Although the benefits of polished concrete flooring pretty much speak for themselves when it comes to large industrial, retail and commercial spaces, it also provides the perfect contemporary, yet practical, solution for the home.

Polished concrete floorings are quickly becoming the ‘go-to’ choice for any residential space, no matter how big or small. Whether you’re style-focused and want the latest trend, or you’re more about practicality and want something that’s low maintenance and made to last – polished concrete has it all.

We recently worked with Rise Design Studio on a contemporary glazed extension to the rear of a home in London, creating a light-filled kitchen and dining room leading out to the garden.

The brief here was for a modern extension to provide the family with a large kitchen/dining room at the back of a mid-terrace property, including the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the whole ground floor to improve connectivity and bring in more light.

All the original floors had to be replaced and the architects chose four different types of surfaces to differentiate between the spaces. Midland Polished Concrete was called in to lay the flooring in the open plan kitchen and dining area to provide something unique, yet practical.

We used our Refined Diamond Polished Concrete with a natural finish across 42m² of floor. The effect is a high gloss floor with an exceptionally smooth finish, stunning both visually and functionally. The refining process involves several phases of grinding and polishing to achieve that glossy smoothness.

As it’s so versatile, the polished concrete sits beautifully alongside the other floors throughout the ground floor and helps to create the feeling of more light, as requested by the design brief.

Polished concrete floors have a range of benefits for the home, including:

Durability

Polished concrete floors last a lifetime. In a domestic setting, they will stand the test of time and resist the scuffs and stains from children’s toys, furniture and general use.

Easy maintenance

No expensive or specialist products needed. Just sweeping and mopping with soapy water will keep your floor ship shape.

Hygienic

Polished concrete floors are incredibly hygienic. There is nowhere for dust mites, fleas or other allergens to hide.

Slip resistant

Despite their beautiful shiny appearance, polished concrete floors are not slippery. You can add an anti-slip conditioner to the final finish if desired for extra resistance which will help when the concrete is wet.

Stunning effect

Each floor is unique. As well as many styles and colours to choose from, the very nature of polished concrete floors – the combination of the component parts, their dispersal across a space and the treatments applied – means that all floors have a unique overall effect.

Images by Rise Design Studio.