Home Decorating Flooring Guide, Tips and Ideas

July 13, 2019

How to Use Flooring to Get the Most Out of a Room When Redecorating

When decorating or redecorating, remember that you can use flooring to help determine the size and feel of a room. Here are some easy guidelines to help you get the most out of the room by choosing the best flooring for the job.

If your room is large, using large tiles is acceptable. If the room is on the smaller side, you do not want to install large tiles on the floor because it will give off the illusion that the room is even smaller than it truly is.

Use large area rugs to clearly define spaces between rooms or within rooms that you would like to appear as separate from one another. For instance, if you have a large L-shaped room that doubles as living and dining space, an area rug of substantial size can clearly designate where one space ends and another begins.

Wood Floor

Run patterns of flooring such as wood planks or strips lengthwise in a room to give it the illusion of looking longer than it is. The opposite is true if you wish to shorten the appearance of a room.

Use contrasting tile sizes to give the illusion of dimension. For instance if you have a small study off of the kitchen that you want to appear separate, use larger tiles on the kitchen floor and tiles of the same color that are much smaller in size on the floor in the study area and you will give the illusion that the study is further away than it actually is, and that it is a separate, but cohesive area of the home.

Use flooring with bold patterns for the illusion of bringing the floor closer to the eye.

Use solid, light colors to create the illusion that the floor is further from the eye.

Use light colors for flooring in small rooms to make the room appear larger.

Use light colors on floors that have light furniture and built-ins or cabinetry to add the visual appeal of space.

If you use light floors with dark furniture it can create a spacious look as well and help to clearly define space.

Tie in the colors of your flooring with the furniture or countertops you have in a room for a cohesive and warm look and feel.

Use dark colors for flooring if you want to have the floor be a strong and key element that pulls the look of the room together; a focal and grounding point, if you will.

Creative Flooring

Get creative with floor tile. You can create inlaid borders, diagonal patterns, smaller checkerboard squares within larger squares, room borders, custom designed tiling pieces scattered intentionally about, etc. to create just about any type of look you are hoping for in a room. The larger the floor, the more creative you can be, but small rooms benefit from the custom look these designs offer as well.

Have large medallions or accents put into place to add a stunning entryway to a home. You can use custom etching that looks like wood or traditional tone or tile pieces, or just about any other type of material look you want to convey. You will not find these pieces in a home improvement warehouse or store, however. For this look you have to go custom. The cost is well worth it if you are looking for unique and want to make a strong impact on the observer.

Mosaic tiles used in flooring can bring cohesiveness between rooms and permanent pieces of furniture or fixings (such as bathtubs) or it can create distinct separations between spaces if you place them in large spaces.

The options are as endless as your imagination. All you need to do for effective flooring is view the room you are flooring with a very critical eye, decide on the effect you would like to create, and purchase the materials necessary to achieve that look. The rest, as they say, is history. Happy home decorating to you all!

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