Buying flooring for the year ahead is easier when you stop asking which look will win and start asking what each room has to put up with. The best flooring for 2027 in a kitchen is not the same floor you want in a bedroom, and a basement asks different questions again. This guide gives one in-stock pick for the kitchen, bathroom, basement, bedroom and living room, shows the spec rule behind each pick, and prices every floor from our current catalogue. It is a picker with real box prices, not a forecast; for colour and style direction, read what flooring will be in style in 2027. If you want a shorter list to start from, browse our most popular flooring collection, and if you live in a condo, our condo flooring guide covers the extra steps. Check your building's own rules before you order.
Quick answer: five rooms, five floors
Moisture comes first, traffic second and budget third. Here is the pick for each room, with the rule from the product record that put it there and the price you pay per square foot.
| Room | Our pick | Rule we used | Box price and coverage | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Riche Heavy-Duty 8mm SPC, Dark Roast Walnut | Waterproof: Yes and 20mil wear level | $37.24 per 16.55 sq ft | $2.25 |
| Bathroom | Riche Cream Ivory Oak SPC, 6mm with IXPE pad | Waterproof: Yes | $44.68 per 23.64 sq ft | $1.89 |
| Basement | Riche Nordic Breeze Oak SPC, 9mm with EVA pad | Waterproof: Yes, 20mil wear level and an attached pad | $35.31 per 14.18 sq ft | $2.49 |
| Bedroom | Amber Walnut 12mm EIR laminate | Laminate for a dry room, 12mm thick | $26.03 per 15.4 sq ft | $1.69 |
| Living room | Natural European Oak engineered hardwood | Engineered, top layer 3mm or more | $83.31 per 19.42 sq ft | $4.29 |
Prices checked October 30, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue.
How we chose: the spec rules behind each pick
Our vinyl flooring collection alone lists 102 products, which is too many boxes to compare room by room. So each pick starts from fields on the product record, and price only comes in after a floor passes the rule. These rules are our own shortlisting method, not an industry standard and not a building code.
- Kitchen, bathroom and basement: the product record must say waterproof: Yes. Only the SPC vinyl planks in this list meet that.
- Kitchen and basement: the record must also show a 20mil wear level, because these rooms see the most grit and movement.
- Bedroom: a dry room, so laminate is allowed, and we look for laminate that is 12mm thick or more.
- Living room: a dry room where real wood makes sense, so we look for engineered hardwood with a top layer of 3mm or more.
A note on the word waterproof: it describes what the product record says about the plank, and it does not cover leaks that start under the floor or a wet subfloor. Price per square foot is the box price divided by the square feet in the box, so $37.24 divided by 16.55 sq ft is $2.25 per sq ft. Use the same division on any box you are comparing.
Two limits are worth stating. Colour was not a rule, because a room's walls and light decide that better than a spec field can. And laminate records carry no wear-level field the way SPC records do, so we compare laminate on thickness.
How many in-stock floors pass each rule
A rule only helps if it leaves you something to choose from, so we counted the catalogue. A floor counts as in stock when its record is active, shows stock on hand and lists the square feet in a box. Each pick is one of several floors that pass, not the only one.
| Room | Rule applied to the product record | In-stock floors that pass |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | SPC vinyl with waterproof: Yes and a 20mil wear level | 37 of 87 SPC floors |
| Bathroom | SPC vinyl, waterproof: Yes | 80 of 87 SPC floors |
| Basement | SPC vinyl with waterproof: Yes, a 20mil wear level and an EVA or IXPE pad named in the title | 14 of 87 SPC floors |
| Bedroom | Laminate, 12mm thick or more | 81 of 130 laminate floors |
| Living room | Engineered hardwood, top layer 3mm or more | 26 of 61 engineered floors |
The waterproof rule does most of the sorting. No laminate, engineered or solid hardwood record in stock says waterproof: Yes, so the three wet and damp-prone rooms draw only from SPC vinyl. The basement rule is the narrowest at 14 floors, because it asks for the heavy wear layer and an attached pad together.
| Material | Floors in stock | Price per sq ft, lowest to highest | Floors from this material in this guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPC vinyl | 87 | $1.89 to $7.06 | Three |
| Laminate | 130 | $1.33 to $3.59 | Two |
| Engineered hardwood | 61 | $2.89 to $8.78 | One |
| Solid hardwood | 144 | $3.69 to $9.99 | One |
Every pick in this guide sits inside the span for its own material, and each material's span is wide. Solid hardwood runs $6.30 per sq ft from its lowest price to its highest, so a material name alone tells you little about cost.
