’s character and meets your aesthetic and functional needs.
How does creating a mood board help in selecting the right flooring?
Creating a mood board that includes your flooring samples alongside elements of your home’s decor, such as paint swatches and fabric samples, provides a holistic view of how each flooring option complements your existing aesthetic. This step is crucial for making an informed decision that ensures cohesion and harmony in your home’s design.