Independent homes
Entry Materials and Finishes for Independent homes
Select materials by where they will be installed, how they are cleaned and what can be repaired when one part wears.
Explore the ideas
Compare the options
- Set the brief
- Mark high-touch, wet and impact-prone surfaces separately before picking finishes.
- Compare
- Ask suppliers for care instructions, repair options and a full sample with exposed edges and joints.
- Before buying
- Price installation, replaceable pieces and long-term maintenance alongside the initial material cost.
Worked example
Rainwater and grit are routinely tracked into a townhouse entry with a pale timber floor.
Create a distinct, replaceable landing surface just inside the threshold and use a washable runner beyond it. Test the transition with wet shoes and verify the edge cannot catch a wheeled bag.
How to test it
Put the sample beside its adjoining materials and test the agreed cleaning method on a spare piece.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Set a landing and storage wall beside the door; screen direct views into bedrooms.
- Detail
- Use a hard-wearing floor at the threshold and a bench with enclosed shoe storage.
- Trade-off
- A deeper foyer improves organization but uses area that could serve another room.
- Check sightline from open front door
- Test delivery and shoe storage capacity
The Elixir portfolio
Details worth a closer look
