Few people would argue that a floor wasn’t an essential part of any home design (it would be a bold position to take). Floors are often thought of from a practical perspective rather than from an aesthetic one. However, when you think about it, your floor is one of the largest surfaces in the room and therefore plays a huge part in the overall stylistic feel. So if you want to choose the right floor colour for your home, you’ve come to the right page.
How to choose the right floor colour guide
While the right colour will be different for every home, there are some steps you can take to improve your chances of getting it right.
Step 1: Assessing Your Home’s Style and Aesthetic
One of the best places to start when deciding the colour of your floor is to consider the style and aesthetic of the rest of your home. Certain architectural styles and decors will suit lighter-coloured floors or wood floors (for example, Hamptons design), whereas dark flooring will provide the right powerful and dramatic edge to the right dining room design.
The room needs to work as a whole and your floor plays a major role in this choice.
What is the role of your floor?
We don’t mean the literal practical purpose but rather in terms of aesthetics. What you need to decide is whether the floor is the feature or the base.
If it’s the feature, it means it’s the star of the show and therefore you should go bold with your stylistic choices. A deeper, darker floor colour will draw more attention and can be an amazing addition to somewhere like a dining room.
If your floor will serve as a base for other design choices, go with neutral shades. Neutral colours are more adaptable to design changes and are great for rooms that may experience major changes or even end up with new purposes down the line (for example, a bedroom gets turned into a study).
Step 2: Understanding the Impact of Flooring Colour
Impact on the Perception of Space
It’s no secret that colour plays a major role in our perception of space. The colour of your walls, ceiling and, you guessed it, your floor will all contribute to the overall look of your home.
Lighter Colours: Create a sense of openness and help a room feel larger. Great for open living areas and for smaller areas you want to feel less cramped and create a sense of openness. Lighter-coloured flooring, walls and ceilings will help accentuate any natural light you’re drawing into your home.
Dark Colours: Darker flooring complements and darker decor can help add depth and a sense of coziness to a large room. It’s also great for specific rooms like entertainment areas where you want a more comfortable atmosphere.
The Practical Considerations of Your Flooring Colour
Of all the surfaces in your home, your floor is the one that will go through the most wear and tear. From everyday walking to furniture being pushed across, to spills and scuffs, your floor will go through a lot of impact during its lifespan.
When it comes to dirt, wear and stains, lighter-coloured flooring will show any blemishes more clearly than mid-tone or dark floors. Multi-coloured or patterned flooring helps to camouflage pet hair until you have a chance to clean it up.
Step 3: Choosing colour flooring by Room
Main Living areas of your home
The main living room is one of the most used rooms in your home, both for the entire family and when guests visit. It’s also a room that may change over time, so a versatile shade of flooring complements any changes in furniture and decoration.
The Bedrooms
Your bedroom will ideally create a relaxed atmosphere, so you want your colour choices to encourage a calm vibe. Save your bolder, scene-stealing colour schemes for your facade or living areas, and try to choose serene colours for your bedroom.
Kitchen and Dining Areas
What makes a kitchen space look appealing? Cleanliness and hygiene are major factors (a messy kitchen, sink full of dirty dishes and food scraps everywhere, is no one’s idea of stylish). Therefore, flooring that is stain-resistant and easy to clean helps maintain one of the messiest rooms in your home.
Bathroom Flooring colour
Remember that the bathroom has more moisture than any other room than any other room in the house. Waterproofing therefore takes key priority in a bathroom, so tiling is likely your best choice. Though lighter flooring colours are often the go-to for bathrooms, darker tones can give a contemporary feel to the room (providing it suits the rest of the home).
How to Blend Personal Preferences and Interior Design Trends
What you’re planning to do with your home is an influential factor in the balance of personal preference and trends. If this is to be your forever home, you have more flexibility to lean into more specific choices. If there’s a chance you’re planning to resell down the line, you want to hold back on some of the more eccentric design choices.
Talk to designers, architects or your builders about the latest trends in colour schemes. You can also look on the web and perform your own research to see what you like and get ideas.
Make sure to sample and test your flooring colour choices
You may have heard that when deciding on a paint colour, you should take a sample home first to see how it’ll look. The same applies to flooring. Under the bright fluorescent lights of the hardware store, a flooring sample might look spectacular. The same flooring sample might look completely different in natural light, so you need to find this out before you spend your hard-earned.
It’s also a great idea to see how the sample looks in both natural and artificial light, especially if you’re using this flooring in multiple rooms with different lighting. Also see how your floor looks against existing decor, wall colours and furniture.
Consulting with Interior Designers or Flooring Experts
If you feel a little over your head with choosing the right floor colour, an interior designer or flooring expert will be able to help you.
How to Budget for Chosen Colour Flooring
Materials
Perhaps the biggest deciding factor in how much your floor will cost is the material you choose. Different materials have different initial costs. On top of this, they also each have different installation methods, which means labour costs will also vary. Finally, the long-term cost will also vary, depending on how much maintenance is required and the expected lifespan of a floor.
Finances
While it’s easy to say buy the most expensive floor and reap the benefits, your bank balance may not accommodate this approach. Building a house is an expensive project and chances are you won’t be able to splash out for everything.
First, speak to your financial advisor and get a firm idea of your current
- Estimating Costs for Different Flooring Options and Colors including materials and installation
- Considering Durability and Maintenance Requirements of Different Flooring Colors
- Is spending more a better investment e.g. High-Quality Flooring for Long-Term Value?
The Right colour floor can be the foundation of great home design!
Your floor is one of the biggest surface areas in your home, so the colour you choose will have a large impact on the overall look of your home. The floor colour can either be the focal point of the room or serve as a flexible base that can adapt to a variety of changes.
Need help choosing a floor colour for your home? Get in touch with Buildi today!
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