Laminate flooring is a versatile and easily maintained material, but it's not exactly a neutral component of your home decorating scheme. The color and placement of the flooring can make the room look well-planned or overly rushed. Take a look at the following issues and remember them when choosing laminate flooring for your home.
Clashing With Paint and Furniture
You've got to be sure the floor color you choose won't clash with the furniture or paint. Remember that laminate tends to be glossy, which means you get a bit of a shiny effect that makes the floor noticeable. Try not to use colors that make the furniture and walls blend into the floor (that sounds matchy, but it's not a good combination). Also be aware of the impression the color can leave. For example, a pale, bleached floor looks like weathered wood, something you might find at a vintage beach cottage. Combining that with very dark furniture could present too stark a contrast and create a strange impression because very dark furniture isn't something you'd expect at the beach.
Hot and Cold Effects
Different colors have different levels of warmth. Very pale, bleached wood could be a cool color in more ways than one, helping to visually lower temperature as you enter the room. Golden colors, even light gold, are much warmer and give off a cozy effect. Very dark woods can be warm and cozy if they tend toward brown, but dark woods that are grayish or black would be colder.
Direction and Energy
Most laminate flooring tends to run parallel to a wall, but sometimes you'll see designs where the flooring has been cut to run diagonally. This can look interesting, but it can also lend a rushed look. With a few exceptions, doors to interior rooms tend to be near one of the corners. The front door might be in the center of a wall, but other rooms tend to have you come in from one corner. That means you tend to look in and walk on a diagonal if you're headed into the center of the room. Diagonal planks would follow that path, increasing the impression of movement.
If you want that sort of energy added to the room, diagonal placement might be something to look into. But if you prefer a calmer environment, using a design that has the planks placed parallel to a main wall is better.
Meet with a flooring expert to discuss how laminate would fit into your plans for your new decor. You have your choice of several colors, so there is a flooring type just waiting for you.
Share27 July 2017
After struggling for years, I finally scored my dream job and started to focus on redecorating my home. At first, I wasn't sure how much of an impact I was going to be able to make, but after sitting down and really focusing on the different areas of my house, it was clear to me that the main living spaces were where I needed to focus. I started working room by room to renovate the space, and it was absolutely amazing to see what we were able to accomplish. This blog is all about creating a gorgeous home--even if you are on a tight budget.
