Hospital flooring

When I moved into my flat, it was carpeted throughout the hall, bedrooms and living room. With worn blue speckled carpet that was stained in places thanks to the geriatric, incontinent cat that formerly lived there. One of the first things I did when I moved in was rip up all the carpets, including painstakingly taking up all the gripper things that were nailed round the edges of every single room. I had a week to sort out the flooring before I had to move in, so I slapped floor paint on all the floorboards, resolving to decide on a more permanent solution once I'd settled in.

And actually, for the last two and a half years, I've really liked my painted floorboards. But over time, and in the hall especially, they've started to look really really worn. 'Not so much shabby chic,' as my dad said the other day, 'as just shabby.'

But the problem is, I'm completely stumped as to alternative solutions. I considered a stair runner but I can't find any designs I particularly like, and they just don't feel very 'me'. Laying engineered wood flooring is another possibility, but it doesn't really fill my heart with glee - it just seems safe, and a bit boring. It also doesn't really help me sort out the stairs, which are also painted white and although aren't as scuffed as the hall, are beginning to look a little worse for wear.

When I redid my bathroom last year, I laid grey vinyl from the Colour Flooring Company on the floor - and although it was really just a practical decision at the time, I absolutely love it. It's so easy to keep clean and is so warm underfoot and feels very hardwearing. It's super cheap. And I think it looks really smart.

So yesterday I had the bright idea of laying vinyl flooring throughout the rest of the flat too. Well, on the top floor hallway, and in my bedroom. I thought I'd keep my stairs white, and just repaint them. I was thinking of a pale grey for the hallway and white for my bedroom. Excited, I scoured Pinterest for inspiration and I thought my problems were solved!

I even had grand plans about ripping up the existing flooring in the kitchen (horrible beige vinyl tiles) and replacing it all with a flat run of this stuff. But then I told my dad.

And he said it would make the flat feel like a hospital.

And then I told my friend Vicks, of The Relaxed Home fame, and she said it would be a nightmare to keep clean.

And so now... I'm just not sure again. Help!