Kitchen floor ideas for your new stunning cooking space

As the heart of the home, your kitchen needs flooring that offers durability and style in equal measures. Thankfully, there are many kitchen floor options available with different textures, materials, colours and shapes to choose from.

Whether you want something subtle and chic to put underfoot or flooring that will make a real statement, we’ve put together some kitchen floor ideas to inspire you.

What is the best flooring for a kitchen?

The best type of flooring for your kitchen is one that complements your units, worktops and décor, as well as being hard-wearing. Your kitchen flooring isn’t something you will change as often as colour schemes and accessories, so it’s important to consider the longevity and maintenance of the flooring you choose.

You also need to think about the condition of your sub-floor – everything needs to be structurally sound and flat before your flooring is laid. This is why it’s especially important to use a professional tradesperson who is experienced in the type of flooring you want to lay in your kitchen.

Have you considered underfloor heating? Certain types of kitchen flooring, such as tiles and stone, can be cold to walk on during the winter months. If you’re thinking about installing underfloor heating in your kitchen, view our cost guide here.

To help you decide the best flooring for your kitchen, consider the following factors:

• Style – Does your kitchen have a particular theme? For example, if you’re aiming to achieve a traditional farmhouse-style kitchen, flagstone flooring would fit right in. For a contemporary kitchen, polished concrete is a popular option.
• Purpose – What will your kitchen flooring need to withstand? Do you have children and/or pets who’ll charge through the kitchen leaving muddy prints in their wake? Do you like a busy household, and hence need a flooring material that’s resistant to spillages and scratches, and easy to clean and maintain?
• Budget – If you have a more generous budget for your kitchen flooring, you can consider materials such as hardwood or natural stone. However, it is possible to achieve a similar look with cheaper alternatives such as laminate or vinyl.

What are the different types of kitchen flooring?

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is a popular choice for kitchens, as there as so many different designs and styles to choose from. Extremely easy to clean and maintain, vinyl can be laid quickly to create your desired look.

In general, you should aim to choose a vinyl that is at least 3mm thick if you want it to be long-lasting and durable. To find out more about using vinyl for your kitchen flooring, read our vinyl floor guide.

Tiles

With a vast choice of sizes, shapes and styles, kitchen floor tiles are ideal for both modern and traditional homes. You could opt for a natural material, such as slate or limestone, both great for period homes or country-style kitchens.

However, ceramic and porcelain tiles are often a cheaper alternative to natural materials, making them perfect if you’re on a budget. You could even go for reclaimed tiles if you want a vintage effect that is in keeping with the style of your home.

Take a look at our kitchen tile flooring guide to find out more about choosing the perfect tiles for your kitchen.

Wood

When it comes to using wood flooring in your kitchen, it can be best to opt for engineered wood. This type of wooden flooring has a multi-layered construction and won’t be prone to changing with the conditions of a kitchen environment. You can go for solid oiled wood floors in your kitchen, and you just need to be aware they will require more upkeep and maintenance.

If you love the look of wood but don’t want the expense or maintenance of solid wood flooring, you could opt for wood effect vinyl flooring, laminate or even tiles.

Laminate

A cheaper alternative to some of the other kitchen flooring.

Concrete

A sturdy option of kitchen flooring. Not only is it one of the most durable, but it’s a modern option for any sleek looking kitchen.

Kitchen floor tile ideas

When choosing a floor for your kitchen, it’s essential to opt for something that’s both hard-wearing and functional. After all, the kitchen is more often than not the busiest room in the house, so you want your flooring to be both stylish and capable of withstanding a daily influx of cooks, kids and pets.

Tiles are perfect for kitchen floors as they’re incredibly durable, easy to clean and maintain and offer a wide variety of designs.

Not sure what kind of kitchen tiles to go for? To help you narrow down your options and provide some inspiration, we’ve pulled together some kitchen floor tile ideas to get you started.

Hexagon floor tiles

Coming into fashion is funkier floor tiles, like hexagon floor tiles. Available as tiles or vinyl tile-effect.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles

There is such a huge selection of tiles to choose from, but amongst the most popular are modern porcelain tiles. These tiles tick all the boxes as they are often the most hard-wearing, stain-resistant and affordable.

Natural stone tiles are extremely desirable too, especially if you want a natural, textured look.

