Forget Tile And Brick Flooring: Add A Natural Rustic Touch With River Rocks

If you're trying to give your home a rustic, cottagecore vibe, it's hard to go wrong with organic flooring that brings the outdoors in. However, as versatile as options like brick or tile are for covering your home, their popularity also makes them a bit overdone in the world of interior design. The right flooring option can help increase your home's resale value, so for a more unique choice that will still create some naturalistic charm, consider using river rocks for your home's floors.

Like other pebble patterns, river rock flooring features stones in a variety of shapes and colors. Whether you go for a realistic colorway composed of browns and tans, or opt for a slightly more modern-looking grayscale design, the subtle differences between each individual stone will maintain that organic feel. River rock also offers a few other benefits beyond its attractive design. Genuine river rocks are incredibly durable and will stand up well for decades to whatever wear and tear your household has in store for them. Additionally, their raised surface creates grip, making them non-slip. And if you can't get enough of the look of river rocks, you can utilize them outdoors as a long-lasting mulch alternative that suppresses weeds.

The most special aspects of river rock flooring –- its textured finish and uneven pattern -– make it more suitable in some areas than others. And since river stones are water-resistant, they are a solid option in areas with excess moisture. For instance, they are a great choice anywhere your home transitions to the outdoors, such as a mudroom or porch. It is also a very popular flooring option for bathrooms, particularly within showers. But as hard as it is to beat the aesthetic value of river rock flooring, there are plenty of rooms where its natural allure is overshadowed by its more practical setbacks. 

The rustic, uneven surface can pose a tripping hazard, especially in high-traffic areas like the kitchen and living room. The exaggerated grooves also make it easier for bits of dirt, debris, soap scum, and more to get trapped between the stones, requiring extra cleaning to remove. As a result, river rock flooring typically demands more maintenance than smoother tile options. It can also be difficult to install, unlike vinyl, linoleum, and other easy-to-assemble floors. However, in the right location, river rock's pros outweigh its cons, making it the perfect floor for those who want to get more in touch with the earth –- literally.