Most consider tile placement in bathrooms to be an inevitable part of flooring in your home, but with that comes extremely pesky grout. Instead of fighting with grout longevity, consider a waterproof LVP to establish continuity within the rest of your flooring. Homeowner Kristi exclaims, “I did! No regrets!! I have LVP and marble showers – no grout in my house.”
The Truth About Using One Flooring Type in an Entire House
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Published: June 23, 2024
Updated: March 28, 2024
The word of the decade is simplification, and that is precisely what is happening within interior design. Where walls once separated every room in our homes, we now have open floorplans that showcase unobstructed spaces and bright light. This is possible because of how contractors and designers have encouraged the selection of one flooring type to extend through the entire house. The obvious benefits include better resale value, cohesiveness, and seamless transitions, but where there are positives, there will always be negatives to consider.
We asked our interior designers to share their take on this current trend and prompted homeowners who have implemented this advice in their homes to share their experiences. The greatest takeaway is the necessity for water-resistant flooring in spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, but the overall feedback was positive, encouraging a continuation of this theme in future builds and renovations. Make sure you read on to get all the best advice for installing the same floor throughout your house.
02 of Fitting in Open Concept
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Everyone hopes to create an oasis of peace – somewhere they can go that doesn’t feel chaotic or disheveled, and flooring holds much power. According to our reader Jessica, “The house will ‘flow’ better and not look pieced together. It is in line with the open-concept style.” As many homes are transitioning into this type of floorplan, one type of flooring throughout is a sensical option that looks clean, purposeful, and connected.
03 of Using Rugs
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Finding the right rug is everything for creating designated spaces in a home with an open floor plan. Rugs not only create a definitive border, but they also add character and personality to every room. Karen took the recommendation to lay one flooring type across her entire home and stated, “Yes, I did and I love it! We do have an area rug in the living room and under our bed, along with throw rugs in front of our bathroom sinks.”
04 of Creating Designated Spaces
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Though recognizing the importance of a streamlined aesthetic, it is still possible to create room distinction, similar to the rug idea mentioned above. For this reason, interior designer Neha Kaimal favors including various flooring types in your home. “Maintaining different materials for various spaces helps create a visual and functional distinction. While it may not always be avoidable, if necessary, I recommend using one set of materials for high-activity zones like bathrooms and mudrooms and a different set for more casual spaces. This approach not only contributes to a more thoughtful design but also enhances the resale value by offering a well-defined and purposeful layout throughout the house.”
05 of Engineered Hardwoods
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Engineered hardwood may be the best of both worlds between LVP and real wood. Made of five distinct layers, it is completely authentic but has a core, visual layers, and then a protective coat on top to keep it looking fresh. Like what was explained previously about the importance of keeping any wood-like product out of high-traffic areas, Andrea agrees that engineered hardwood is fitting for the whole house, “except in a kid’s bath” for a nice, cohesive look.
06 of Perfect Everywhere… Except Bathrooms
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Some claim that LVP is waterproof, and some particular products may be, but installation is almost, if not equally, as important as effective installation. Contributor Brittney, unfortunately, regretted her bathroom flooring selection after her “toilet overflowed in our kid’s bathroom upstairs. We immediately got the water off the floor, and about an hour later, our ceiling in the kitchen was leaking from water seeping through the floors.” It’s important to remember there are minuscule cracks that often occur between planks, and if water gets under there or seeps through the actual board, then leaking into a downstairs ceiling may be inevitable.
07 of Wary of Wood
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There is a significant difference between luxury vinyl plank and authentic hardwoods. They have a similar overall appearance, but the hardwood will require special care to alleviate water marks and scuffs. If you love the look of hardwood, take Shelly’s advice and leave it out of high-traffic bathrooms. She says, “I regret putting wood in the full bathroom with kids. TIle would’ve been a better choice with young children.” When children are involved, tile or linoleum is your best bet.
08 of Thoughtful Material Selection
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There are numerous benefits to sticking with one flooring material, but there are also drawbacks to consider, especially when pondering on the experiences previously shared by Brittney and Shelly. Interior designer Meredith Taylor explains, “Using the same flooring throughout your house can be a great way to save on your budget and make your space feel bigger. Having the same flooring running throughout multiple spaces in your home creates continuity and a good flow. The only rooms I’d be sure to be careful about are bathrooms- tile or waterproof flooring is the way to go! This will protect you from
having to repair or replace other types of flooring due to water damage.”
09 of Increases Resale Value
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In a somewhat unstable and unpredictable market, peace of mind is everything. Flooring is important within the overall aesthetic of a home. In a discussion that reader Amy had with a realtor, she was informed that “the same floor throughout increases resale value.” Every homeowner is different, but you can think of cohesive flooring as a clean slate that allows potential buyers to imagine their lives in that space.
10 of Avoiding Thresholds
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Thresholds are the transitional pieces between rooms that separate two types of flooring. For example, tile will have a different height than LVP or wood, so it’s necessary to install a lip that will minimize the height differential, sometimes causing a tripping hazard. According to mom Kirsty, “We did LVP throughout because I didn’t want the thresholds that would inevitably be uneven. Don’t regret it.” My toddler daughter has fallen prey to the threshold between our kitchen and family room, so I can attest to the importance of streamlined flooring around early walkers.
11 of Looks More Farmhouse Authentic
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The modern, suburban landscape of homes is the tried and true farmhouse style. One key characteristic of this design is open floor plans with streamlined wood flooring. When reader Kristin was asked if she laid the same flooring throughout her entire house, she exclaimed, “Yes!!! We did and absolutely LOVE it! No weird transitions, and it gives such a cohesive look and makes it look even more authentic and farmhouse!” It is a legitimate argument, considering farmhouses of centuries past also only had one type of flooring.
12 of Subtly Enhancing Distinction
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Ultimately, your flooring selection is completely personalized to your family’s needs. Interior designer Katie Perry explains the endless possibilities with one flooring or multiple! “Cohesion in a house is important, so it can add value to a home to have consistent flooring running throughout, particularly on the ground floor. In open-plan spaces, I would always urge clients to have the same flooring, which can be divided into different zones using area rugs. Depending on the chosen floor, I may advise using different flooring for different rooms based on practicality. If you have a natural wooden floor running across the ground floor, you may decide it is not practical to keep this in the mudroom. Equally, you may want to create a statement in a certain room such as the entranceway, this is a great way to add personality to a space. As long as you are considering how the different floors connect, then you shouldn’t go wrong!” We’re so thankful for all the contributions of our experienced home designers and readers for their insight and recommendations!
