Ever stop to consider that your floors make up some of the largest visual real estate in your home? Which, of course, means that the surfaces spanning the entire square footage of your living space have a huge impact on the overall design and mood of your entire house. "Flooring is by far one of the most important materials we spec," says New York City-based interior designer Nicole Arruda. "You can have the most beautiful home with beautiful paint colors and furnishingsbut if the flooring isn't right, nothing really is."Getting it right can require anything from sanding and staining to ripping out unsalvageable old floors and laying down new planks. And whether your budget allows for installing coveted hardwoods or simply taking a savvier approach with vinyl, The Home Depot has you covered. Its vast selection of flooring options, both in-store and among THD's endless online "aisles," makes it easy to find the perfect material, color, and finish for your design scheme. To take the stress out of this hugeand semi-permanentdecision, the retailer also offers a floor-visualizer tool, so customers can see their selects in their space before purchasing. And samples are readily available to obsess over at home (much as you would with paint swatches).Here, we break down the features and benefits of two of the most popular flooring options, vinyl and engineered hardwood, to help you decide which might be right for your space.The Home DepotVinyl: Budget-Conscious and Family-FriendlyForget the outdated material of yesteryeartoday, not all vinyl flooring is the same. Newer, higher-end options effectively mimic hardwood while being both more durable and more affordable. "Vinyl has come a long way," Arruda says, noting that in the past, she would reserve the synthetic flooring for basement or laundry-room projects. But innovative printing technology means todays vinyl flooring works well in just about any room.When shopping for vinyl, think "the more texture the better," suggests Arruda, "because that is what's going to most closely resemble solid wood and bring that warmth into your home." Lifeproof's beautiful wood-emulating floors, exclusively sold at The Home Depot, feature variegated colors and grain patterns. Some favorites include Fresh Oak, resembling natural oak with knots and distinctive graining; Trail Oak, a warmer, more rustic style; Vesinet Oak, which is light and Scandinavian-inspired, and the popular Dusk Cherry. Lifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring in Fresh OakShop at Home DepotCredit: The Home DepotLifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring in Trail OakShop at Home DepotCredit: The Home DepotLifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring in Vesinet OakShop at Home DepotLifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring in Dusk CherryShop at Home DepotBut perhaps the best part of vinyl 2.0 is how it combines style with functionality. Lifeproof's luxury planks are scratch- and stain-resistant and can withstand a beating, making them especially great for active families with kids and pets. (Let the Nerf battles begin!) The low-maintenance finish is also easy to cleanjust sweep, vacuum, or damp-mop as usualand 100 percent waterproof. Dreaming of a spa-like bathroom complete with soothing wood floors? These planks won't warp like most natural woods and laminates. Another bonus: You don't need to hire a contractor to put in vinyl flooring, which is constructed for easy DIY installation. Just clear your schedule and then drop, lock, and tap each piece of the interlocking design into place. (Of course, if handiwork isn't your thing, you can also take advantage of The Home Depot's breezy delivery and installation services.)The Home DepotEngineered Hardwood: Gorgeous and Earth-FriendlyIf the beauty of real wood is non-negotiable, but your bank account can't quite cash that check, you'll be happy to know there's a happy medium: engineered hardwood flooring, which is constructed using a thin hardwood plank glued to thick plywood or fiberboard underlay. The result achieves the look and feel of hardwood but is far more budget-friendly.One common misconception about this type of flooring is that it can't ever be refinished. In truth, it simply can't be sanded down as often as hardwood. Depending on the quality of your flooring, you can resurface the planks between one to three times over their lifetime. And since it doesnt expand and contract as much as solid wood, it's "totally fine for a wet room, like a kitchen or bath," says Arruda. One more plus: The manufacture of engineered wood makes use of fewer trees than are cut down for true hardwood flooring, making it more environmentally friendly. From The Home Depot's vast selection of engineered-wood flooring, Arruda is a big fan of Home Decorators Collection in Kensington, a wide plank with a hickory top layer featuring knots and streaks. "I love the texture and the natural grain," she says. Shes also drawn to the rich palette, which reflects the overall interior-design trend toward deep, elegant brownsHome Decorators Collection in Hayes Mill Oak is another example. (But fear not, lovers of minimalist Scandi decor: Arruda says our love affair with blond woods isnt going anywhere, as evidenced by options like Home Decorators Collection in Wymill Hickory.) Home Decorators Collection Engineered Hardwood in Kensington HickoryShop at Home DepotHome Decorators Collection Engineered Hardwood in Hayes Mill OakShop at Home DepotHome Decorators Collection Engineered Hardwood in Wymill HickoryShop at Home DepotExplore all the flooring on offer at The Home Depot.