Room by room: the pick, the reason and what to confirm
Kitchen: heavy-duty SPC with a 20mil wear layer
A kitchen floor takes dropped pans, dragged chairs and spills in the same week. The Dark Roast Walnut plank is 8mm SPC with a 20mil wear level, and its durability field reads "20mil - Commercial / Heavy Duty". The record also lists waterproof: Yes and a click-lock format. At $2.25 per sq ft it sits between the other two SPC picks in this list. Our kitchen flooring guide goes deeper on that room.
Kitchen-specific trends are covered in our guide to kitchen flooring trends for 2027.
Bathroom: waterproof SPC with a lower wear level
Bathrooms get less foot traffic than kitchens, so a lighter wear layer is a reasonable trade. The 6mm Cream Ivory Oak plank has an attached IXPE pad according to its title, lists waterproof: Yes and carries a 12mil wear level marked residential. At $1.89 per sq ft it is the lower end of our three SPC picks, and its box covers 23.64 sq ft.
In its Kronotex technical catalogue, Swiss Krono Group says that wet rooms are not suitable and that damp rooms are only suitable with special laminate designated for this purpose. That statement is about Kronotex laminate and does not name bathrooms or other brands, so check the maker's instructions before putting any laminate in a bathroom. No laminate appears in the bathroom row because our bathroom rule asks for waterproof: Yes. Our bathroom flooring guide looks at laminate and engineered hardwood in that room in more detail.
Basement: the thickest SPC on the list, with a pad attached
A basement floor has to cope with whatever the concrete slab does, and that varies from house to house. The Nordic Breeze Oak plank is 9mm SPC, the thickest of our three SPC picks, with an EVA pad named in its title, a 20mil wear level and waterproof: Yes in the record. It costs $2.49 per sq ft, and a box covers 14.18 sq ft.
The product record does not give a below-grade rating, so read the installation instructions that come with the box and test the slab for moisture before you order. Our basement flooring guide walks through the moisture-testing steps.
Wood in a basement depends on the type. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) installation guidelines state that engineered wood floors can be installed above-grade, on-grade, and below-grade. The same guidelines say that solid flooring should not be installed below-grade unless the flooring manufacturer recommends it. So engineered is the wood to consider downstairs, subject to the maker's instructions for the exact product.
Wet-area and below-grade rooms have their own guide to bathroom and basement flooring trends for 2027.
Bedroom: 12mm laminate for a dry, quiet room
Bedrooms stay dry and see light traffic, which is where laminate earns its keep. The Amber Walnut laminate is 12mm thick, the thickest laminate in this list, and its record shows a click-lock format. At $1.69 per sq ft it is the low end of the $1.69 to $5.87 span across the seven floors in this guide. Our bedroom flooring guide compares engineered hardwood with waterproof vinyl for the same room.
Living room: engineered oak, with laminate as the budget route
A living room is a dry room, so it is the natural place to spend on real wood. Our Natural European Oak engineered board has a 3mm oak top layer, a wire-brushed finish, character grade and a plank 7.5 inches wide. It costs $4.29 per sq ft, and a box covers 19.42 sq ft. The record lists nail-down as the installation method, so confirm your subfloor when you ask for a quote.
If wood is more than you want to spend, the Amber Walnut laminate above costs $2.60 less per sq ft. Another laminate in stock is the Swiss Krono 10mm beige AC5 laminate (M1002), at $2.49 per sq ft and $42.83 per 17.22 sq ft box. Our living room flooring guide compares engineered hardwood and vinyl for this room.
Solid maple: a premium option for rooms above the basement
Solid hardwood is the top of the price range here. The Lauzon Exclusive Hard Maple Kenya is solid hard maple, made in Canada, 19mm thick and sold at $99.80 per 17 sq ft box, or $5.87 per sq ft. That is $1.58 more per sq ft than the engineered oak pick. Nail-down is the only installation method its record gives.
Where it can go matters. Lauzon's installation guide for its prefinished hardwood lists solid wood under the installation location "Ground floor and up", while its 2-ply engineered product is listed for "All levels". That guide covers Lauzon's prefinished hardwood in general and does not name this Lauzon Exclusive product. The NWFA guidance quoted in the basement section points the same way for solid wood. Until you have read the instructions packed with the exact box, plan solid maple for the main and upper levels. The pick is in stock today, and the quantity your room needs is worth confirming when you ask for a quote.
