Sophie de Castro, Interior Designer

'After the architecture and overall palette of the space has been decided, the choice of flooring is one of the first and most important decisions to be made.

It is absolutely integral to get this right in order to create a design that works. The correct flooring not only pulls together all aspects of the design, creating a harmonious finish, but should also be the correct choice in terms of practicality. If a design features flooring that contradicts the lines of the architecture, or jars with the overall design, it will be the first thing your eye will be drawn to and will damage the design.

'For the most part, my clients like to use wood flooring due the durability and the flexibility of the finishes now available, giving them almost limitless options on style and look. Wood also has a timeless quality that immediately warms an interior like no other floor covering and will work with many colour palettes so will be able to stand the test of time. Ash, oak and walnut are always firm favourites. Concrete floors are also extremely popular and are durable and hardwearing. They offer an array of different options in terms of colour and finish and look great in both domestic and commercial environments.

'If money was no object, a beautiful wood or reclaimed ceramic or marble-tiled floor would always be high on my list. There is nothing more stunning and satisfying to see than a floor covering that has been lovingly restored and brought back to life while still revealing years of life. I was also very inspired to see the hand-painted flooring techniques in the USA. I have been in California a lot recently and have seen some stunning examples, including some fabulous lacquering and marbling techniques.

'I have just completed two show houses at the Ideal Home Show 2015. In both I chose to use Kährs wood flooring. The Future Proof House, a Swedish-built home, constructed at Olympia by the Esh Group, presents the concept of a 'zero-energy home'. The house was designed and built to be completely energy efficient and environmentally conscious, so Kährs was the only company I approached as its ethos, product and production process were a perfect fit.

'I chose its Ash Sandvig product, a single-strip flooring that allows the knots and patina of the wood to shine; it is stunning and unique. The long planks and the natural markings of the wood elongate the space to quite a dramatic effect and create a perfect backdrop for the Swedish interior. The flooring was also chosen for its durability, as the footfall is tremendously high at the show and we needed a product that looked as good on the last day as it did on the first.

'The other house was called the Gap House and proposed a solution to the housing crisis in urban areas. The house is literally 'squeezed' into a 3.5m-wide gap and is aimed at being for a young family, so a special and more cost-effective product was required here. I chose Oak Gate from the Kährs Linnea range, a wood-veneer flooring that looks stunning. The darker, smoked colouring and long boards elongated the room and made the space feel larger.'

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