Exploring the Versatility of Hardwood Flooring: Best Options for Every Room 

It looks great. It’s strong and durable. It’s easy to clean and maintain. It can help with your property’s resale value. It can help promote better overall indoor air quality. It’s available in a variety of finishes. If cared for properly, it can last for generations.

Yes, there’s lots to like about hardwood flooring – and based on the bevy of benefits that we checked off, you can see why it’s become such a popular flooring option in households. But contrary to what you may believe or have seen, there’s a hardwood option for each room of the home – and not just the family and living spaces that the flooring has perhaps become the most synonymous with.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the versatility of hardwood floors and what options work best in certain spaces. Here’s a closer look:

Hardwood Flooring: Best Options for Every Room

Living Room, Family Room, Dining Room

The living room, family room and dining rooms are perhaps the places most synonymous with hardwood floors. And the options are truly endless with what you can do in these areas of the home.

Oak is far and away the most popular type of hardwood floor for its balance of durability, color range and affordability. The two most popular variations are red and white oak and the grain pattern tends to hide scratches and hold up well to wear and tear. It also has a classic look that makes it a good universal fit in areas beyond the main living spaces as well.

Another popular hardwood type in the main living spaces is maple. It’s more durable than oak but has less color variety and a tighter grain pattern. Hickory, the most durable type of hardwood floor, is another option.

If you’re going for a high-class option, mahogany is often considered the “best of the best” when it comes to wood flooring. Its deep color and grain make it ideal for more formal spaces, like the dining room or a study area. However, this is also often the most expensive type of wood flooring.

Kitchen

Most people think that hardwood isn’t a good fit for kitchens because of how prone these spaces are to spills and water. But it’s important to keep in mind how versatile hardwood is. Noting this, yes, there’s hardwood that suits a kitchen well too. This is especially true if your home has an open floor concept where the kitchen transitions into the family or living room.

If you’re going for a rustic kitchen, the aforementioned hickory hardwood makes for a great fit. Not only is hickory durable, but its grain pattern varies from plank to plank, making it easy to hide any scratches or other blemishes.

Ash is another ideal hardwood material to consider for the kitchen. What makes ash unique is that it’s lighter in color than most types of hardwood. Hence, it can really complement a more modern kitchen and give it a distinct, unique look and feel.

Finally, bamboo flooring is another good decision for the kitchen. Not only is it resistant to moisture, but it also comes in a lighter color that can make it stand out in this type of environment.

Foyer/Mudroom

The foyer and mudroom are where you’re likely to get a lot of traffic in the home. It’s also the place where you’re bound to get dirty shoes and boots. All hardwood floors are easy to clean and maintain, but some are more durable than others. More standard options like maple and oak are ideal for this space. So too is hickory or even an engineered hardwood option.

Bedrooms

From cherry to walnut to oak and maple, there are a lot of hardwood options in the bedroom. Since the bedrooms aren’t as frequently trafficked as other rooms of the home, you can get away with a less durable variety. Options for bedrooms are plentiful.

We talked a lot about the benefits of hardwood floors at the beginning of this piece. But as you can see from reading this piece, another key benefit is the versatility of hardwood. There’s a type of hardwood floor for literally any room in the home – from the kitchen to the bedroom.

The only room you probably don’t want to install hardwood in is the bathroom. Every other room is pretty much fair game. All it takes is a good vision and working with a good hardwood flooring supplier.