Linoleum for the kitchen - choosing linoleum according to all the rules

What are the main points you should pay attention to when choosing linoleum for the kitchen?

Linoleum is an environmentally friendly flooring made from natural materials. This wear-resistant coating has a very long service life. Linoleum is resilient and has antibacterial properties, making it a particularly good choice for kitchens.

Four selection criteria will help you learn better about the features of linoleum

Material . Linoleum is made from natural materials including linseed oil, resin, wood flour and pigments.

Since these materials are of natural origin, they are also biodegradable, which is considered a definite advantage when choosing an environmentally friendly coating.

In addition, flaxseed oil is a powerful antiseptic. Thanks to this property, linoleum will protect the floor from harmful bacteria throughout its entire service.

Thickness _ The kitchen floor has a purpose rather than a decorative purpose. The appropriate kitchen covering must withstand heavy loads without deforming, remain wear-resistant, and maintain an impeccable appearance.

The thickness of linoleum determines its wear resistance. Especially for kitchens there is linoleum with a thickness of 4-5 mm. This high-performance coating will withstand any intense load.

Coverage . Unlike vinyl flooring, the pigments in linoleum run throughout the entire thickness of the material. Any scratches or heavy wear will be the same color as the surface, minimizing visual impact.

Sliding . An important feature of linoleum is that, due to its coating, it usually has a rough surface. Therefore, linoleum is popular in places with high humidity.

The fact that this flooring is so easy to clean adds a lot of benefits, but the benefits don't end there.

Features of using color in the interior

It is not without reason that this color is considered universal. The combination of light shades together with a beautiful texture creates harmony in the appearance of any room. This shade option is preferred by designers of a wide variety of trends in creating atmospheric interiors of public institutions and individual exclusive projects.

A modern interior involves the inclusion of bleached oak in the form of:

• entire surface: finished ceiling, walls or floor;
• a piece of furniture in the form of cabinet, built-in or modular furniture;
• miniature elements; for example, decor, without which the picture would seem unfinished.

Which is better – parquet or linoleum?

Linoleum, compared to hardwood flooring, is a less expensive way to achieve a more expensive look for a kitchen floor. One of the remarkable advantages of linoleum is that this material can look like wood, stone or any other floor, which cannot be said about parquet.

Linoleum has a number of useful qualities:

• Elasticity . Linoleum is an elastic flooring material. This means that soft and elastic linoleum provides a more comfortable experience in the kitchen, especially in places where you will have to stand a lot.
• Durability . The characteristics of linoleum make it a durable material. A well-maintained linoleum floor will save money in the long run, outlasting hardwood flooring.
• Moisture resistance . The surface of linoleum has water-repellent properties, therefore, the formation of mold and fungi is excluded. This makes linoleum a good choice for high-moisture areas such as the kitchen.
• Fire properties . Linoleum is not easily burned or melted by dropping hot or burning objects on it.
• Antistatic properties . Thanks to this property, linoleum is easier to clean, since dust will not stick to the floor surface due to static electricity.
• Unpretentiousness . Small cuts and gouges can be repaired using a spare piece of linoleum.
• Environmental friendliness . As stated earlier, linoleum flooring is gentle on the environment and its components are natural.
• Low cost . Compared to parquet, linoleum is much cheaper.
• Easy to install . Laying parquet flooring will require a lot of time, patience and additional leveling of the floor. Linoleum with a thickness of 3 mm does not require preparatory work or special skills.

And finally, parquet cannot boast of such a wide selection of colors, patterns, ornaments and styles, suitable for various designs, for which linoleum is famous.

Linoleum has many positive qualities, but it also has disadvantages:

• Temporary odor. New linoleum has a pronounced odor due to the content of linseed oil. Over time, the smell will disappear.
• Fading and yellowing. With frequent exposure to direct sunlight, the surface of linoleum quickly fades, and in dark places it turns yellow. This is a temporary discoloration that disappears within a few hours of exposure to sunlight.

Advice! A thin linoleum sheet requires a good, level base, otherwise any defects or imperfections will be “transmitted” through its surface.

How to choose?

The choice of linoleum depends on the purpose of the room, as well as its design.

Purpose of the room

Each room has its own interior and a specific color scheme. It is also worth considering linoleum options for the hallway, living room, kitchen, living room and children's room.

Dark-colored linoleum with a ripple effect is suitable for the hallway. This will mask the dirt that is brought into the apartment from the street.

For the kitchen, flooring that imitates natural materials is often chosen, such as:

• tree;
• granite;
• stone;
• marble.

It is also necessary to remember that the kitchen, like the hallway, is an area with high traffic. Also, when cooking, the floor can get very dirty. At the same time, the kitchen is the place where the choice of color is almost unlimited and most often depends on the color of the kitchen unit.

