One of the biggest ticket items for any home renovation is the flooring. This is a big chunk of your budget, particularly if you’re planning an open concept where the expanse of flooring is large. It stands to reason that you would want to put a lot of thought into which type of flooring to use for an open plan house.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
Wood Flooring is the Gold Standard
This is the one material that has held up consistently over the years, retaining its value and style, says Carla Aston Designed. Even if you decide on a more trendy look, you can always refinish the wood floors later to change the color or finish. There’s a reason real estate agents tout “hardwood flooring throughout” on new home listings!
Use as Much of One Material as You Can
One thing to stay away from in an open concept is patchwork flooring. It can look cluttered and confusing when you have tile in the entryway, hardwood in the dining room, ceramic in the kitchen, and carpet in the living room. Stick with one material and use it throughout so it’s as continuous and flowing as possible.
Also, be sure to lay it in all the same direction. This also improves the visual flow and contributes to the beauty of an open plan.
Minimize Visual Transition
Sometimes you need the durability of a porcelain or ceramic tile floor interspersed with another material, for example. But it’s important to make sure it transitions naturally. If you have a cased opening or there’s one area of the house that has a distinct break between rooms, you can switch materials without too much of a visual interruption.
But if you want to ensure your large spaces flow together, it’s best not to transition. This question comes up a lot in regards to kitchens. Many people don’t mind putting hardwood flooring throughout the whole first floor but hesitate with the kitchen because they assume they need a more durable material there such as tile.
If you absolutely want to do this, make the transition as unnoticeable as possible, creating low contrast between the two materials.
Wood Floor vs. Wood-Similar Product
Some people choose to go with a wood-similar product such as Pergo laminate, to avoid the high cost of real hardwood. This is a good option for many families, especially those with small children and pets, or commercial businesses that have high traffic areas. But the trend in general is moving away from wood tile and back to natural hardwood.
The Use of Tile Flooring in an Open Plan House
Many homeowners love the look of natural stone flooring such as marble, black slate, and limestone, and why not? These stones provide a beautiful look to any open concept. This is best for warmer climates, as tile floors, such as porcelain, are cool to the touch.
But can you put too much tile in an open plan house? How do you know where to start and stop it? Most of the time, it’s restricted it to the kitchen, family room (when open to kitchen) and bathrooms, laundry rooms, pantries, and back hallways.
Then, wood is typically used in formal areas such as dining rooms, parlors, bedrooms and home offices. People are moving away from carpeting these days due to its ability to retain dust, allergens and more.
In Conclusion
Hardwood or tile are the best options when it comes to open concept designs. With ample space, you’ve got the freedom to utilize longer, broader wood planks when it comes to hardwood floors. In a similar vein, larger-sized tiles work best in an open concept space.
Selecting larger materials and widths will help you complement the grandness of the space, giving you a more cohesive look and feel.
No matter which flooring material you end up going with, stay away from using multiple materials in an open space. This leaves your space feeling disjointed and choppy – exactly what you don’t want with an open concept space!
Contact Designer Wood Flooring
If you need help choosing the best flooring for your open concept house remodel, our designers can help. Start it all off with a free quote and consultation when you get in touch at 830-228-4866.
