Karndean Da Vinci vs Knight Tile: Which Collection Is Best for Your Peterborough Home?
Unsure whether to choose Karndean Da Vinci or Knight Tile? Our Peterborough LVT fitting experts compare both collections head-to-head — design, formats, pricing and which one belongs in your home.
Key takeaways
The short version, checked by our fitting team.
What Is Karndean Flooring?
Karndean Da Vinci: The Design-Led Collection
Design Options in Da Vinci
Wear Layer and Construction
Two of Karndean's most popular luxury vinyl tile collections — Da Vinci and Knight Tile — are regularly fitted in homes across Peterborough, Huntingdon, Ely, and the wider Cambridgeshire area. Both deliver the premium quality Karndean is famous for, but they serve different aesthetic purposes and price points. Understanding the difference could save you time, money, and a flooring decision you'll regret.
At Cambridgeshire Carpets, we fit both collections regularly — in kitchens and hallways across PE1 to PE7, in new builds throughout Huntingdon (PE29), in period properties in Ely (CB6 and CB7), and across the Fenland district (PE13–PE16). This guide gives you an expert fitter's honest comparison of both collections, so you can make the right choice for your home.
What Is Karndean Flooring?
Karndean is a long-established luxury vinyl tile (LVT) brand and one of the two names, with Amtico, at the premium end of domestic LVT in the UK. It uses a multi-layer construction with a highly detailed photographic layer and a robust wear layer that makes it waterproof, durable, and exceptionally realistic-looking. You can view Karndean's full range on our Karndean supplier page.
Karndean's product line is split into several named collections, with Da Vinci and Knight Tile being the two most frequently asked about by Peterborough homeowners. Both are glue-down LVT products installed by professional fitters. Both come with a Karndean residential warranty when professionally fitted; the length depends on the range, and we confirm it on your written quote. But they have distinct visual identities and practical differences that matter when you're choosing flooring for a specific room or design brief.
Karndean Da Vinci: The Design-Led Collection
Da Vinci is Karndean's flagship premium collection. The name reflects its positioning: this is Karndean's most design-focused product, with the widest range of decorative options, the most varied tile and plank formats, and the greatest scope for creative floor layouts.
Design Options in Da Vinci
Da Vinci offers a wide choice of designs across wood, stone and abstract effects. It includes some of Karndean's wider plank and larger stone tile formats, herringbone and chevron patterns, and a broad palette of colourways including warm oak tones, cool greys, deep walnut effects, and pale Nordic limes. If you want a floor to be a design statement — particularly in a hallway, open-plan kitchen-diner, or a large living room — Da Vinci gives you the widest creative vocabulary.
Da Vinci is particularly popular for:
- Hallways in period Peterborough properties (PE1 and PE2), where a wide-plank oak or a geometric stone tile creates strong visual impact
- Open-plan kitchen-diners in Hampton new builds (PE7) and Stanground (PE2), where a single expansive floor needs to look aspirational
- Executive homes in Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm (PE5–PE6), where premium specification is expected throughout
Wear Layer and Construction
Da Vinci is a glue-down LVT with a clear wear layer over a printed design layer. Wear-layer thickness is set by Karndean for each range and can change, so we show you the current specification on the sample at your free home visit rather than quoting a figure here. In a home, the factors that decide how long it lasts are the subfloor preparation, the adhesive work and the cleaning routine.
Price
Karndean Da Vinci is quoted at the free home visit, because the price depends on the specific design, room complexity, and subfloor preparation required. As a guide, premium glue-down Karndean and Amtico is £50–£70+ per m² supplied and fitted in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire — see our flooring prices in Peterborough.
Karndean Knight Tile: Versatile, Realistic, Outstanding Value
Knight Tile is Karndean's long-running glue-down collection focused on realistic wood and stone effects. While Da Vinci leads on design range and format variety, Knight Tile covers the looks most homeowners ask for, and it is the Karndean range we are asked about most alongside Da Vinci across Peterborough (PE1–PE7) and the wider Cambridgeshire area.
Design Options in Knight Tile
Knight Tile offers a more focused set of designs, built around the most-requested wood and stone effects. The core range covers a comprehensive selection of oak planks (pale, mid, and dark tones), stone tiles (limestone, slate, travertine effects), and herringbone options. If you want a realistic and attractive premium LVT floor without needing the very widest choice, Knight Tile has what you're looking for.
