Playroom Flooring

Yesterday the hubby and I went shopping for flooring for Ellie's playroom. We went to three stores and they all recommended carpet or vinyl flooring for our space and our budget. One option that may have been possible if it had not been $4-6/square foot is cork. Cork is exactly what it feels like- soft and sponge-like. Waterproof padding is added underneath to ensure moisture doesn't get into it. Not only is the price of cork higher than we were looking to spend, but it isn't something I could see us wanting for the space in the future. Once Ellie is older the space will most likely turn into a hang out room and I'm not sure cork would be as appealing then.

We are deciding between these 3 choices:
1) Carpet: I would go with a dark gray to hide stains (inevitable) and I like the color. Carpet would be comfortable to sit and play on for Ellie and her friends. However, I'm afraid that the chalk dust from the chalkboard wall would discolor the carpet, even with as much vacuuming as I do.

2) Vinyl hardwood: I like the darkness of this vinyl and the look of the hardwood. It would be extremely easy to clean and the chalk dust wouldn't be an issue.

3) Vinyl white and black checkers: My hubby and I both really liked this one and thought it was a cool and unexpected floor pattern. I could paint any color on the walls to make the floor really pop. However, I also don't want the floor to make the space look cluttered (with the toys that will be scattered) and, again, who knows if I will love this pattern in the future.

The best thing about the vinyl is that it is inexpensive and we can install it ourselves. One guy told us his 8-year old daughter could do it so surely we could too, right?! Although, we would need to add an area rug on the vinyl for Ellie to play on and that would be another added expense. Another great thing about the vinyl is that it is waterproof so spills and dust would be easy (and quick!) to clean up.

The carpet plus installation is double the price of the vinyl. This includes the stairs into the basement, which would look great and cohesive. If we went with the vinyl I would most likely paint the stairs (currently brown wood).

Options for an area rug:

• Home Goods and other discounted home stores
• Overstock (where I got my new favorite rug in our great room)
• DIY painted foam mat (see here)
• FLOR carpet tiles (wondering how padded and soft they are though)