Many homes have at least a couple of small spaces, whether that’s a guest room, parlor, tiny hallway or mudroom. Even bedrooms can be tiny depending on the type of house you have. If you’re thinking of switching out the flooring during a renovation, you may want to consider materials that open up the small space and make it look more inviting. Creating the illusion of a larger room is often done with the right flooring.
If you’re not sure where to start, read this blog and then get in touch with our professional flooring installation team in San Antonio.
Here are some tips to giving your small space a much-needed facelift.
Stay Away From Dark Colors
Darker flooring works very well in many areas of your home, but small spaces aren’t one of them. You don’t want to make it look like the room has shrunk, which is what will happen if you pair dark flooring with dark walls and dark furniture. Quarters that are already tight will feel even smaller, which can lead to that claustrophobic feeling.
For a more open, airy look that optimizes the room’s size, incorporate lighter colors throughout the room, from the furnishings to the floors. Use accents such as throw rugs and decorative pillows to add pops of colors and bring the whole look together. Cohesiveness is key here.
Make Sure Everything Flows
Creating continuity in your home means you have to make a conscious effort to ensure everything flows together seamlessly. Achieve this by using the same light color throughout all rooms for consistency’s sake. This applies to everything: the walls, floors, patterns and colors.
When you stick with a consistent focal point or color while nixing busy patterns, you can better amplify the space. Ensuring good flow between the interiors and exteriors means you should select a flooring type that matches both. Let’s say you have a deck that has a light stain. You will want to incorporate a similar flooring color and type right inside the door to the home. If you have glass sliding doors, the eye will be drawn to the room beyond, creating the illusion of one large seamless room.
Carpets and Rugs
- Colors – When choosing carpet, always consider color. Lighter colors will make rooms feel larger because they reflect light. This is why you may want to go with stark white, taupe, and sandstone colors. You could also try to use colors that contrast and compliment for a unique look.
- Patterns – Large patterns can make small rooms look busy. If you absolutely must have a patterned rug in a small room, go with muted shades such as stripes of similarly-shaded colors.
Wood Floors
- Width and Color – Try wide planked floors for small rooms. When it comes to color, stick with lighter boards rather than dark boards, which leads to a sense of openness as noted above.
- Plank Placement – The placement of your planks will impact the feeling of the room and how big it seems. If you’re looking to make a narrow space appear longer, place the planks at a right angle from the longest side. For small rooms, place the planks away from the door, which gives the illusion of more depth as you look inside the space from the doorway.
Stones and Tiles
- Size and Shape – Tile flooring is a clean, streamlined option for any home. Great for homes with pets or children, tiles are available in many shapes and sizes, with larger tiles having an impact on the room’s space.
- Color and Orientation – The less busy you can make your floors look, the larger the appearance of the room. Cut down on grout lines through the use of large and light tiles. Your small room will feel more open when you match the grout color to the tile color. When incorporating light tiles or stones, these will tend to reflect more light while at the same time enhancing the size of the room. Place large tiles diagonally to have the most impact in a small space.
Contact Designer Wood Flooring For Quote and Consultation
It can be daunting coming up with the right flooring and colors to optimize the look and feel of your smaller rooms. We can help. Our designers have vast experience with pairing flooring materials with room size to result in the best look possible. Get a free quote and consultation when you call us at 830-228-4866.