I recently re-did my bedroom from top to bottom. The floors are one of my favorite elements in the space! I thought I’d share 6 tips for how to choose the right floor color for your home if you’re looking at new floors too. I’ve lived with my floors for a few months now and LOVE them! I’m also an interior designer so I hope these guidelines will be helpful to you.
Thank you to DuraDecor for sponsoring this post!
my flooring
For my flooring I went with vinyl floors from DuraDecor in the color Bungalow Beige. They’re available at Home Depot in a large variety of colors- there are so many fashion-forward options. The floors took me an afternoon to install. They click and lock in place and are very DIYer friendly.
DuraDecor‘s floors are high quality- there’s a 20-mil wear layer. They’re also safe to use- the products are tested to meet the highest indoor air quality standards. They are free from Prop 64 and REACH chemicals while being GREENGUARD Gold, FloorScore® and ASSURE CERTIFIED™. Fresh, stylish, and sustainable? Yes, please!
how to Choose the Right Floor Color
1- feature or base?
The first thing I suggest considering when choosing out the color of flooring is will the floors will be a feature or a base?
If the flooring will be a feature, go bold! Choose a darker brown or a deep grey or a more red color. Deep and vibrant colors say “look at me” and are a great way to pull the eye to the floors.
If the flooring will be the base for other design elements, go neutral. Choose a natural medium to light color that’ll allow the layering of other design elements. This give the floors more lasting power while being able to decorate with more trendy items.
For my room, I wanted the wallpaper and bed to be the feature, so I wanted the floors to harmonize with everything. They need to be pretty, but they don’t have to be the focal point.
2- what other wood elements are there?
Next, look around the house or room and ask what other wood elements there are? If wood is used around the home, get samples and see which one harmonizes with the tones of those natural items. I suggest choosing a color that’s similar and works nicely together. That helps the space to look more dynamic and interesting.
Floor samples next to the banister in my house. I choose the middle flooring (Bungalow Beige). See how they work nicely together, but aren’t exactly the same? The other samples are Broadway Blonde (left) and Cliffside Tan (right).
Now, floors don’t have to necessarily match the wood on a banister or door or furniture, but it’s an easy way to choose a floor color that’ll work for your house.
Floors can work nicely even if they’re not the same color as other wood elements. No one wants too match-y match-y of a house now a days. But I’d warn about too large of a difference in wood tones in a home and floor. If the floors and wood elements of a house contrast too much, this might result in a disjointed and harsh feel.
Another benefit of coordinating floor colors to design elements in a house is that there is a natural flow that works from room to room. It helps the house feel pulled together, cohesive, and intentional.
In my bedroom, since the bed is a focal point and is wood, choosing a flooring that works with it made sense to me. Around my house I have a wood banister and in the bedroom I have a plant stand that I checked to see how it would coordinate with potential floor colors.
3- what do you want the vibe to be?
Did you know that the color of the floors can affect how the room feels?!
Lighter flooring can help the room feel open, breathable, and happy.
Darker flooring can help the room feel cozy, comfortable, and restful.
Textured dark brown floors feel more rustic this might be a good option for a mountain home.
Lighter and golden floors feel beach-y. Are you drawn to coastal spaces? The flooring should reflect that.
Black, grey, or red toned floors can feel classy and elegant. They’ll also create a dramatic mood.
Put the samples in your room and think about how you want your room to feel.
Note, you can order samples of any of DuraDecor’s floors here.
If figuring out the mood you want is tricky, go to Pinterest and pin a bunch of rooms that you’re drawn to. Then look at the spaces you pinned and notice the flooring color. Is there a common color in the rooms you like? How do those room feel? Relaxed, fancy, happy, subdued? Figuring out the feeling you want for the room starts with a good flooring choice.
When I design spaces, my number one goal is to create a happy space for my family. Since I know a cheerful and playful mood is what I’m going for, I usually stick to lighter flooring.
4- what is the size of the room?
Is your room small or big and do you want it to feel more intimate or larger? Consider this when choosing flooring color because a room’s flooring will impact how large or little it feels.
Flooring covers a lot of the room’s surface. That much color in a space will greatly impact it. For example, a large room with a dark floor can help the space feel smaller and cozier. On the other hand, a large room with a light floor can make the room feel bigger.
There’s not a right or wrong to choosing to visually expand or bring in a room with flooring- it’s just personal preference. A large house will feel warmer and less vast with dark floors, so that’s a big benefit. A small house with light floors will keep the space feeling more open. Again, that is great if that’s your goal.
In my bedroom, we recently changed the layout and a section of the room was converted to being a walk-in closet. The room has been made smaller, so I wanted to use the flooring to help it feel as big as possible. I do like cozy spaces (which can be achieved with dark floors) instead, I like to use a nice rug and texture in the space for added coziness.
5- How much natural light does the room get?
Next, look at how much light your room gets. Here’s two criteria to consider-
- The room doesn’t get much natural light and is usually dark. In this case, a lighter floor color will work better.
- The room gets lots of natural light and is usually light. In this case, a light, medium, or dark color floor will all work.
If the space gets lots of light, a dark floor will create a dramatic contrast that can be really pretty. On the other hand, a light room with light floors feel bright and cheerful.
For a room that doesn’t get much sunlight, but dark floors are wanted, consider painting the walls a lighter color and using window coverings that let in more light in the daytime.
One of my favorite things about my house is the amount of light most rooms get. My bedroom gets tons of light since there’s windows on both the east and west side. Since I get lots of light, I had the luxury of choice and went with lighter floors.
6- What’s your lifestyle? How clean-able do the floors need to be?
The last thing to consider- how will dirt look on different colored floors?
Dark floors tend to show scratches and dust/dog hair.
White and very light floors are prone to show dirt.
Super light or super dark floors might not be a great choice if you live with dogs and/or kids.
How often do you clean or have your house cleaned? If your house is cleaned frequently, the floor color can be whatever you want since dirt and debris won’t be a big consideration. Some people who don’t like dirt might prefer a a white or dark floor that shows dirt so it’s easy to know when it’s time to clean.
A light to medium floor will show the least amount of dirt and dust.
Another thing to consider is the finish- shiny floors will show the most dirt and dog hair. A matte finish shows less smudges and paw prints.
Of course, if you choose a floor because it hides dirt well, that just means it’s not as noticeable not that it doesn’t need to be cleaned.
I live with one child and two dogs. I don’t love to clean so having a floor that hides dirt is a plus to me. My floors are light, but not so white that everything shows. I once had white stair treads and since I had dogs, they looked dirty minutes after cleaning them. That lifestyle is not for me, so I’ve learned to not pick something that doesn’t show messes so much.
conclusion
Now that you’ve read my 6 tips for how to choose the right floor color, go through each tip and figure out what your priority is with each one. Next, order a variety of samples and put them in the room. Look at them over time so you can have time to think about which one works best for you.
One last tip I want to give with picking out floors- choose what will work best for your family and home. What floors will you love to live with, clean, and will make a beautiful backdrop to your memories? I know it can be tempting to pick large home items based on what other people might like, but you’re the one living with them so take the time to pick something you’ll love.
Thank you again to DuraDecor for sponsoring this blog post! Their floors are stylish, durable, budget-friendly and easy for anyone to install. If you’re interested in seeing their different collections, click here. Their products are currently available at Home Depot.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
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