In the living room, as a rule, household-grade flooring is used. Linoleum that imitates noble wood is often chosen for the living room. This looks especially impressive when the entire room is made in a classic or art deco style. If the living room has little furniture and a lot of free space, then a shiny, shining coating would be a good choice.

In a children's room, linoleum must be safe for the child. But even in this case, choosing linoleum of the desired color and pattern will not be a problem.

You need to choose bright colors, from those that the child likes and will please his eyes. It can also be a light coating with beautiful patterns or bright geometric shapes. Now they produce linoleum even with characters from fairy tales, cartoons or books. However, the intensity of the colors of the walls and floor should be taken into account so that the child does not have ripples in the eyes and does not deteriorate his vision.

In the bedroom it is best to use a dark, but not monotonous coating.

Tiles are often used in the bathroom, but in some cases it is better to use linoleum. Especially when there are children in the house. The flooring can have beautiful 3D art, which will add special beauty to the bathroom. A black and white board option is also often used.

Choose by color

It’s also worth considering how flooring of different colors will fit into the interior.

White color is the most popular. Any light colors: white, beige, gray are in great demand in the market. For example, bleached oak gives lightness and airiness to the coating. The gray floor is in harmony with the wenge-colored door. Sand color suits the classic style.

Light shades visually enlarge the space. Especially if you lay them in diagonal patterns.

Often light linoleum is matched to wallpaper or kitchen furniture. Gray oak is the most popular shade for kitchen flooring. For a light beige set it is better to take linoleum of the same color. Light colors look harmonious in a room with a modern interior style.

Brown flooring or shades of it are often chosen for the kitchen. Black and white checkered linoleum also looks great in the kitchen. This allows you to combine light and dark furniture in the room.

Dark tones can dramatically change and decorate any room. Dark colors are best used in rooms where there are no lighting problems. Without it, dark linoleum will only create a feeling of lack of space. Light furniture stands out well on dark floors.

Dark tones look stately, especially in contrast with light furniture. The linoleum door group will look stylish.

For monotonous colors of furniture and wallpaper, a rich and bright floor color will work well. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting an area in the house that is too bright and boring instead of a good room. Also, overloading a room with brightness and saturation can lead to ripples and then fatigue in the eyes.

Also, the choice of tone depends on the location of the cardinal points in the room. Northern rooms need warm colors. In southern rooms, cool shades are preferred.

What color of linoleum to choose

Linoleum is available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Even if the desired pattern is not available, the cut pieces can be used to create creative floor designs with stripes and patterns to end up with a unique style.

All this variety of colors and structures allows linoleum to imitate other materials. For example, you can make a kitchen floor that looks like wood or marble when it's actually linoleum.

Such a variety of textures allows you to finish the kitchen floor in any style:

• Plain material is suitable for high-tech, minimalism, techno or modern style.
• Imitation wood will look great in a Provence, vintage, country, eco or any ethnic style interior.
• Linoleum with the texture of ceramic tiles will appeal to those who decide to create a retro, classic or avant-garde style.
• Geometric and abstract designs are suitable for kitchens in the style of pop art, contemporary or futurism.

This material can accept and maintain very deep, rich colors, providing a wide variety of attractive visual effects.

In some cases, you can purchase linoleum that has intricate patterns and motifs on the surface of the material. However, these intricate designs often require installation experience.

The choice of linoleum color is influenced by the following factors:

• A small kitchen will look more spacious if the covering is made in cool colors, imitates small tiles or wooden flooring laid diagonally.
• The color of the linoleum should match the color of the set.
• For a bright kitchen, you should choose a neutral color covering, and for kitchens with a restrained palette, brightly colored linoleum is suitable.
• You can zone a large kitchen using a well-chosen range of linoleum shades in one color spectrum.
• Warm shades will fill the kitchen with coziness, and a monotonous repeating pattern will have a calming effect.

For a low cost, the buyer gets a chic look with minimal maintenance.

Advantages

When considering the question of how to choose linoleum for the kitchen, you need to consider a number of advantages of this material.

1. The material is very elastic, it is easy to lay it even for a beginner without any help, it is elastic enough that it can be laid even under a slight bend.
2. Thanks to the waterproof surface, it is very easy to wash and clean, this property prevents the appearance of fungus and mold on the surface.
3. Linoleum is antistatic, which allows it to attract dust to a lesser extent than other coatings.
4. Among the varieties of this material there are those with small bulges or roughness. They are virtually non-slip due to their uneven surface.

Preparatory work before installation

Most suppliers offer to install linoleum sheets, but recognize that buyers can do everything themselves.
The surface on which you want to lay linoleum must be smooth, clean, dry, without any impacts, dirt, oil or paint.

When installing, it is recommended to add a deck underlayment. You can use either a cork lining, which helps reduce noise, or plastic, which provides excellent moisture protection.

