An Expert’s Take on the Right Floors for Your Space

Rip & Tan: What are the various types of flooring one could use in a home? Which are your favorites and why?

Linnea Schooley: Hardwood (or engineered wood), tile, stone, carpet, and concrete. There are also artificial flooring options such as vinyl or laminate, but I would stay away from these as much as possible as they’re not as timeless as other forms. My favorites are hardwood flooring, tile, and stone. I gravitate towards oak hardwood flooring and I like travertine, brick, terracotta, and limestone for stone. 

Rip & Tan: What’s important to keep in mind when deciding which flooring to use in your home?

Linnea Schooley: I’d say it’s important to consider tone, hardness, durability, and cleanability. The way you live should play a role in what you choose as should the aesthetic and feeling you want to convey.

Rip & Tan: Can you use different flooring in various rooms? How can you mix it up without it feeling disjointed?

Linnea Schooley: Yes, definitely! Hardwood is always a go-to in the main living areas and bedrooms, and tile or stone is great in areas like bathrooms, entries, mudrooms, and so forth. I suggest getting samples of each material and putting them all next to each other to ensure the home will be cohesive.

Rip & Tan: How does or should flooring impact a home’s design? For example, if you’re working with a darker or more industrial-looking flooring, what types of furnishings would you opt for?

Linnea Schooley: Choose furnishings that compliment your flooring rather than contrasting or matching. For example, if you have a dark industrial floor, you might want to go with furniture that is modern and medium-toned.

Rip & Tan: Let’s talk stone. What are your go-to choices for countertops and sinks?

Linnea Schooley: Marble countertops will always be my top choice even with its drawbacks. But sometimes materials surprise you. I’ve seen some really interesting and cool applications of concrete and stainless steel countertops, which I wouldn’t usually gravitate towards!

Rip & Tan: Any specific stone materials that you like for durability?

Linnea Schooley: Soapstone can be beautiful and is relatively durable!

Rip & Tan: Are there certain interior finishes that you think are totally timeless?

Linnea Schooley: Hardwood and stone are definitely the most timeless in my opinion! They have the ability to really ground a room and work with any sort of style shift.

Rip & Tan: How should lifestyle influence your decision when choosing finishes?

Linnea Schooley: More than lifestyle, I think your threshold for imperfection should influence your decisions. For example, I am not careful in the kitchen, I drink red wine and make tomato sauce often. However, it wouldn’t bother me to stain my marble because I think it just looks lived in and enjoyed!

Rip & Tan: What are other interior finishes you think make an impact in a space?

Linnea Schooley: Anything that takes up a large surface area will impact your space the most i.e. flooring, countertops, wall coverings or paint, and windows & doors.