Finding low-cost flooring for my bedroom

When I started decorating my bedroom, I knew I wanted to create a tranquil space. I’ve always dreamed of an entirely white room – even when I was a teenager I wanted to create a minimalist room for myself, although you can imagine how un-minimal a teenage girl’s single room is in reality! This project is therefore the culmination of that dream. White, white and more white. That’s what I wanted. Yes the ceilings, the walls, the doors and even the floor.But where was I going to find white flooring that was also practical? I considered carpet, but seeing as I’m a big tea-drinker and a huge tea-spiller I thought that probably wouldn’t be the most sensible option. But I wanted a cosiness in the room so that the all-white box didn’t feel clinical.

before…

…after

After a lot of pinning and researching bedroom designs online, I decided that lovely whitewashed wood grain would do the job. Rooms with wooden floors rarely look clinical as the natural pattern adds a bit of interest to the floor. But as a thrifty gal, I didn’t want to splash the cash on a real-wood floor.

before…

…after

I took a look at the existing floor in the room but it was in such bad condition that it would have taken a week of sanding with an industrial sander to get it back to a surface that could be walked on. Not to mention the dents, holes and bodged repairs in the wood. I could see why the previous owner had a carpet.>I looked online to find another option. Thankfully I didn’t have to look for long. A simple search dug up a budget laminate wood flooring option from DirectWoodFlooring.co.uk. In fact, I found the lowest ever priced laminate flooring there – it beat the DIY superstores prices hands down!I picked the Farmhouse wood style – a whitewashed laminate. When I opened up the packs, I was pleased to find that each plank had a different wood grain on them. This meant that my floor looked really natural when the planks were laid out next to each other.I think that we fitted the whole floor (including fiddly bits inside the cupboard, around the door frame and under the radiator) plus the underlay within a couple of hours last weekend. Sure these GIFs make it look easy, but it really wasn’t too difficult to install at all.What do you think of it? I’m really pleased with the finished effect. It looks like real wood flooring but the layer of underlay means that it’s cosier and more sound-proofed than the creaky old wooden floor. Not to mention it being a fraction of the price! I finished off the room with some tall skirting from SkirtingWorld that I painted with a white satin gloss. I also need new flooring in the living room and I think/ I’m going to stick with the low-cost laminate again, maybe in a warm wood colour this time. And now that I’m a ‘pro’ at fitting it, I might even make a step-by-step DIY guide. Watch this space!