All seven floors side by side
This table puts every floor named in this guide in order of price per square foot. It covers material only, and the figures are the same ones used above.
| Floor | Type | Thickness | Box price | Sq ft per box | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Walnut EIR laminate | Laminate | 12mm | $26.03 | 15.4 sq ft | $1.69 |
| Riche Cream Ivory Oak SPC | SPC vinyl | 6mm | $44.68 | 23.64 sq ft | $1.89 |
| Riche Heavy-Duty Dark Roast Walnut SPC | SPC vinyl | 8mm | $37.24 | 16.55 sq ft | $2.25 |
| Swiss Krono Beige AC5 laminate (M1002) | Laminate | 10mm | $42.83 | 17.22 sq ft | $2.49 |
| Riche Nordic Breeze Oak SPC | SPC vinyl | 9mm | $35.31 | 14.18 sq ft | $2.49 |
| Natural European Oak engineered | Engineered hardwood | 19mm | $83.31 | 19.42 sq ft | $4.29 |
| Lauzon Exclusive Hard Maple Kenya | Solid hardwood | 19mm | $99.80 | 17 sq ft | $5.87 |
Three patterns stand out. The three SPC vinyl picks run from $1.89 to $2.49 per sq ft, so choosing waterproof planks for wet rooms does not push you into wood pricing. The two laminates sit from $1.69 to $2.49. Real wood starts at $4.29. Box price alone can mislead: the Cream Ivory Oak box costs more than the Nordic Breeze box ($44.68 against $35.31) yet works out cheaper per sq ft, which is why the last column matters more.
If two rooms compete for the budget: decision rules
Most renovations do not floor every room at once, so use the rules below to decide where the money goes first.
- Kitchen opens onto the living area: a single SPC plank at $2.25 per sq ft, the Dark Roast Walnut, can run through both. If the kitchen keeps its own floor, the engineered oak at $4.29 per sq ft can go in the living room alone.
- Spend on traffic and moisture first: the step from the bathroom pick to the kitchen pick is $0.36 per sq ft, a small price for the 20mil wear level where chairs and shoes do the damage.
- Working to a ceiling of $2.00 per sq ft: only the Amber Walnut laminate and the Cream Ivory Oak SPC on this list come in under it, and both suit a bedroom or a low-traffic wet room respectively.
- Basement with a history of water: deal with the source of the moisture before any floor goes down, then choose the SPC plank. Skip wood downstairs unless the maker's own instructions allow it.
- Living in a condo: your building sets its own flooring rules, so confirm them before you order any of these floors.
What the 2027 outlook adds to this list
One line of context is enough here. In the NWFA's 2027 industry outlook, the survey respondents were NWFA members and Hardwood Floors magazine readers, so they speak for the wood-flooring trade rather than for Toronto homeowners. They named natural wood colours and wide plank among the trends they expect to see more demand for. That direction suits the engineered pick above, which is real oak sold under the name Natural. The full picture of colours and plank widths is in our 2027 style guide, so this page stays with room fit and price.
Questions about choosing flooring for 2027
Can I put laminate in a bathroom?
Check the maker's instructions for the exact laminate before you buy it for a bathroom. For that room we point to waterproof SPC instead, such as the Cream Ivory Oak plank at $1.89 per sq ft.
Is solid hardwood a good idea in a basement?
Not by default. The NWFA guidelines advise against it below grade unless the manufacturer says otherwise, and the engineered wood in this list is the safer starting point for wood downstairs. A waterproof SPC plank such as the Nordic Breeze at $2.49 per sq ft avoids the question.
Which floor on this list suits a laundry room?
Apply the same waterproof: Yes rule you would use for a bathroom. Both the Cream Ivory Oak at $1.89 per sq ft and the Dark Roast Walnut at $2.25 per sq ft meet it, and the Dark Roast Walnut adds the 20mil wear level.
Can one floor run through an open-concept layout?
It can if the floor passes the rule for the wettest room it touches. An SPC plank such as the Dark Roast Walnut meets the kitchen rule, so a single product can cover a kitchen that opens onto a living area.
How do I compare boxes that cover different areas?
Divide each box price by its coverage. The Amber Walnut laminate, for example, is $26.03 divided by 15.4 sq ft, which gives $1.69 per sq ft. Boxes are sold whole, so divide your room's area by the coverage per box and round up to the next box. Material is only part of a project, so compare floors on this number first and ask for a quote for everything else.
Get a quote for your 2027 floor in Toronto and the GTA
Send us the rooms you are planning, their sizes and whether each one is in a house, a condo or a basement, and we will price the floor for your plan. Mention what is on the floor now, since that shapes the quote. You can request a quote online and include your shortlist from this page.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819