How to get floorboards right - Shelley Craft answers your style questions

Flooring is tricky. Whether you inherit it with your home and are looking to bring it back to life, or are starting from scratch with a new build, it makes a big impact on your indoor spaces. Not just a surface to walk on, consider it a powerful decorating tool to put to good use in terms of design, colour palette, texture and acoustics.

We asked TV personality and The Block coach Shelley Craft for her tips, ideas and answers to your decorating dilemmas. 

We’re renovating our historic home. I’d like to add carpet to the living area. How do I make it look contemporary? Maggie, Mosman, NSW.

"Choosing the right colour is crucial in setting the style of the room," Shelley advises. "If the room is well lit, then you may go for contrasting darker shades to keep it modern. To attain a calm and modern look, colours which are beside each other in the colour wheel may prove complementary to one another."

"For an alternative to carpet, you could instead place all of your furniture on top of an oversized rug," suggests Shelley. "This will give you the same functional effects as carpet but with a more contemporary feel."

I really love the look of timber floorboards, but I’m worried that they are too high maintenance for our busy kitchen. What would you suggest I do? Grace, Mermaid Beach, QLD.

"It can be really hard to choose flooring for high foot-traffic areas," says Shelley. "What looks good might not necessarily provide the appropriate durability for busy areas. Vinyl flooring options are a great alternative to timber flooring as they are easy to clean and maintain and can recreate that natural wood look that you love, without the maintenance of timber floorboards."

"Products like Carpet Court’s Multilayer Hybrid have a realistic timber look and finish, and a 100 percent waterproof rating, with a tough protective wear layer, making it very durable."

"Rather than jumping into bright wallpaper, introduce colour slowly into the room with soft furnishings such as artworks, cushions and rugs"

I love pattern and want wallpaper in my living room, but my husband is scared of using too much colour. How can I get him on side? Nicole, Peppermint Grove, WA. 

"Get him involved in the design process," suggests Shelley. "Jump on to the internet, flick through magazines and go to the paint store together then the two of you can create a design style that you love."

"Compromise is key – at the end of the day, you’re both living in the house! Rather than jumping into bright wallpaper, introduce colour slowly into the room with soft furnishings such as artworks, cushions and rugs. That way, once you’ve both adjusted to the injection of colour he’ll be ready to make the leap!"

We have a large living room with very dark floorboards, I’d love to add a bit of warmth to the space, how do I pick the right rug? Julia, Armadale, VIC. 

"When picking rugs for your home, you need to think about three things: your styling needs, your lifestyle needs and the size of your space," advises Shelley. "In busy areas of the home, like living and dining rooms, layering rugs over hardwood flooring is a great way to add extra comfort and warmth. Rugs like Carpet Court’s Icon collection are made from synthetic, polypropylene fibres, which are hardwearing and long lasting. Their super dense pile makes them ideal for areas with high foot traffic helping to retain the shape of the rug, as well as minimising wear to any flooring underneath."

"If you’re using your rug in a living room, the front half of each couch should sit on top of it and extend out on either side. Rugs that are in proportion with the space will make it appear larger than it is."

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Interview: We visit TV host Shelley Craft in her Byron Bay home

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