Wear Layer and Construction
Knight Tile is also a glue-down LVT with a protective wear layer. The wear-layer specification differs between Karndean ranges and is shown on the sample at your free home visit, so you can compare it with Da Vinci side by side. For most homes, the bigger difference between the two is design range and format, and both last best on a properly prepared subfloor.
Price
Karndean Knight Tile is also quoted at the free home visit, within the same £50–£70+ per m² supplied-and-fitted band for premium glue-down Karndean and Amtico. Ask us to price both ranges in the same written quote so you can compare them for your room.
Da Vinci vs Knight Tile: Key Differences at a Glance
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the key attributes:
| Karndean Da Vinci | Karndean Knight Tile | |
|---|---|---|
| Design range | Wide: wood, stone and abstract effects | Focused: the most-requested wood and stone effects |
| Formats | Wider planks, larger stone tiles, herringbone and chevron | Standard plank and tile formats, plus herringbone options |
| Fitting | Glue-down | Glue-down |
| Wear layer and warranty | Shown on the sample and confirmed on the quote | Shown on the sample and confirmed on the quote |
| Supply and fit | Within the £50–£70+/m² band for premium glue-down Karndean and Amtico; quoted at the free home visit | Within the same £50–£70+/m² band; quoted at the free home visit |
| Best for | Design-led hallways and open-plan kitchen-diners | Most kitchens, hallways and whole-house projects |
Which Rooms Suit Da Vinci?
Hallways and Reception Areas
A hallway is the first impression your home makes. Da Vinci's wider plank options and larger stone tile formats create a more aspirational look in period properties and larger homes across Peterborough city centre (PE1), Stamford (PE9), and larger detached homes in Yaxley and Sawtry (PE7, PE28).
Open-Plan Kitchen-Diners in New Builds
For the large kitchen-diner layouts typical in Hampton Vale (PE7), Stanground South (PE2), and Cardea (PE7), Da Vinci in a wide-plank pale oak or a contemporary stone effect gives the space the visual scale it deserves. See our new build flooring guide for Cardea and Stanground for more on this.
High-Specification Living Rooms
Where a homeowner has invested significantly in the rest of the room — bespoke cabinetry, quality furniture, premium lighting — Da Vinci's design depth delivers a floor that belongs in the same conversation.
Which Rooms Suit Knight Tile?
Kitchens and Utility Rooms
Knight Tile's durability and waterproof construction make it excellent for kitchens and utility rooms across all property types in Peterborough. It suits busy family kitchens in Orton Goldhay (PE2), Bretton (PE3) and Werrington (PE4).
Bathrooms and Wet Rooms
Knight Tile is a good fit for Peterborough bathrooms, because a glue-down LVT on a properly prepared subfloor copes well with splashes and steam. For specialist wet room fitting, we also offer a separate vinyl flooring service in Peterborough covering sheet vinyl and LVT wet room systems.
Whole-House New Build Projects
For customers fitting LVT throughout a new-build property — covering the hallway, kitchen, and bathrooms in one project — Knight Tile gives one consistent premium Karndean floor through the house. Our Hampton carpet and flooring page gives more on new-build flooring across PE7.
How Karndean Compares to Other LVT Brands
Karndean sits at the premium end of the LVT market alongside Amtico. Compared to Amtico:
- Both offer residential warranties that vary by range; we confirm the terms for the exact range on your written quote
- Amtico Signature's design and laying-pattern options give it an edge for very bespoke projects
- Premium glue-down Karndean and Amtico sit in the same £50–£70+/m² supply-and-fit band
For a full comparison of LVT brands, see our Karndean vs Amtico comparison guide. We also supply and fit Moduleo LVT, which gives you a further choice of premium-looking LVT, including click-lock ranges.
Compare all the brands we work with at our flooring brands page.
The Cost of Karndean in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire: Full Breakdown
All our prices are supply and fit. Individual Karndean ranges are not priced on our website: Da Vinci and Knight Tile are both quoted at the free home visit, inside the band below.
| LVT option | Supply and fit |
|---|---|
| Mid-range click-lock and rigid-core LVT | £35–£50/m² |
| Premium glue-down Karndean and Amtico (including Da Vinci and Knight Tile) | £50–£70+/m² |
| Subfloor levelling, where needed | £5–£15/m² |
| Typical hallway and kitchen-diner of 25–35 m² (all LVT tiers) | £900–£2,400 |
For a single kitchen of 14 m² in a PE3 semi, premium glue-down Karndean works out at 14 m² × £50 = £700 to 14 m² × £70 = £980, before any levelling. If the floor needs levelling, add 14 m² × £5 = £70 to 14 m² × £15 = £210. The exact figure for each range is confirmed in the written quote within 24 hours of the free home visit.
