Small Kitchen Floor Ideas 2024

Though kitchen layouts and cabinets, or even your tea service, are important, the flooring is the most important aspect of designing a kitchen. The kitchen floor is used daily more than any other floor in the house. Besides, it needs to be attractive and clean at the same time. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the right floor for the kitchen that meets aesthetic, functional, and material standards. It requires more than picking what looks pretty! The characteristics you are looking for are durability, safety, softness, water resistance, and particularly something that is stylish. As one of the places with the highest traffic in the house, it is recommended to have multi-layered flooring material, suitable for all functions such as cooking, dining area, and kitchen island. The overall subfloor can be plain. The secondary floor can be patterned or colored to add some style to the floor.

Kitchen Floor Types

There is a wide range of floorings you can choose from, from natural stone tiles to marble floor and wooden ones:

Hardwood

For decades, classic wooden floorings have been popular. The wooden planks are comfortable, warm, and subtle at the same time. But remember they are not suitable for underfloor heating. Wooden kitchen floor is prone to swell from consistent water exposure, though this may not be a big deal for you. It is the perfect choice for houses in which the kitchens are designed with the same pattern and materials as the rest of the house. For harsh places, opt for light wood oak so that it is not damaged by scratches or dents.

Natural Stone

Lasting a lifetime, natural stone tiles are really popular and lend authenticity to the calming design. It holds up well to the kitchen atmosphere and adds softness and neutrality. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, you can choose the one that best suits you. Remember to install the tiles properly and seal them regularly to avoid further damage. They should often be sealed to prevent staining. A new trend is to use ‘mimic’ proclaims, which resemble natural materials but are more affordable and easy to clean.

Porcelain

For decades, these kinds of non-porous tiles have featured the most hard-wearing properties. Thus, it is suitable for high-traffic areas such as kitchens. Beautiful and durable, they also feature proofing options, including water, stain, and scratch, which is preferable for young children. On the other hand, the other benefit is that they are easy to clean and maintain. They are versatile and available in the market in multiple shapes, sizes, and styles.

Vinyl

Here’s the attracting buzz! Compared to other types of flooring, LVPs (luxury vinyl planks) are much softer and warmer. They are hard-wearing, affordable, durable, and easy to lay and install, making them perfect for high-traffic kitchens. As a versatile option, you can have vinyl in different patterns and colors, from tiles to marble options. When buying luxury vinyl flooring, be careful with the thickness of the vinyl since it indicates the quality of the material and how much they are long-standing and easy to fit. Cheaper ones are 1mm thick, while thicker ones are made in 3.5mm thick.

Engineered

Without having to spend all your money, you can enjoy hardwood-like flooring. They are also water-resistant and last longer. If your house is free from any harshness, an engineered floor is a good option for you, but if you have small children or pets running around the house, this is not a good idea since it is easily scratched. To prevent that, you can place felt pads on the bottom of chairs’ legs or tables to prevent scratches on the surfaces.

Laminate

If you’re looking for more modern flooring options, choose modern laminate floorings. Though expensive, they are durable and last a lifetime. They are used as the base with underfloor heating.

Terrazzo

This type of flooring is made by combining marble chips, cement, and granite, adding a contemporary look to the kitchen. They offer the highest durability since they are water-proof and unscratchable. As one of the most playful floors, the materials are costly, but it is subtle. They don’t stain easily if sealed properly. The only disadvantage is that they become slippery easily, thus not appropriate for houses with small children.

Ceramic

Similar to porcelain tiles in design and installation, ceramic is made of coarser clay. Thus being less durable. However, they are beautiful, economical, and perfectly suited for indoors, such as in kitchens. Remember that it is not as hard as other floorings and is not fired at as high temperatures.

Cement

Cement tiles have been around for a long time. They feature vibrant colors and patterns and are arranged in fours to create patterns. Don’t forget to seal the cement regularly and properly to avoid destruction. In this way, they absorb water and oil, leading to stains. If you want to add visual characteristics and a traditional look to your kitchen, cement works well for you.

Concrete

Concrete is great for a minimal look. Made from mixed stone, rock, granite, cement, and water, it has an aggregated texture. After it is dried, it is polished. It can be later painted and ornamented using two-part epoxy. Polished ones look exactly like marble. Keep in mind that concrete stains, so sealing is required. Also, it feels cold underfoot unless it features radiant heat. For this matter, you can choose radiant concrete floors that give off heat more efficiently and save energy in the winter.

Cork

Another sustainable flooring option is cork. You may ask, what is the reason for their growing popularity? Well, it is soft but firm to walk on, giving you a sense of relaxation. Other countless benefits include being eco-friendly and hypoallergenic, resistant to mold and water, and light-weight. Also, they feature acoustical and thermal properties, offering natural heat, so they are the perfect choice for cold areas. If you want to use cork as the flooring of your kitchen, don’t forget to finish it with a water-proof coating so it lasts longer and you can avoid damage.

Kitchen Floor Style

Simplicity always wins! If you are looking for a modern style in the twenty-first century, then simple floorings work best for you. If you want your cabinets or other home appliances to become more visible, go for a bright, neutral style. In this way, nothing distracts the attention to the flooring. Medium-tone floorings make the design flow without overpowering it. You can also match the flooring with the walls. Color-matching elevates the room and makes it feel elegant.

Best Pattern for Small Kitchen Floor

When choosing the pattern, consider the color and pattern of the cabinets. Then, choose a hero color for the tiles to make the kitchen more stylish. Laying patterned flooring absolutely changes the overall look and feel of the kitchen. It adds personality to the kitchen and can make the room look larger by dividing the area into different zones. You can have the same tiles on both surfaces of the kitchen and the cabinets, or it is suggested to choose two tiles that differ either in color or pattern. You can even use the same pattern in two different scales. The most popular patterns in the market are parquet and chevron, creating an elegant look and enhancing the space. Parquet can be laid as distinct blocks or copied by engineered wood planks. Don’t forget checkerboard patterns. As a popular trend these days, this pattern adds a contemporary look to your kitchen and lights up plain cabinets.

Design Your Kitchen Floor Based on The Size

If you have a small kitchen and a limited budget, one way to make the kitchen look bigger is to supersize the flooring. To do so, you can choose larger and brighter tiles. Another effective way is the use of paler shades, which bounce the light and make the room look bigger.

Kitchen Floor Color

Whether dark or bright, the color totally changes the look of the kitchen. You can keep the kitchen simple by showcasing wood, making it complementary to any textures and patterns. You can go the opposite way and choose white-washed floorings. They make the room brighter and larger at first glance. If your kitchen does not have any windows, brighter colors make you feel light and airy. The third possible option is the combination of light and dark floorings. Matching bright and dark colors creates an outdoorsy feel and adds interest to the room.

Small Kitchen Floor Ideas FAQs

What is the most hard-wearing flooring for kitchens?
Porcelain and natural stone floorings are the best hard-wearing options for your kitchen. If sealed and finished properly, they last a long time. Natural stone, especially denser ones, provide you with durability.

What is the easiest kitchen floor to maintain?
Out of all the floorings available in the market, porcelain and LVT are the best for you. Suitable for high-traffic areas, they are durable and soft to walk on. They feature proofing options and can also be used as underfloor heating.