New Laminate Flooring for the Downstairs Living Area

Ever since we moved into this house I've been determined to get rid of all of the downstairs carpeting. When buying a new build, I felt super guilty about wanting to get rid of the carpet, as it was all brand new and there was nothing wrong it. To clarify, we didn't get to choose the spec of our house, so the carpets were not my choice. However, living with two very lively cats, it very quickly became all torn and bobbled, and just looked utterly horrific. Even when it had been freshly cleaned and vacuumed, it still looked filthy.

After 2 years of trying to track down a tradesman (they were all SUPER booked, it was madness) we found the man for the job. Or should I say “job's”, we had a long list for him! I took Anthony to my parents for the week, and we got all of our downstairs flooring ripped out and our new laminate put in.

The old (horrible) flooring:

Fresh, clean laminate flooring:

Wow am I amazed at this transformation! I mean sure, there is a rug on most of the flooring now (toddler life!), but WOW! I'm so happy to get rid of that carpet.

PLUS our new rug is a Ruggable, meaning when it gets covered in messy toddler biscuit handprints and snot – which it will – it can just peel off and go right in the wash.

I am so happy with how this is all coming along. I had no idea that a flooring switch-up could change a room this much. It's now a place I'm actually happy to spend time in.

Future projects for this room:

• New TV – our current one is broken and displays whites as blues, which actually matches the decor quite nicely haha.
• Replace our “temporary” (will be here for at least 5 years) media center with a nice wooden built in. Ideally one with lots of storage solutions for bits and pieces.

Related:

• Quick living room cushion refresh