For LVT across a hallway, kitchen and bathrooms of 30–50 m², premium glue-down Karndean works out at 30 m² × £50 = £1,500 to 50 m² × £70 = £3,500. If the look matters more than the brand, a mid-range click-lock LVT over 30 m² is 30 m² × £35 = £1,050 to 30 m² × £50 = £1,500. Full bands are on our flooring prices in Peterborough page.
Subfloor condition is the primary variable. Older properties in central Peterborough (PE1, PE2), and in March (PE15) and Wisbech (PE13), often require levelling compound or adhesive removal before LVT can be installed. Our how we work page explains this in detail. All subfloor issues are identified at the free home visit, and adhesive removal or any other preparation is itemised in the written quote.
Call Cambridgeshire Carpets on 01733 924009, Monday to Friday, for a free written quote for Karndean supply and fit anywhere in Peterborough or across Cambridgeshire.
Related Reading from Our Peterborough Flooring Team
If this guide was useful, here are other guides from the Cambridgeshire Carpets team that might help you next:
- Is Karndean Worth the Money?
- Karndean vs Amtico — Which LVT Brand?
- Amtico Signature vs Spacia — Choosing the Right LVT
- LVT Flooring in Peterborough — Buyer's Guide
- Best Flooring for Kitchens — LVT vs Vinyl vs Tiles
- LVT Flooring in Peterborough — see our dedicated service page.
- Book a free home visit with carpet and flooring samples — call 01733 924009.
Frequently Asked Questions: Karndean Da Vinci vs Knight Tile
Is Karndean Da Vinci better than Knight Tile?
Da Vinci is Karndean's premium design-led collection, with a wider range of designs, larger format options, and more variety in plank widths and tile sizes. Knight Tile is a strong glue-down LVT with a more focused design range. Which is 'better' depends entirely on your needs: Da Vinci for design ambition and format variety; Knight Tile for the wood and stone looks most homes need.
What is the price difference between Da Vinci and Knight Tile?
Both collections are premium glue-down Karndean, which we supply and fit at £50–£70+/m² in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, and each range is quoted at the free home visit. Ask us to price both in your written quote, sent within 24 hours of the visit, so you can compare like for like.
Which Karndean range is best for kitchens in Peterborough?
Both Da Vinci and Knight Tile perform excellently in kitchens — both are water-resistant glue-down LVT that handles spills well on a properly prepared subfloor. For most Peterborough kitchens, Knight Tile provides the realistic wood and stone effects most homeowners are looking for. For larger, open-plan kitchen-diners where floor design is a significant part of the room's character, Da Vinci's wider format options and broader design range give you more creative options.
Does Karndean come with a warranty in Peterborough?
Yes. Both ranges carry a Karndean residential warranty when the floor is professionally fitted and cared for in line with Karndean's guidelines. The length depends on the range, so we confirm the terms on your written quote. Our own fitting carries our 2-year workmanship guarantee.
Can Karndean be fitted on underfloor heating in Peterborough homes?
Yes — both Da Vinci and Knight Tile are compatible with underfloor heating systems, including wet UFH and electric mat systems. The floor must stay within Karndean's stated maximum surface temperature, and the heating must be commissioned before fitting. Our fitters are experienced in UFH Karndean installations across new-build developments in Hampton (PE7) and Stanground (PE2).
How long does Karndean last in a Peterborough home?
With professional installation and normal domestic care, both ranges give many years of service. Key factors in longevity are correct subfloor preparation, proper adhesive application, and using Karndean's recommended cleaning products. Our team briefs every customer on aftercare at completion.
Get a Free Karndean Quote in Peterborough or Cambridgeshire
Whether you're drawn to Da Vinci's design range or Knight Tile's outstanding value, Cambridgeshire Carpets can supply and fit both collections across Peterborough (PE1–PE7) and throughout Cambridgeshire. We bring physical samples to your home, assess your subfloor, and send a written quote within 24 hours.
Call: 01733 924009
Or get in touch online — we'd love to help you find the perfect Karndean floor for your Peterborough or Cambridgeshire home.
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