Give your existing kitchen floor tiling some new life

If your kitchen has a tiled floor, you might not have to replace it. You can get a cheap kitchen floor makeover using the tiles as background for attractive vinyl stickers.

Stick-on vinyl gives you access to a variety of designs. You can go geometric, floral or abstract. It’s a great way to cover up flaws in your existing floor and give you a new look!

Looking for a flooring specialist to help you with your kitchen floor makeover on a budget? Let us help you.

Is tile flooring good for kitchens?

Yes, tiles are perfect for busy homes and kitchens. Ceramic or porcelain tiles are available in a whole host of colours, shapes and designs, so you’re certain to find something that will complement your kitchen décor. Some of the many benefits of ceramic tiles for kitchen flooring include:

Easy to clean and maintain

Ceramic tiles need nothing more than a simple clean with a mop and standard cleaning detergent to pick up dirt and remove germs. Got a stain that’s harder to remove? Depending on the surface texture of your tile, you can also use a more heavy-duty cleaner to remove tough stains and restore your tiles to their original beauty.

Hard-wearing

If you want flooring that’s going to provide both style and longevity, you should definitely consider ceramic tiles. As they are impervious to moisture, you never need to worry about accidents and spills, and they’re also crack resistant. This level of durability is exactly what you need in a kitchen.

Wide range of designs

No matter the style of your kitchen, tiles are a great flooring option. With a choice of every colour you can think of and a range of traditional and modern patterns available, there’s a tile to suit every home.

Affordable

Ceramic tiles are extremely cost-effective compared to natural stone tiles and other flooring options, making them perfect if you’re looking for quality on a budget.

Take a look at our cost guide here to find out more about the price of kitchen floor tiles.

No allergy concerns

Because ceramic tiles have a hard surface, they tend not to attract pollen, animal hair, dirt or dust. This can help to keep the air free from allergens and make your home more comfortable for those that suffer from allergies.

Easy to install

Compared to other flooring options, tiles are quick and easy to install if you find the right professional. If you’re not a natural DIYer, we wouldn’t recommend fitting them yourself as you need to ensure your sub-floors are correctly prepared.

If you’ve chosen tiles for your kitchen flooring and you need to find someone to complete the installation, use the Checkatrade search to find a recommended and vetted tradesperson in your local area.

You can also find specialist fitters for all other types of flooring if you’d rather a different material or finish for your kitchen floor.

There may be several reasons why you might be looking for kitchen floor ideas on a budget. It could be that your old kitchen flooring is no longer as ‘good-looking’ as it used to be. Or, you want a new look for your kitchen. You might be someone who likes change but can’t justify changing your kitchen floor every time you redecorate. Luckily, our kitchen floor makeover ideas are not only inexpensive but also easy to implement!

Vinyl kitchen floor ideas

With so many different styles, materials and finishes to choose from, finding the perfect flooring for your kitchen can be tricky. It’s important to select something hard-wearing and durable, that also provides style and comfort at the same time.

Vinyl flooring has been a popular flooring choice for many years. Thanks to its versatility and affordability, vinyl floors became a staple of home décor during the 1960s. But, today’s versions are a far cry from the flimsy, dated-looking flooring you might remember. In fact, modern vinyl kitchen floors are durable, easy to lay and clean, and can mimic any number of flooring styles at a fraction of the price.

It’s no surprise homeowners are once again opting for vinyl in their kitchens. If you’re thinking about joining them, here are our some of our top vinyl kitchen floor ideas plus points giving you some inspiration.

Is vinyl flooring good for kitchens?

Yes, vinyl is a great option for kitchens and busy homes. However, you need to ensure you buy quality vinyl if you want longevity and durability. In general, we recommend opting for a thickness of at least 3mm.

Some of the many benefits of vinyl flooring for kitchens include:

Water resistance

Vinyl is a water-resistant material, making it ideal for kitchens where spills and drips are commonplace. If you opt for vinyl tiles, you will need to seal in between the seams to ensure no water seeps through, whereas a vinyl sheeting will only need sealing at the edges. Compared to other popular flooring options such as laminate and hardwood, vinyl is one of the most durable when it comes to water damage.

Choice of design

Thanks to modern manufacturing techniques, you can find vinyl in almost every design you can think of. From hardwood, tiles and natural stone, you can imitate nearly any type of flooring with vinyl, while benefiting from its durability and water-resistance. However, it must be said that vinyl will be different to walk on than materials such as natural stone.

