What are the best rooms for hardwood? Is there anywhere it shouldn’t be installed? Hardwood flooring is classic, beautiful, and allergy-friendly, but it should not be ubiquitous! As you plan to upgrade your floors, here’s where hardwood flooring belongs, where it should be banned and why each is true. 

The Best Rooms for Hardwood Flooring

You’ll love the rich beauty of wood floors in these rooms, and you can install them without performance worries as long as you take proper care of your floors.

Living room: Hardwood communicates the lifestyle homeowners enjoy sharing when hosting gatherings of family and friends. It stands up well to traffic, even if you forego a no-shoes policy when entertaining. The occasional oopsie spill won’t pose a threat when cleaned up promptly. 

Dining room: Whether your dining room is quite formal or has a casual vibe, there’s a hardwood flooring style that will enhance your room’s design maintaining durability over time. Adding soft pads to your chair and table feet reduces noise while protecting the hardwood finish.

Den: Hardwood floors accented with a large, comfy rug create a calm and cozy setting for unwinding with a book, casual conversation or a favorite show. It is safe to set your bookshelf on top of hardwood floors, and, as long as you don’t spill your wine on the floor, it will likely remain stain-free. 

Home office: New Worker Magazine recently discussed the “increase in productivity attributed to hardwood floors,” and quoted TV producer Paula Rizzo saying, “Hardwood flooring generates positive emotions that help boost productivity.”  So, you never know! 

Master suite: Resisting the temptation to refer to our comments on the home office, we’ll say the obvious, that hardwood is rich, appealing and romantic. Throw in a toe-snuggling rug, love seat, and Barry White music, and a bodacious boudoir takes shape.

The Worst Rooms for Hardwood Flooring

Because of hardwood’s superior qualities, some have been enticed to install it everywhere… and have sorely regretted their rash choice! That is to say that you can install hardwood flooring in these rooms, but we would never recommend it.

Bathroom: Water is your floor’s nemesis. The results of letting these two face-off in the same room will not be pretty; neither will the bill to repair or replace. If you throw caution to the wind and choose hardwood for the bathroom, plan to repair and replace your floors often.

Laundry room: If you never throw wet towels on the floor, never hang clothes to dry, never spill liquid detergent or cleaning fluids, can promise your clothes washer will never leak… oh, and the important one: you love to entertain in the laundry room,  go with laminate or tile in this room. Please!

Foyer: “Mom and Dad, I want you to meet Tyler. He’s a cook at Taco Clown.” Hello hugs and goodbye kisses are exchanged here; The foyer or entryway is highly regarded space. But, NOTHING good happens to hardwood here: gritty sand is tracked in, moisture from wet shoes seeps into cracks… 

What About the Hardwood Flooring in the Kitchen?

Kitchen: Homeowners who love hardwood flooring, especially those with open floorplans. Everyone wants to know if hardwood is OK for the kitchen.

We say, “Go for it… with a couple of caveats.”

• Consider engineered hardwood because its plywood base layers handle moisture better than solid hardwood
• Clean up spills promptly, like an NFL lineman diving on a fumble
• Seal your floors with the regularity recommended by the manufacturer or installer
• Never use a steam mop on hardwood (wherever it is installed)

Final Thoughts

Hardwood has a place in every fine home, but just not everywhere for everyone. Practicing these tips for the right and woring rooms for hardwood flooring should produce a fulfilling long-term relationship with nature’s most beautiful floors. Now, learn how to choose the best hardwood flooring for any home.