DECOR: My 5 Favorite Flooring!

As an Accounting student who yearns to be an interior decorator (NOT a designer, look up for what differs between them here!), I could spend days scouring through everywhere looking out for inspirations and new knowledge, working alongside with my bf who helps me on CAD and SketchUp. I plan on renovating my parents' house this year when other half of the house gets sold (the building consists of 2 houses joined into 1 and we are selling one of those two). As I am researching, my love for interior design grew and I am left with so many different choices that I am barely able to implement all of them into one large chunk of space. I will not talk about the renovation plan or process, but this post hopefully can serve as a helping hand to whoever are going through a house renovation.

Flooring is one of the most essential aspect of housing that you can't ever forget. Floor is where you set foot on and walk around, where you possibly would lay down when meditating, where your baby would learn to crawl on and where your children would be when they play. For whatever reason, there is no excuse for neglecting this aspect. Some people would hire a designer or a decorator to decide which flooring suits their house. Some people would prefer comfort over everything else, some people prefer flooring that is aesthetically pleasing but not necessarily comfortable. If you happen to surf the internet often, you probably have known that flooring options are quite infinitive. There are no certain way of how you should install your flooring. So out of many different kinds of flooring, I've picked 5 types that I really dig. Again, my opinion will be solely based on how I picture the flooring appearance. 

Just a reminder that I am not in any way involved in endorsing certain products and will be judging objectively. I will try my best not to specify on any brands. I work with series of different interior styles and will include them randomly without being fixated in one particular design.



1. CONCRETE FLOORING:

Which is a type of flooring that (spoiler) I will use later on my renovated house. I love its decent touch of 'zen' and often is a choice for coffeehouses. Not definitely and still isn't a hype in Indonesia where most houses are tiled or covered in parquets (one of the reason why I wanted this type of flooring inside my house). 

The main reason as of why I chose this particular type of flooring is due mostly to the infamous Indo's humid and hot weather all year long and the family is in dire need of an element that is able to generate pleasant cool feeling beneath our feet without having to alleviate its stylish aspect. Besides, it is low-cost for a reason, that is not having to buy any more expensive tiles despite the necessary semi-annual treatment with sealer. However, this type of flooring will not be a fit for people whose houses are built over inconsistent soils. When a concrete floor breaks or cracks, it takes a good ass-whopping redo with a sky-high price. These things are worth considering.



2. HERRINGBONE PARQUETS:

I would have chosen this style over concretes if my goal wasn't all about cutting possible construction expenses. Parquetry is currently a hot deal for Indonesian tropical houses, designer or not. Despite being warm in color and to touch, Parquets are often depicted as prestigious and designer-made. That is perhaps why Indonesians love parquets so much. My personal favorite material for herringbone is the White Oak but you're free to use Cherry or Maple or Oak. Parquet installation varies widely in  styles and materials, it is polished and engineered. But I must admit, the regular brick-patterned parquet is kinda boring.

If you happen to be looking forward for a parquet installation, I suggest you do some research about the price, the maintenance, materials and pattern that matches your area of choice. If not Herringbone, a Hexagon Weave, 45⁰ Herringbone, and a Basket Weave pattern can also add a desired warmth to your space. Just be reminded that Parquets are pricey (IDR 500.000 - 1.000.000 / m² + installation fee of IDR 250.000 / m² according to the latest January 2018 pricelist), and is prone to scratches and water leaks making it slightly unsuitable for any bathroom or kitchen usage. But fret not! There's a cheaper alternate for expensive parquets. Vinyl plank has the closest resemblance to the real Parquets, it just didn't give off the sound reverberation as good as the parquets.



3. CARPET:

The rarest, most unused flooring type in Indonesia. It is a more common use in 3+ stars hotels.There is no reason for the hate on this one but the hot and humid Indonesian weather! (Also known as the devil's den) However, I dig carpet flooring because it feels pleasant and soft to touch. Imagine being stressed out by a long day of work and rock hard insole of your shoes, you went home to find your feet covered in a velvety carpet mush. This is merely a type of flooring that people assume as being prestigious without taking the maintenance issue into a consideration. just like what sweeping or mopping does to other kinds of flooring, a carpeted floor needs to be vacuumed at least twice every month, making it the least favorite among the pretty laid-back Indonesian citizens.



4. ETHNIC / ACCENT TILES:

Needless to say that I'm a hater of those beige granite / marble tiles Indonesians love to use inside their houses. This is the most common flooring type all across the country. Not only it is boring and relatively bland for viewing but it is as well overused. I do have a soft spot however for ethnic and accent tiles when it is installed within a room with supporting decors. Ethnic and accent tiles are a familiar use among Turkish styled houses and Bohemian styled houses even sometimes can be spotted around Modern Farm styled houses. It is beautiful in its own way and I don't have so many remarks on this one.


5. CORK FLOORING:

Basically the same cork that you've seen in wine bottles, but elongated. Among all the types that I have mentioned above, Cork flooring has been the most expensive. Cork apparently has a soft surface and is neither vinyl or wood parquet. It is as well a good insulation system which is mostly useless in this country. Cork is plant-based and pretty much eco-friendly, and it is child friendly due to the cushiony surface.