Affordable

Vinyl allows you to replicate the look of more expensive materials in a super affordable way. It’s one of the most cost-effective means of creating a stylish yet functional kitchen floor. Take a look at our cost guide here to find out more about the price of vinyl flooring for your kitchen.

Comfortable to walk on

With vinyl, you can lay padding underneath to create a soft impact underfoot. It’s also softer and more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time than hard surfaces, so it’s great while you’re on your feet cooking and entertaining family.

Easy to maintain

Vinyl flooring is easy to clean. Other than regular mopping with warm water and mild detergent from time to time, it requires little maintenance. It’s also stainproof and water-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about spillages.

Easy to install

Installing vinyl flooring is quick and easy for a trained professional. If you’re not a natural DIYer, we recommend finding a professional in your area to fit your vinyl flooring. You need to ensure your sub-floor is correctly prepared if you want your vinyl to lay beautifully and last for years to come.

If you’ve been inspired by our vinyl kitchen floor ideas, or you’ve chosen your vinyl flooring and just need to find someone to complete the installation in your kitchen, use the Checkatrade search to find a recommended and vetted tradesperson in your local area.

Concrete floor kitchen ideas

Concrete kitchen flooring is a great idea for a kitchen. It’s durable, elegant, sleek and modern. If it’s sealed correctly, it won’t stain either for those messy cookers!

In some cases, concrete flooring can be cheaper than tiled flooring.

Do be aware, concrete kitchen flooring can be hard and cold underfoot. It’ll also require repolishing every few years to keep it looking its best.

Hardwood kitchen flooring ideas

A timeless classic in hardwood is another option for your kitchen flooring.

On the expensive end of your kitchen flooring options, it’s flooring that offers real class and can create a rustic, authentic and high-end look. If you’re going for wooden worktops too, you may want to match your floor with the worktop.

Another benefit of hardwood flooring in your kitchen is that it can increase your home’s value. It’s a nice easy flooring option to clean, with some maintenance in the fact you’ll need to treat it regularly.

Factors to consider when planning your kitchen floor makeover on a budget

We get it. Cheap kitchen floor makeovers are not quite so simple, are they?

Unlike the other rooms in your home, kitchen floors can’t be purely decorative. This is a room where you’re most likely to spill food and liquids. This means any kitchen floor idea you have needs to take cleaning into account.

It’s also a place you stand and work, which means it should be comfortable.

It’s the room where your pets are likely to be begging for food, and for some, it might be the place where they are fed.

As a result, when planning your low-cost kitchen floor makeover, you also need to consider if the flooring material is easy to clean and maintain, as well as fairly damage-proof, including water damage and scratch resistance.

Then, there’s the look to consider. Do you want luxurious wooden flooring or a rustic stone floor? Does your house have a modern appearance or a vintage vibe?

With all this to consider, you might feel a cheap kitchen floor makeover might be nearly impossible. Luckily, that is not the case.

Here are some of our favourite kitchen floor options on a budget to help you create the kitchen of your dreams.

Wood you like this?

Nothing quite beats the look of a hardwood floor. However, actual wooden flooring can be expensive and doesn’t quite meet our requirements for cheap kitchen floor makeovers.

The good news is, laminate flooring can give you the appearance of wood at a fraction of the price!

Of course, like most cheaper options, it won’t be as durable and you will need to make sure it doesn’t get wet.

However, as long as you dry-wipe or even damp-wipe the floor (and get any liquid spills as soon as they occur), your flooring should give you the desired look.

It’s the vinyl answer!

Vinyl can be a fantastic option for inexpensive kitchen flooring. It’s softer underfoot, which also means you’re less likely to break things if you drop them.

It’s also available in a stunning range of colours, patterns and designs. Your inexpensive vinyl kitchen flooring can be made to look like stone, tiles, wood or be used to create a pattern on the floor.

The material is easy to wipe clean. However, like laminates, it’s not very forgiving of wetness and needs an absolutely level floor before it is installed. That’s because any unevenness under the material will show up on the surface, especially with thinner sheets.

As it stands, we recommend using vinyl that is at least 3.5mm or thicker.

Lino, looking very fine-o

A more eco-friendly alternative to laminated flooring, also available in a variety of design options and patterns is linoleum or lino. You can get this in rolls or as tiles.

