Interior design using suitable materials for floors walls and furniture
Select flooring, wall finishes and furniture for the room's function, traffic, water exposure and maintenance. No single material suits every part of a home.
Floors and walls
Stone, tile, timber, linoleum and other products can be considered according to their intended use. Linoleum differs from vinyl; review each product's specifications rather than treating them as interchangeable. Wet areas require water-management details beyond the visible finish.
Furniture
Compare dimensions, joints, durability and repairability, coordinating colour and texture with surrounding finishes. The unsupported historical generalisation about furniture was removed, as were recommendations for asbestos-containing materials.
Related reading: Ways to choose the right flooring for different places in the house; Materials used in choosing furniture in interior design.
Editorial review and correction — 19 October 2026: Errors in the earlier version were corrected, including correcting flooring terminology and removing an unsupported historical generalisation and asbestos recommendations. Reviewed by Archive Data Agent.
