One question we get regularly asked in the showroom isn’t about oak grades or oils. It’s this: do I have to use the same floor all the way through my house?
No, you don’t. A continuous floor can look fantastic. So can a house where the floor changes from room to room, or from storey to storey. The trick is knowing when a change looks deliberate and when it looks like you ran out of budget halfway up the stairs.
Here’s how we think about it, with a real example from a recent job in Stoke Newington.
Should you have the same flooring throughout the house?
It’s the safe choice, and safe isn’t a dirty word. One floor running through a ground floor makes the space feel bigger, gives you clean thresholds and means you only have one floor to choose (which, if you’ve seen our sample wall, is no small thing).
It works best when:
- your ground floor is open plan, or the rooms flow into each other with wide openings
- you’re working with a smaller London terrace and want it to feel as roomy as possible
- you’d rather make one big decision than four small ones
But “same floor everywhere” is a rule people follow because they’re worried about getting it wrong, not because it’s always right. A house is a set of rooms that do very different jobs. There’s no law that says your bedroom has to look like your kitchen.
Can you mix herringbone and plank flooring?
Yes, and it’s one of the nicest ways to give a house some rhythm. A common combination is a herringbone floor in the living room, with plank in the hallway or kitchen. The herringbone becomes the statement; the plank does the hard work in the busy spaces.
A few things make it look intentional:
- Keep the colour the same, change the shape. If both floors are the same tone, the change in pattern reads as a design decision. Change shape and colour at the same doorway and it can start to look busy.
- Change at a natural break. A doorway, a step, a change in ceiling height. Not in the middle of an open-plan room.
- Think about direction. Herringbone is usually run with the light or along the length of the room. Your plank next door should feel like it’s going the same way, not fighting it.
- Budget for it properly. Herringbone needs around 15% wastage against 10% for plank, and it takes longer to fit. Our guide to wood flooring costs has the real numbers. Putting it only in the room where it’ll be seen most is a smart way to spend.
Should bedrooms have different flooring to downstairs?
This is where you’ve got the most freedom. Upstairs and downstairs are separate floors, literally. You never see both at once, so there’s no visual clash to worry about.
That means each storey can be chosen for what it actually needs:
- Downstairs: kitchens, living rooms and hallways take a beating. Muddy shoes, dropped pans, dogs, kids, Friday nights. You want a hard-wearing floor with a finish that’s easy to maintain.
- Upstairs: bedrooms are quieter. It’s a chance to go warmer, richer or a bit bolder, because the floor will be about mood more than mileage.
The only spot to think hard about is the stairs and landing, where you’ll glimpse both. Decide which floor the landing belongs to, and make the change at the top or bottom of the flight rather than halfway.
A real example: Stoke Newington
We recently finished a beautiful house in Stoke Newington that shows this off perfectly.
Downstairs, kitchen and living room: Epping Natural. This is the floor we call the ultimate family floor. It’s a calm, natural tone that copes with everything a busy kitchen and living room can throw at it, and it ties the two spaces together.
Upstairs, bedrooms: Lauren plank. Lauren is warmer, with a lovely red hue running through it. Underfoot first thing in the morning, it just feels cosier.
Would the house have looked good with Epping all the way through? Of course. But the client wanted the bedrooms to feel different from the living spaces, and they do. Downstairs feels light and practical. Upstairs feels warm and settled. Two floors, each doing the job of the rooms it’s in.
Sometimes it’s fun to mix things up.
How do you transition between two different wood floors?
This is the bit most retailers skip, because it’s the fitter’s problem, not theirs. We fit floors, so it’s ours.
- In a doorway: the change sits directly under the door when it’s closed, so from either room you only ever see one floor. A slim threshold bar or a neat butt joint usually does it.
- Herringbone to plank: a border is often the cleanest solution. It frames the herringbone and gives the plank a straight edge to meet. A brass inlay is a nice touch if you want the join to be a feature rather than something to hide.
- Between storeys: the stairs do the job for you. Change at the top or bottom step, or clad the stairs in one of the two floors so they flow into it.
- Different thicknesses: check before you order. Two floors that finish at different heights need planning, or you’ll end up with a lip that catches toes for the next twenty years.
The golden rule: never change floors in the middle of an open space. If there isn’t a wall, a door or a step to hide the change, keep it as one floor.
The Kite view on mixing floors
- Open plan? Keep it one floor. Changes belong at doors, steps and storeys.
- If you’re on the same floor, change one thing at a time. Shape or colour. Don’t do both.
- Put the hard-wearing floor where the traffic is. Kitchens, hallways, living rooms.
- Use the bedrooms to play. Warmer tones, richer colours, something a bit braver.
- Spend the statement money where people will see it. A herringbone living room and plank everywhere else looks considered, and saves on wastage and fitting.
- See them together before you commit. Two samples side by side in the showroom tell you more than an afternoon on Pinterest.
FAQs
Is it better to have the same flooring throughout the house?
Not necessarily. The same floor suits open-plan ground floors and smaller homes. Separate rooms and separate storeys can each have their own floor, as long as the change happens at a door, step or staircase.
Can you have different wood floors in different rooms?
Yes. Keep the change at a doorway, line it up under the closed door, and check both floors finish at the same height.
Can you mix herringbone and plank flooring in the same house?
Yes. Herringbone in the living room with plank in the hallway or kitchen is a popular combination. It looks most deliberate when both floors share a similar colour.
Should upstairs flooring match downstairs?
It doesn’t have to. You never see both at once, so many clients choose a practical floor downstairs and a warmer floor in the bedrooms.
What’s the best way to join two different wood floors?
A threshold bar or neat joint under the door, or a border where herringbone meets plank. Avoid changing floors in the middle of an open-plan space.
Does mixing floors cost more?
A little. Two orders mean two sets of wastage, and herringbone needs around 15% extra against 10% for plank. Using herringbone only in key rooms keeps costs down.
Not sure whether to mix it up?
Bring your floor plan (or a few phone photos) to our Hackney showroom. In a free 30-minute consultation, myself or one of the team will put samples side by side, talk through where the changes would sit, and give you a straight answer on whether one floor or two makes more sense for your house.