The material is quite soft, so you are less likely to break things you drop. It’s also quite comfortable to walk or stand on.

However, this softness also makes it easy to scratch or pierce. But, it should be okay if you keep your high heels and pets with sharp claws out of the kitchen. This is one of our kitchen floor ideas on a budget that needs just a little bit more care.

There’s some paint on the floor

Here’s a situation. You’ve got lovely wooden floors that are looking a bit worse for wear. You’d love to replace them with something modern, but look at them! They are solid wood! You’d feel like a monster if you ripped them out.

Now, what if we told you that you could keep them AND get a stunning kitchen floor makeover for next to nothing?

Simply paint over them. Clean the floor and paint the kitchen floor any colour you want. This way, you get the new flooring without removing that beautiful wood. And, most importantly, it doesn’t break the bank.

Cork flooring

Cork is another fantastic flooring solution, and one that’s surprisingly under appreciated. It’s environmentally friendly, soft, cheap, slip resistant and it comes in a range of colours and patterns.

It’s somewhat similar to linoleum, which often contains cork, but it has its own unique properties. For example, cork is naturally anti-microbial, so it’s resistant to allergens, mould and bacteria.

It’s also a natural thermal and sound insulator, meaning it’s warm underfoot and doesn’t make much noise when you walk on it or drop things.

A couple of downsides to consider are cork’s water sensitivity and susceptibility to fading in sunlight, but with the right maintenance, cork can last for many years.

Wallflowers on the ground

If your kitchen floor is relatively smooth and you’re only looking for cheap kitchen floor makeover ideas that can be replaced easily, you could go for wallpaper on the floor.

It’s relatively quick to ‘install’, easy to clean and gives you an amazing range of colours and designs to choose from.

What’s more, if you damage it or get bored of it, it’s easy to remove so you can put another one in its place!

A magical carpet ride

Of all the inexpensive kitchen floor makeover ideas, one of the most simple is using carpets, rugs and runners. If your flooring is old and damaged, these can be used to conceal the more sorry-looking bits.

However, if your kitchen flooring is new, these can also be used to protect frequently used areas. What’s more, you can use them to add splashes of colour and contrast to your kitchen! Most rugs and runners available on the market can easily be machine-washed, so are quite easy to maintain.

More importantly, you don’t need any special installation to implement this idea, and also change these around any time you want.

Like what you see? There’s more where this came from. Check out Checkatrade’s blog for more tips, ideas, how-tos, and inspiration.

So, here are our seven kitchen floor ideas on a budget to help you transform your home. Which one would you like to see in your kitchen? And, if you need help putting any of these in, would you like to find the right tradesperson near you?

Modern kitchen floor ideas

What is the best flooring for a modern kitchen?

When choosing the best flooring for your contemporary kitchen, you need to consider what overall look you want to achieve. There are a number of different materials that will seamlessly integrate into a modern home, such as natural stone, tiles and vinyl. Still, it comes down to the aesthetic and practicality you want from it.

Popular modern kitchen floor ideas include:

• Hardwood
• Luxury vinyl
• Concrete
• Linoleum
• Terrazzo

Some key considerations for your modern kitchen flooring

As well as the overall look of your kitchen flooring, you also need to consider the maintenance required and how functional it will be for your space. For example, some flooring options simply require regular cleaning with warm water and a mild detergent.

However, hardwood flooring in a kitchen may require regular oiling to keep it protected from water damage and stains.

Before you purchase your kitchen flooring, you should also consider underfloor heating. If this is something you’d like to incorporate, you may need to look at which flooring options and materials will provide the best heat circulation.

Modern kitchen flooring on a budget

Naturally, materials such as hardwood and natural stone tiles are higher in price than vinyl and laminate. But that’s not to say you can’t still achieve a similar look using more budget-friendly materials.

If you find a hardwood or natural stone style you love, you will probably be able to find something similar made of vinyl.

Vinyl and laminate are generally more straightforward and quicker to install, so are usually cheaper in terms of labour costs than hardwood and tiles. Find out more about average costs for modern kitchen floors in our modern kitchen floor cost guide.

To get an estimation for the cost of your kitchen flooring installation, and to get advice from a local flooring expert, use our Checkatrade search to find reliable and trusted flooring experts in your area.