When your home needs new flooring, don't assume that wall-to-wall carpeting and timber slats are your only options; there are many other unique ideas and products on the market today that can create a beautiful floor in any room of your home. These can also be more affordable than carpet and timber, and some can even be installed yourself! Note a few unique flooring ideas you may want to consider for your home.

Rubber

Rubber tiles may have a peel-and-stick backing that makes them easy to install, and they may interlock, just like puzzle pieces. The rubber surface might be stained to look like timber or stone, and the material is very soft underfoot, so it's good for a kitchen or a child's playroom.

Painted wood

If your home has wood floors that are structurally sound but very old and faded, you might leave them in place and just paint over them. Opt for an antique white for a beach cottage look, or choose a dark walnut paint to cover lots of imperfections. The older wood may offer more visible grains and lines on the surface, but this adds to the charm and unique look of the flooring. You can also paint designs on the flooring, such as a checkerboard, diamonds, or any other pattern.

Craft paper flooring

Craft paper is thick brown paper, such as used for grocery bags. This makes it very strong and durable, while still being soft. Craft paper flooring can be installed by a homeowner with polyurethane. If your home doesn't have a concrete subfloor, attach plywood over the floorboards and then install the craft paper over this. Once the polyurethane dries, you can paint or stain the paper and you'll have a rustic, natural-looking floor that is unique and affordable.

Carpet tiles

Carpet tiles are just as they sound; individual tiles of carpeting, versus long rolls of carpeting that are stretched from wall to wall. These tiles usually have a peel-and-stick backing, so you can easily install them yourself. Use a mallet to pound tiles together for a nice fit and to hide the seams between tiles, and you may not be able to tell the difference between tiles and wall-to-wall carpeting.

The advantage of tiles is that you can easily remove and replace one that gets damaged, and can also more readily replace all the tiles when you want a new look for your floor. It's also easy to create runners, such as down a hallway, or to create a carpeting square, such as under the dining room table.