LivingEtc, October 2012

In October 2012 I co-wrote a guide to flooring with Jo Froude for LivingEtc.

Floors to turn heads
From goat hide to poured resin, look to these expert suppliers and installers.

LEATHER

Alma Home 8 Vigo Street, London W1S 3HJ (020 7439 0925 almahome.co.uk)
Treat your toes to a truly smooth experience by employing Alma craftsmen to install your choice of leather flooring. Pre-shrunk, water-repellent cowhide is the most popular choice, but you can also opt for goatskin or buffalo hide (and plenty of options in between). The MDF-clad boards can be created in floorboard style planks, large squares or anything else that suits. Strictly for a shoes-off household.

TING
(020 8355 1938 tinglondon.com)
For leather flooring that’s a notch different, try TING. They select vintage leather belts for their colour and pattern, remove any metal and rework the belts into square panels suitable for flooring, table tops and feature walls; creating a hardwearing and eye-catching finish. Not only do they create a new use for an existing product, but TING will even take back and recycle the tiles if you ever tire of them.

CONCRETE

Concreations
(020 8408 3000 concreations.co.uk)
Designers, creators and installers of all manner of concrete products, including floors. At least 40mm thick, the bespoke surfaces are available in a silky smooth or rough finish and can be ground to expose the stones for additional texture. Choose from polished concrete in natural tones or blue, green, yellow and red pigments. Or for a totally show-stopping look, the company offers a white base topped with a 3mm layer of micro-top concrete pigmented in almost any colour you can conjure up.

Graphic Relief Ltd.
35 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8AA (0207 749 3773 graphicrelief.co.uk)
Graphic Relief have developed the technology to manufacture concrete moulds with incredibly fine surface detail. Designs, textures and graphic effects can be reproduced in photo quality detail on floor tiles of up to 2 x 1.2 metres, which are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. They undertake bespoke commissions, so if you can think of it, you can walk on it.

PARQUET

Ecora London
20 England’s Lane, London NW3 4TG and 327 Upper Richmond Road West, London SW14 8QR (020 7148 5265 / 020 7148 5322 ecora.co.uk) Suppliers of new and reclaimed wooden flooring Ecora can provide a full site-survey and install your selection for you. The choice of woods and stains are both impressive and inspiring, so whether you opt for expertly salvaged Panga Panga parquet or expertly engineered wide-plank oak boards, you can be confident of a fabulous under-foot experience.

Naturally Wood Floors
(020 8508 2555 naturallywood.net)
With hardwood flooring in the family since the early 1900s, Naturally Wood Floors bring a wealth of experience to parquet floors. Combining traditional skills with modern machinery, the company directors have a hands-on approach so it’s likely you’ll deal with them directly. They offer free consultations and once you’ve decided what you want, they’ll bring a large sample to your home, so you can see it in situ before making a final decision.

MOSAIC

London Mosaic
2a Morrish Road, London SW2 4EH (020 7165 6674 londonmosaic.com)
If you want to restore some former glory to your Victorian home’s path, hallway, kitchen or conservatory, classic flooring is a good investment. These specialists in Victorian floor tiles supply everything from chessboard designs to multi-coloured geometric patterns. The tiles are provided in a sheet format which makes them much easier to lay and London Mosaic are happy to recommend a tiler, so you can avoid any restoration dramas.
London Tile and Mosaic Co.
18-20 Saffron Wharf, Shad Thames, London SE1 (0207 871 0003 londontileandmosaic.com)
Appropriately positioned just around the corner from London’s Design Museum, the London Tile and Mosaic Co.’s Gallery gives you the chance to view their full range, from metal tiles to bespoke art works. You can browse at your leisure or make an appointment to discuss the finer details of your project with their team of specialist advisors.

POURED RESIN

Solid Floor
61 Paddington Street, London W1U 4JD, 53 Pembridge Road,
London W11 3HG and 273 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PZ (020 7486 4838 / 020 7221 9166 / 020 7351 3045, solidfloor.co.uk)
Traditionally used in commercial spaces because of its durability and hygiene credentials, poured resin is becoming an increasingly popular choice for the home. Its clean modern lines and endless opportunities for customisation, from bold colours to glitter effects make it a contemporary choice. Solid Floor have three London showrooms, where you can view not only the flooring, but an ever changing selection of art, antiques and original designs curated by co-owners Eelke Jan Bles and Robert Weems to show the floors off at their best.

Puur
118-120 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 6SS – by appointment only (020 7084 6266 puur.uk.com) For the ultimate in modern flooring, choose between the poured resin and polished concrete floors that this company specialises in. As you’d imagine, expert installation is key in creating a super-smooth finish. You’ll find that here, along with a mind-boggling array of colours and a choice of a gloss, satin or anti-slip finish. When it comes to concrete, Puur employ all the latest technology to create an authentically industrial looking surface that’s just 6mm thick.

GLASS

Cantifix
Unit 22, Garrick Industrial Centre, Irving Way, London NW9 6AQ (020 8203 6203 cantifix.co.uk)
As fragile as it might seem, glass flooring is a great way to let light from one level to another, or simply to create a striking architectural feature. Cantifix’s FloorglazeTM is available in sections of up to 3m2, which is about as big as they come. It’s created using multiple panels of toughened and heat-soaked safely glass and designed to reduce ambient noise between floors. The perfect solution for basement conversions.

Hallmark Glass & Glazing Ltd
4 Garnett Way, Walthamstow, London E17 5PE (020 8531 1500 hallmarkglassandglazing.co.uk)
Hallmark Glass & Glazing Ltd happily to work alongside other site professionals, such as structural engineers, architects and builders to create the look you’re aiming for. Glass can be sandblasted on one side, to let light in while maintaining privacy or to etch decorations into the surface. They’ve even made bespoke under-floor display cases, enabling one client to walk all over his collection of football shirts.

FYI
The creation of parquet flooring involves laying geometric, angular pieces of wood. Where curved shapes are featured, the process is known as marquetry, instead of parquetry.