Finding The Perfect Floor For Your Home
Deciding on a floor is, I think, one of the most difficult choices to make when decorating and creating your home. The floor is part of the bones of your home and one that should be carefully considered. Not only is it a big investment, but once it’s down, it’s not going anywhere for a while so it needs to work with how you live and also be a long lasting and sustainable choice.
I’ve always wanted to create a kitchen which included reclaimed furniture rather than fully built in, and last month, I decided that I would work out a way of doing this without removing the fitted cupboards and worktop. I wanted the space to feel warm and welcoming, with lots of texture and earthy colours in a room that felt less utilitarian and more living space. My starting point was a reclaimed French shop counter which was to be the centre point of the room but the current flooring – a light oak LVF – didn’t really work with it so I started to think about what would be a good pairing, a floor that would be hardwearing and last the course but that would work with any future scheme.
My home is Georgian and the majority of the flooring is dark wood so this seemed a good option for the newly decorated kitchen. Local family run business, Elesco, were the perfect partner for this – with 20 years in the business and a factory here in Yorkshire, they produce bespoke flooring that is tailored to their customers needs. They provide and install floors all over the UK and the first stop was for them to visit my home and work out what I needed. They brought a variety of samples, ranging from plank through to herringbone and chevron and we decided that a simple wide textured plank would be most suited to my home.
The next stop was the colour and the Elesco team created a number of samples using different oils back at the factory from which I could pick my favourite. I was keen to have a darker floor than I had at present so it was important that I was able to compare properly. After choosing, the floor fitter measured the space and the order was put in, taking around 2-3 weeks to be produced. The floor was finally fitted last week and it has transformed the space – the colour is perfect and has added texture and warmth to the room.
So who are Elesco and what do they do?
A Local, Family Run Business
Their state of the art factory is based in Yorkshire and they’ve been in the business for twenty years. It’s family run and they supply and fit flooring across the whole of the UK. The process is undertaken at their factory in York from start to finish, from oiling to the exact required colour for the customer right through to the installation and finish. They’ve invested heavily in finishing material so that the product is entirely bespoke.
Sustainable Ethos
The Elesco brand is a member of the Timber Neutral Scheme and FSC certified – this ensures that the oak is harvested from sustainable sources and does not contribute to any deforestation. The oils that they use on the product come from suppliers who support the European VOC Directive which actively looks to reduce the impact on the environment and encourages their customers to do the same.
A Bespoke Brand
Elesco have over 20,000 m2 of oak in stock at their factory warehouse in York which means that they can offer short lead times of two to three weeks. Everything is made to order and nothing is off the shelf – it’s entirely up to the customer which colour they require. You can pick any colour and any design, with unlimited possibilities. They have 50 product designs and over 400 colours in the range. They can also match exactly to what you already have, with a specialist colour matching service available. Plus, samples are free of charge.
Three Ranges To Choose From
Elesco offer a selection of three main ranges from which to pick your perfect floor.
RIVA: A full range of long length (2.8m) planks and full parquet designs
TREND: 220mm planks in prime grade with matching herringbone
SPACE: 190mm rustic planks at a competitive price
So what did I choose? After much thought, I went with the Catton design in a Rustic finish and it’s worked brilliantly. I know that it’s a hardwearing and practical choice that will last, whilst keeping the bones of my home neutral meaning it’s a sustainable choice and able to adapt to any change of décor.
You can find out more about Elesco by visiting their website here or contacting them via the details below.
Elesco, Stillington Road, Sutton On The Forest, York YO61 1EH
Tel: 01904 295223
Instagram: @elesco_flooring