A well-designed accommodation unit will feature both private living rooms for sleeping and studying and communal spaces with vibrant and fun designs for joint activities such as eating and socialising. This sense of community, yet with the privacy of personal space, will support students to study, relax and sleep.
When specifying for student accommodation projects, it’s important that flooring not only offers aesthetic qualities but is also durable enough to cope with the demands of student living and continue to look great for many years. Flooring in shared spaces will need to stand up to high levels of footfall, shrug off spills, stains and scratches while private and social spaces should offer a comfortable home from home environment.
Balance and flow
Student accommodation is frequently designed to reflect the latest interior trends with a fashionable quirkiness that appeals to young adults. The right choice of flooring will give interiors longevity and the ability to adapt with minor updates over the years.
Successful designs are often those that give a sense of continuity between living spaces but still enable each room to take on their own unique personality. Taking a single flooring from room to room, using different laying patterns such as 45 degrees or herringbone, can also provide a sense of flow.
Alternatively, a complementary mix of flooring will distinguish between different activities. For example, a stone design in a kitchen area can blend into a warm homely wood design in an adjoining sitting area.
Peace and quiet
Communal living often presents challenges for sound levels. A flooring that features acoustic benefits can help to reduce noise disturbance for students studying or resting. Our easy-fit Korlok and LooseLay products, with incorporated acoustic layers, can significantly reduce noise transfer to adjoining rooms and to the floor below by 19dB and 13dB respectively.
Available in a wide range of realistic wood and stone designs, our Korlok and LooseLay ranges feature a pre-attached acoustic foam backing which provides effective sound reduction with no need for a separate underlay.
Safety
In spaces susceptible to splashes and spills such as entrances, kitchens and bathrooms, a flooring with enhanced slip resistance properties will offer significant safety benefits and help to prevent accidents.
Our Opus Enhance range, available in seven wood and four stone designs, boasts a result of 40 plus in the Pendulum Wet Test. This range is fully HSE compliant with an R12 slip rating with an enhanced PU coating for added grip without compromising on the authentic finish.
Bespoke design
With a huge range of wood, stone and mixed material designs on offer, a Karndean floor offers all the technical specifications required for a student accommodation refurbishment. Hard-wearing, waterproof and easy to maintain, designs can be combined in a wide range of laying formats for a bespoke design that offers an appealing individuality that reflects the locality and outdoors environment.
Image credit A Woodland Flooring, Art Select Blond Oak AP01 and Black Oak AP03
Consider blending wood designs in light and dark shades, laid in herringbone pattern, for a quirky style that needs no further adornment.
In larger open plan spaces, entrance areas or hallways, a statement mix of geometric tiles with classic wood designs can identify different areas and help create a welcoming atmosphere.
Discover the benefits of specifying Karndean flooring.