You may be surprised to learn that dark wood flooring can help to make your room look bigger too. Darker flooring offers an inviting feel and opens up a space. Whether you choose rich colours or softer dark colours, they both have their advantages when it comes to expanding the appearance of a room.
Darker floors are better suited for larger rooms and open floor plans. Another seemingly unrelated factor to consider is how often you clean your floors. Light hardwood flooring can hide small flaws, dirt, and debris, but anything larger will be very noticeable.
The contrast of the simple, pale planks with darker furniture is a timeless way to not only make a room seem more spacious, but more welcoming as well. A light floor also counters any psychological effect of the dark furniture making the room seem small or crowded.
Draw Diagonals with Flooring Patterns
The key to making rooms look bigger with flooring starts with the diagonal rule. Diagonal lines work to create the illusion of more space. When entering a room, our eyes are drawn to the widest part of a pattern—the same is true in art.
It's a misconception that dark wood floors constrict our sense of space. Paired with the right combination of wall color, trim, and molding, darker species like walnut and exotic Brazilian cherry can, in fact, make a room look bigger.
Think cream carpets, natural and neutral toned tiles and whitewashed wood flooring. These attractive, light and neutral colours give a room an open and airy feel, making it appear larger, whilst also drawing in the natural sunlight from outside.
Many home experts agree that the floor color should be darker than the walls. The rule generally applies because lighter walls and a dark floor make the room seem larger. Most homeowners prefer a spacious looking interior. However, the rule can change with low ceilings.
A light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet will make the room appear brighter and more open. The same applies to the ceiling—use a light color or white to "open up" the space above. Increase the appearance of the size of the room by adding wall mirrors.
Choose Light Colored Flooring
A light hardwood like pine or oak will add plenty of appeal to a darker room and expand the space to feel more open. Many homeowners feel that lighter hard surface flooring coordinates with a more contemporary design, but it can also work with a traditional look.
Dark hardwood flooring is among the most popular styles. Its polished, rustic sheen makes for an unmatched quality look that will enhance the value of your home. With dark hardwood floors, you'll enjoy: Long-lasting color: Its color makes dark hardwood prone to absorbing sunlight, while light hardwood reflects it.
By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open up the space and make it feel larger. You can also choose short pieces of furniture like an ottoman, an armless open chair, or a low table, and place large, tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open space.
Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms.
Neutral shades such as light brown, gray, and black are timeless classics that will look good for years to come.
Brown Hardwood Flooring
Best known as the traditional color of hardwood flooring, shades of brown are still as popular as ever. Much like tan-toned hardwood, brown flooring is suited for any aesthetic. Lighter tones can set the basis of a neutral design, while deeper tones have the power to convey depth and luxury.
Grey flooring is the ultimate neutral – easy to co-ordinate and color scheme around, dark enough not to show the dirt, and yet pale enough to reflect light.
Go big with accents. Many people think small when designing a small room. Instead, add a couple of oversized accessories, like a big piece of art or a single large chair. A lot of little objects make a room appear cluttered while one or two big ones make it feel more spacious.
Stark White
Naturally, white is an obvious choice for making a room feel bigger. It's no secret that light colors make a room look larger, especially if the space is bathed in natural light. Eggshell or satin finishes will help reflect the light, creating the appearance of even more space.
Lighter paint colours will reflect the natural light and make the room feel larger. Darker colours on the other hand, will make the space seem cosier and more intimate. If you're after a more spacious feeling, opting for a light and neutral colour palette will be more effective.
There is absolutely no need to change flooring from room to room. We often work with homeowners who feel the urge to pick a different flooring for every room of their home, but there is absolutely no need to do this. Your home will look best if you create one consistent look that travels from room to room.
Larger planks stretch the eye, giving the appearance of more square footage. On the other hand, it's important to avoid narrow or thin planks, as the many small lines offer a more crowded atmosphere. Whether you're installing hardwood, laminate, or luxury vinyl planks, wider is better.
We're huge fans of dark wood floors paired with white walls. It's not only a great way to help a small space look larger, but the white walls also help art and accent furniture stand out &mdash you can't beat a great pop of color.
Though there's no general rule, the most pleasing schemes have a contrast of some kind between flooring and walls. So, a lighter carpet will work well with dark walls, and a darker carpet is a good option with lighter walls.
So, what flooring looks cleanest? Typically, lighter color woods show less dirt and dust. Dark floors can easily show dust, while lighter floors mask it. Similarly, matte floors show less smudges, foot and paw prints than high gloss flooring.