Hallway floors that will sweep you off your feet

A firm favourite, real wood flooring offers beauty and practicality in equal measure, when it has been laid correctly and treated extensively. As we all know, hallway flooring needs to be able to cope with wet shoes, muddy paws and a host of other inclement problems, so be sure to choose a hardwood that has been properly stained, if you are keen to go down the wood route.

Isn't this entrance hall from MAAD Architects simply stunning? What a great advert for natural wood flooring. Just look at that colour and finish!

If a totally stark and practical floor is not to your taste, always remember that this is your dream home, so add in some personal touches, such as a luxe rug! Placed on top of some dark wood flooring in this example, we think the rich hue of the purple ties in with the vibrant orchids wonderfully and adds a sense of regal styling to an otherwise very demure space.

Hallway flooring can afford to be a little more luxurious, if you want it to be, but we suggest that you implement a 'no shoes in the house' policy, just to keep it looking fabulous!

Easy to clean, hardwearing and available in a myriad of styles and colours. Doesn't this sound like the ideal choice for some hallway flooring to you? Us too and that's why tiles will always be a firm favourite! Making any hallway feel stylish, well thought out and precisely finished, tiles are so adaptable that they are the perfect choice for any home.

Whether you have a rustic, contemporary or even gothic home decor in place, there will be tiles to suit your needs and your hallway!

Hallway flooring can be a difficult thing to get right and if you know that you will not be able to keep real wood flooring pristine, perhaps you could consider one of the many wood-effect materials that are now available. Looking at this example, you can see how amazing they look, but you can rest a little easier that it will be hard to damage them.

Stone, tile and laminate options are all available and showcase very realistic wood-effects that would fool even the most attuned amongst us, so choose something that will work for you!

In a traditional or rustic home, hallway flooring shouldn't be the design element that sticks out like a sore thumb, especially when it is easy to find beautiful natural stones to integrate into your scheme! Just take a look at what we mean, in this example. Perfectly complimentary to the rest of the house, the stone floor has an almost cobbled feel to it and offers warm nostalgia that is hard to beat.

For those of you worrying about cold stone under your feet, it's simple to install underfloor heating systems with stone, so be sure to ask your tradesman for some advice.

We know you might be raising an eyebrow at this suggestion, as linoleum is generally thought of as more of a kitchen or bathroom flooring option, but when you stop to think about it, it really is a perfect alternative for your hallway flooring too! Waterproof, easy to clean and available in wonderful patterns, we can't think of a viable reason why you wouldn't consider it! In fact, this orange and white checkerboard example is really convincing us to give it a go. What about you?

If you are keen to make your hallway pop, take a look at this Ideabook: Tips For Decorating A Modern Home Hallway. We think you'll be really inspired by some of the more unusual elements, such as an under stairs Zen garden!