Set in stone

Image from www.housetohome.co.uk

If you’re thinking about using concrete flooring in the future here are some great images to help you narrow down the look you want.  Concrete floors in rooms without fabric can seem pretty cold, but the space above counteracts that with multiple points of interest like the bright spots of colour and varied ornate details scattered throughout.

Image from www.designspongeonline.com

If you have exposed brick, concrete floors are a natural companion.

Image from www.bodieandfou.blogspot.com

Add wooden furniture to the mix and you have great base of varied textures.

Image from www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com

Lots of wood, in both the architecture and the furniture will soften the look.

Image from www.desiretoinspire.com

Concrete is a great base for an urban or industrial look.  Your metal numbers and over sized accessories work really well with a concrete floor.

Image from www.smgphotobucket.com

And particularly well with industrial windows. I also love the visible square outlines and nail marks in this dining room.

Image from www.desiretoinspire.net

The mat, unlined floor surface in this very contemporary living area is a perfect choice with such an amazing piece of artwork on the wall.

Image from www.amerrymishapblog.com

This highly polished section of floor picks up the natural light, and, combined with the sea grass matting in the background, the look is far from cold.

Image from www.olofjakobina.blogspot

A rougher look, with a more marbled appearance is great for a room with a lot of practical purposes.  Just be sure to add some colour and a great piece of art.

Image from www.houzz.com

I prefer concrete when there’s a rug involved.  Fabric is crucial for comfort.

Image from www.dwell.com

And concrete can come in many colours.  It’s not always grey.  You can get some beautiful, natural browns.

Image from www.cement.org

And…you can paint it!

Image from www.janecoslick.blogspot.com

I think this is the coolest floor for kids.  Completely un-wreckable, looks fabulous and you can change it whenever you feel inspired.

Image from www.annaleenashem.blogspot.com

And the old favorite white is also an option.

Image from www.freshome.com

But I think the best concrete floors out there have a bespoke pattern.  The contrast between the utilitarian concrete and a gorgeous decorative pattern is fab.

Image from www.hgtv.com

You can stencil, or you can have a pattern “milled” or etched  into the concrete.  If anyone knows where to go to get this done I’d love to hear from you.  Transparent house did these ones…but they’re in the States.

So good luck with your concrete floor.  Be wary of heating.  If you go for under the floor heating that’s a big slab of concrete that’s got to warm up and then down again.  In a place like Melbourne our temperature fluctuates too much for it to really work.