Latest Interiors: Tread softly

Latest Interiors finds natural solutions for under your feet.

Natural is a buzzword for this season’s interiors – we want our products clean, green and easy on the eye. The floor finish you choose for your home can make a huge impact on how it looks and on its carbon footprint. This week, Latest Interiors finds the beauty in natural flooring products.

Wood
One of the simplest natural flooring products, wood gives a classic, hardwearing finish. Probably the cheapest way of getting the look
– if your floors are up to it – is to sand and treat existing floorboards using a natural, solvent-free oil. Reclaimed, recycled boards are another excellent choice if you can source the right – and matching – quantity. If you need to replace or lay a new floor, opt for eco-friendly engineered or solid hardwood flooring, with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification, and the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification) logo, which together guarantee that timber comes from sustainable sources, was replaced after harvesting, and that the logging and harvesting process did not harm the surrounding ecosystem.

Natural fibres
There are a number of natural floor coverings made from grass and plant fibres, all of which give a soft, warm and durable finish. Sisal (traditionally used in rope making) is extracted from the Agave sisalana plant, and is well-suited to heavy domestic use in hallways and living areas. It can also be dyed for different colour finishes. Coir (manufactured from the fibres of coconut husks) is another hard-wearing, inexpensive floor covering. A good all-rounder, it can take the wear and tear of a hallway or living area, while maintaining its natural beauty. Seagrass and jute are finer in texture, and better suited for medium to light use in bedrooms and studies. In all cases, check that the product you’re buying has been made from sustainably produced materials and that workers have been paid a fair price. Bamboo, cork and paper are also sustainable, eco-friendly and hardwearing choices.

Wool carpets
Wool is often overlooked, yet it is one of our most enduring natural floor finishes – and it’s biodegradable. Wool carpets help to insulate against heat loss (bringing down your heating bills) and noise, and feel marvellous underfoot. Look for 100 per cent wool from named herds, with cotton, jute or natural latex backing.

Rubber & natural linoleum
Finally, rubber flooring (either ‘virgin’ rubber, derived from trees, or made from recycled materials) and natural linoleum are excellent eco-friendly choices. Linoleum is a versatile and very durable flooring made from linseed oil; Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.org.uk) give it a ‘green’ rating, meaning that as far as they can determine it is free from nasty chemicals. It even has natural antiseptic properties. Forget about the lino in your gran’s kitchen – modern lino comes in a range of stylish colours, textures and finishes, and can be cut and shaped into any number of patterns. See www.sinclairtill.co.uk for inspiration.