To lay linoleum you will need the following tools:

• well-sharpened knives for cutting fabric;
• serrated steel spatula (150-200 mm);
• wooden spatula;
• long ruler;
• chalk;
• double-sided tape, mastic or glue;
• optionally – liquid for welding seams.

Linoleum sheets can be installed over an existing floor as long as it is securely attached to the subfloor. If this is not the case, then you need to get rid of it. If plank flooring is installed in the kitchen, then before installing linoleum, the boards are covered with plywood and screwed with self-tapping screws.

Advice! While working on preparing the floor, you should definitely lay out the linoleum somewhere nearby for a couple of days so that the canvas acclimatizes to room temperature. In an insufficiently warmed state, the linoleum sheet is too fragile.

Laying linoleum

Laying linoleum is easier and faster than preparing to work with it. There are three methods for installing canvases:

• No glue required.
• Using glue.
• Pasting with mastic.

The first method is the simplest: apply double-sided tape around the perimeter of the sheet and another one at the base. After laying, you need to go over the surface with a wooden spatula to expel the air.

The second method is the most durable: to lay linoleum using glue, you need to bend the sheet to the middle, then apply the glue using a spatula. Before applying the canvas to the floor, you need to hold it in the air, and after laying, squeeze out the air using a smooth spatula. The gluing process is repeated with the second half of the coating.

The third method is too expensive , so it is rarely used at home, more often in commercial enterprises.

Common Mistakes

The combination of colors in the interior is a very delicate matter, especially when the combination is not carried out by a professional

To avoid being disappointed with the final result, pay attention to the following common design mistakes:

• Overload with one color. Of course, the floor should be in harmony with some elements in the room: furniture, wall or ceiling decoration, but not with everything at once. For example, it is not advisable to combine gray linoleum with a light ceiling and “faceless” furniture. This will create an uncomfortable and lifeless atmosphere in the room;
• Linoleum and furniture are the same color. Floor furniture should not be the same shade as the floor. In such a case, it seems that the furniture and flooring are one whole;
• Abuse of bright colors. Very bright linoleum, especially red and orange, does not harmonize with flashy wall decoration and large interior items;
• Monochrome in everything. Black and white linoleum in combination with a black and white ceiling and walls will most likely give the impression that you are not in a room, but on a chessboard. Such an extravagant decision will begin to depress over time.

How much does it cost and where can I buy it?

The cost of linoleum depends on several factors:

• manufacturer country;
• brand name;
• flooring type.

Russian manufacturers offer the simplest linoleum at a cost of 120 rubles per sq. m. m., while the price for foreign goods starts from 300 rubles.

Domestic household linoleum costs from 120 rubles, and foreign from 220 rubles. This type of flooring is designed for light loads. As you know, a low price does not determine the best quality of the material.

Semi-commercial linoleum is much more reliable in quality, which is why it is so valued among buyers. Its price is approximately 300 rubles per sq. m. m.

The next variety is commercial linoleum. A meter of this type of flooring costs from 850 rubles, but it consists of several layers, withstanding a significant load.

Finally, the most expensive material is linoleum made from natural fabrics. The price for this type of flooring is higher than the previous ones - from 1000 rubles.

You can buy linoleum in large construction stores or order from online suppliers.

Styles and colors of curtains in the interior: choosing the perfect combination

Choosing the style and color of a window product is not easy, but we will help you sort it all out and choose the perfect curtains for your home.

First, let's decide what kind of curtains you want in the interior. The most commonly chosen styles of curtains in the interior are:

• classic curtains;
• Australian;
• French;
• London curtains;
• Italian;
• Japanese;
• Chinese;
• crossed curtains;
• curtain screen;
• Roman curtains;
• roll;
• bamboo;
• pleated curtains;
• blinds;
• rope curtains.

When you have decided on the style of curtains in the interior, it’s time to start choosing colors. Designers offer three options for approaching the choice of colors:

• choose a lighter shade than the main color of the room;
• choose a color that is darker than the main shade of the room;
• focus on the curtains and choose a bright color, which is very scarce in the design of the room.

The choice of curtain color in the interior depends only on your imagination and preferences.

Choose curtains that complement the design of each room as much as possible. And now we will tell you in more detail about how to choose fashionable curtains for 2020-2021 in the interior of the living room, kitchen and bedroom.

Top brands

There are several linoleum manufacturers that offer their products through a network of retailers and distributors:

• Forbo (UK);
• ARMSTRONG (UK);
• TARKETT (Germany);
• Sinteros (Russia);
• IVC (Belgium);
• SOMMER (France).

Their products can also be found in several online stores.

When it comes to purchasing high-quality flooring for the kitchen, the deciding factor in this matter, of course, will be durability, environmental friendliness, a large collection of colors and the price of the material. Linoleum fully corresponds to these qualities.

Linoleum in the kitchen real photos