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Types of Flooring from Karastan
There are types of flooring on the market today, which is great news until you're standing in a showroom trying to pick one. Carpet, hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, and laminate each has its bestsellers and accolades. Each labeled "the best" for your home. The truth is—there is no universal answer. Your space is unique to your preferences and overall vision. Ultimately, the right choice will depend on the room, surrounding decor, and the budget you're working with. 
Explore Karastan’s complete collection for all your flooring needs, from the busiest households to the most serene of spaces.
So instead of walking you through a product catalog, this guide is organized in the way people actually shop: by lifestyle. Before selecting any design, ask yourself: do you have a dog who treats the living room like a chew toy? Kids who spill juice on the carpet weekly? A staircase that echoes every footstep? Each of those situations points toward a different answer, and we'll take them one at a time.
Best Flooring for Homes with Dogs and Other Pets
If you share your home with pets or the usual suspects with an active bladder, flooring decisions get more complicated fast. The good news is that pet owners no longer need to choose between style and practicality. Both carpet and hard surface options have made real strides here, and the right pick usually comes down to how you actually live with your pet day to day.
Hard surfaces like luxury vinyl plank are popular for easy cleanup: spills wipe up in seconds, and there's no worry about odors settling in. For pet owners who desire the warmth and comfort of carpet underfoot, especially in bedrooms or living rooms where the family (four-legged ones included) spend time, look no further as purpose-built pet friendly carpet has become an exceptional option. What used to be a niche category is now one of the fastest growing corners of the carpet market. Together with collections engineered specifically to resist stains, odors, and heavy wear.
Karastan SmartStrand features an excellent selection built to battle the elements. It's designed with fiber that resists stains and soil at the source, so accidents and muddy paws don't turn into permanent problems. If pets are a daily reality in your house, this is the kind of feature worth asking about before you fall in love with a color or texture.
Stain-Resistant Carpet for Busy Households
When it comes to selecting types of flooring, pets aren't the only source of spills and messes. Think buffalo sauce on game day or red wine on movie night. Busy households put carpet through a lot—and it shows. In this case, the same logic applies. A stain resistant carpet isn't a pet specific category so much as a high traffic living category, and it's worth prioritizing in any room where life happens.
This is another place where fiber technology matters more than most shoppers realize. Karastan features collections built to shrug off everyday spills without sacrificing the soft, high end feel that makes the living room feel complete. The result is a carpet that looks new for longer, especially for rooms that see the most use.
Durable Flooring That Costs Less
Durability means something slightly different depending on the material. Carpet fights stains and crushing. Hardwood fights scratches and moisture. Laminate and luxury vinyl planks split the difference, often offering a scratch resistant surface at a lower price point than solid wood.
Often, Vinyl plank (LVP) and laminate flooring strike the best balance of durability and affordability. Both resist scratches, moisture, and daily wear while costing a fraction of hardwood or natural stone. Modern designs found in Karastan replicate the grain and texture of premium materials so convincingly that the difference is nearly imperceptible to the eye. They install quickly, require minimal upkeep, and hold up gracefully in high-traffic spaces—offering the quiet luxury of a considered interior without the burden of a premium price tag.
Best Carpet for Stairs
Stairs are one of the few areas of the home where carpet remains the go-to recommendation, even in houses that have gone all in on hard surface everywhere else. There are two good reasons for that. First is safety: carpet provides traction that hardwood, tile, and vinyl simply can't match, which matters most on the surface where a slip has the highest stakes. Second is the sound. Carpeted stairs absorb footsteps instead of amplifying them through the whole house, which anyone with kids, roommates, or a home office near the staircase will appreciate.
For stairs specifically, softness and quality matter as much as durability, since this is a surface that your feet touch constantly and one where guests notice. Karastan's wool and premium collections are worth a look here for exactly that reason. Both bring a level of softness and sound dampening that stands up well against constant foot traffic without feeling like it's just there for function.
For Those Looking for Aesthetic
On the hardwood side, it's worth knowing that not all wood floors handle high traffic and daily life the same way. Karastan's BelleLuxe collection is a good example of hardwood built with that reality in mind, crafted from aged European oak and maple and finished with protection. Depending on the design, it features waterproof construction that takes some of the worry out of a busy kitchen or a house with high traffic. It's the kind of detail that lets you get the warmth and resale value of real wood without pampering the floor.
If hardwood still feels more commitment than your household wants, Karastan's LuxeCraft collection is worth a look as a middle ground. It's designed to bring the natural look of wood or stone into a surface that actually resists water, scratches, and dents, which makes it a practical fit for entryways, kitchens, and other high traffic rooms where hard surface flooring takes the most abuse. You get a lot of the visual warmth people want from wood, with a durability profile built for real life.
National Karastan Month
National Karastan Month runs through November 2nd, featuring a wide selection of bestsellers. If you've been putting off a flooring decision, this is a good window to schedule a free, no pressure appointment and get real answers for your home.
