Four tips for picking the best flooring for your home's entry

With the season of rain boots here, entryway floors are taking a
beating.

The spot where we enter our homes -- and welcome guests -- can
be a tricky one to decorate. It's meant to be a showcase,
expressing our style and setting the tone for a visitor's stay.
But the floor must withstand dripping umbrellas, muddy shoes
and more.

Los Angeles-based interior designer Betsy Burnham is often
approached by clients who want help with entryways. Choosing a
floor covering is a priority, she says.

Here Burnham and two other experts offer tips on durable,
easy-to-clean flooring that doesn't skimp on style, from cork
to porcelain tile to washable rugs.

Think replaceable

Burnham and designer Brian Patrick Flynn, founder of DecorDemon.com, are fans of cork
flooring in high-traffic areas.

Cork squares are durable, made from natural wood fibers and can
handle moisture. They also absorb sound well and come in a
variety of colors and patterns. "Don't just picture a bulletin
board" when you think of cork, Burnham says.

Cork offers a look similar to hardwood, but is less expensive.
And you can replace just one tile if a section gets damaged.

Another flexible option is Flor carpet tiles, Flynn says. "You
can add color, texture or pattern by laying them out in the
desired pattern," he says, "then cutting the end tiles to
size." Flor tiles can be laid out to give the look of an area
rug or wall-to-wall carpeting.

Flynn also recommends vinyl plank tiles. The inexpensive tiles
are thin but durable, and easy to install. They can be mopped
clean. And do-it-yourself installation is simple, Flynn says.
"It simply requires a utility knife for installation. The
planks attach to one another with an upward-facing sticky
strip. Each time a plank reaches a wall, it's cut to size," he
says.

Think removable

Rugs can be a great way to delineate the space at an entryway,
and many styles are washable. "I've done everything from rag
rugs to Turkish carpets" in entryways, Burnham says.

Rather than investing in one expensive rug, she says, buy
several that can be swapped out when one is being cleaned.

Meg Caswell, host of HGTV's "Meg's Great Rooms," suggests
shopping for carpet remnants. Carpet stores often keep their
remnants out of sight, she says, but if you ask they should
direct you to them. If you find a remnant piece you want, have
it cut to size. You can ask to have it banded with a canvas
edge in a contrasting color, Caswell says, or in a patterned
fabric you've chosen (check the remnants at fabric stores for
affordable finds, and bring the fabric with you to the carpet
store).

By using a remnant, you've created a custom piece with little
expense. If it's damaged by foot traffic over the course of a
few winters, the loss will be minimal.

Stylish but inexpensive and washable rugs are widely available
online, from Ikea.com to
eBay.com or Etsy.com. If you find a style you like
at a great price, these designers recommend buying two so
you'll have a backup.

Another approach that Flynn and Burnham recommend: Buy a
vintage rug that's already worn. Faded colors and frayed spots
are part of the charm, so you won't mind further wear and tear.

If you'd prefer the finished look of wall-to-wall carpeting at
your entrance, Flynn suggests buying several smaller rugs and
attaching them underneath with carpet tape. The edges can be
cut to fit your space, giving a permanent, wall-to-wall look.
But pieces can be removed for cleaning.

Think durable

Caswell often recommends porcelain tiles for high-traffic
entryways. "The minute I say porcelain tile, people think it's
going to shatter, that it's fragile," she says. "But really,
porcelain tiles are truly the most durable tiles out there."

They're nearly "impossible to chip," Caswell says. "But the
best part is that if it does chip, the color is all the way
through the entire piece."

Burnham agrees: Porcelain tile, she says, "looks like stone,
but it's much less expensive than actual stone. We've done
charcoal-gray, big rectangles of porcelain tile, and it's so
much easier to sweep out or mop up because you can get it wet."

Think bold

Whatever material you use for your entryway floors, these
designers suggest avoiding pale neutrals and solids in favor of
slightly bolder colors, patterns and textures that hide dirt
and signs of wear.

For wood floors, "Have a pattern painted directly onto it using
porch and deck paint," Flynn suggests. "The porch and deck
paint is insanely durable and will last a long time. To make it
even more foolproof, consider adding another coat of sealer to
it just before the winter."

Bold florals or sunbursts might not be your taste, says
Caswell, but entryways are a great place to "be riskier and
push yourself, so you can incorporate a little more of your
personality. You're making that statement when someone enters
your home."

-- For The Associated Press

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Four tips for picking the best flooring for your home's entry