How to Decide on Flooring.
Choosing the flooring for your home is a massive and important task, if not THE MOST important. I say this because flooring is what grounds your home and indicates what the overall tone/vibe will be. Flooring is even more critical when your home is an open concept because rooms flow together instead of having their own flooring in each space.
You may think “hmm, I’ve walked into many homes before and never once noticed their flooring. So why is this so critical?”
Honestly, for many people, it isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just flooring and you work with what you have. This is especially true if you are moving into a home and don’t have the budget to redo the flooring. But let’s say you do have the opportunity to redo your flooring and when this opportunity arises you realize there are countless options and you’re confused on which to go with. It’s easy to get overwhelmed very quickly and anxious about all the prices of this large project.
So let’s briefly break down some of the different types of flooring (not including tile) that are out there, and then dive deeper into the color options and which you should consider putting into your home given the tone/vibe you may be trying to accomplish.
Laminate Flooring:
Cheaper alternative if you’re on a tight budget.
Material can mimic the look of other floorings such as wood, tile, or ceramic.
Might look artificial.
Doesn’t have a long life span.
Can be slippery when wet.
Can never be refinished.
Easy to install yourself and is budget-friendly.
Hardwood Flooring:
Highly sought after in homes, people usually get jazzed about finding original hardwood floors.
Solid surfaces that can be refinished multiple different times.
Not waterproof and too much moisture is bad for it.
There’s a lot of maintenance with hardwood flooring that other flooring styles don’t need.
Hardwood can also be dented or scratched easily.
You can sand the blemishes down.
Hardwood flooring is the most expensive option but adds value to a home.
Engineered Wood Flooring:
If you’re someone who loves hardwood flooring but doesn’t have the budget for it this is your option.
The top portion of this plank is real hardwood. The bottom portion of it is a laminate engineered material to provide stability.
Easier installation because of its tongue and groove.
Given that the top is real wood this has the same cons that hardwood floors do.
It’s not waterproof and can dent or scratch on the top surface.
Vinyl Flooring:
This is easily becoming the most popular flooring on the market right now (aside from people wanting true wood floors).
Vinyl Plank flooring is waterproof, durable, easier to install, and feels expensive once laid down.
This material can fool the eye into thinking it’s real wood.
This is a great choice if you need the flooring to cover large areas.
It’s pricier than laminate but much more affordable than hardwood flooring.
This is a great option if you have kids and pets.
Vinyl can’t be repaired and isn’t easy to fix in one area, you’ll have to redo large chunks.
It has a shorter lifespan than hardwood flooring but is very durable.
Bamboo Flooring:
Not actual wood, it’s grass.
Will give you the warm feeling of wood.
Good quality bamboo flooring can be durable. If you get a cheaper type of bamboo it won’t hold up as long as other materials.
Its prices are pretty close to hardwood flooring.
Linoleum Flooring:
One of the cheapest options on the market.
Produced in many different colors, patterns, and styles.
Is tough and doesn’t show stains or wear as easily.
Can be dented, become discolored by sunlight, and isn’t great for high moisture areas of the home.
Now that you have an idea of what’s out there, let’s cover the different colors and styles that you could look for. Which are practically endless. It’s usually a matter of if you want dark, light, rustic, or even modern. Currently, in 2021 there are a few trends happening with flooring. Those being blonde, whitewashed, honey/copper, gray, and greige colored floors.
My personal favorite is the blonde/white oak style. This is a flooring color that I think is extremely versatile and timeless. I enjoy that it has a warmer tone to it so it doesn’t make your space feel cold. Blonde/White Oak is what we put into our home and we used a Luxury Plank Vinyl from Floor & Decor. We are installing it on our own and it’s going really well so far. It’s all tongue and groove so you just cut the pieces to size, line them up, and make sure you’re clicking in on the right sides. Another thing to be aware of when installed is that you’re spreading out the different patterns on the boards so you don’t put a bunch with the same knots right next to one another.
To keep things simple I’m going to break down what these 6 trendy styles would do for your space if you were to put them in. I’ll be explaining them in these categories color, characteristics, width.
Color:
Reference my previous blog post that explains the tones that each color embodies, this will become helpful when you’re looking at the different colors of flooring. Some flooring has a lot of orange undertones to it and this is not a trend. Orange undertones in flooring scream 90’s/00’s and are usually the first thing to go or get refinished when people are remodeling their homes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, try not to run to the cool gray undertoned flooring either just because you’re worried about too much orange. It’s refreshing to have some warmth (aka yellow undertones) in your flooring that feels more subtle and doesn’t feel cool unless you know you want cool-toned floors. In that case, head on over to the gray undertoned floors! :)
Blonde/White Oak Color Family
Clean contemporary feel, that will age well and feel timeless.
They are usually neutral but some will lean cooler with gray undertones and others will have a yellow undertone and add warmth to your space.
Will give the illusion that your space is larger than it is.
Honey/Copper Color Family
It will always feel warm and rich with color, it might not pair well with cool colors.
These are a happy medium if you don’t want to go all the way light with the blonde but also don’t want the intense dark flooring.
They will make your space feel large and will add warmth.
This is a color tone that is naturally found in wood so going this route will never go out of style.
Dark Color Family
Dark floors add richness to the space.
They will feel heavy and grounded which is great for large/grand spaces, but not ideal for small rooms.
There usually won’t be a lot of definition with these, they tend to fall flat if it’s a really dark tone.
Dark flooring will absorb the light that comes in vs reflecting it as lighter floors would.
Gray Color Family
This is a more recent trend throughout the past decade.
Cool colors aren’t on the rise anymore as we move into 2021, however gray floors are still trending. They add that touch of chic, modern, and cool feeling to any space.
Gray is a neutral color that you could combine with almost any color. I would beware of using this color flooring if you’re someone who furnishes your home with warm color tones though. They may clash when together.
Greige Color Family
Greige stands for Gray + Beige and this is one of the hottest trends in 2021. It’s everywhere and is in a way becoming the new gray choice.
It’s a versatile color pairing that is perfect for people wanting to add depth with flooring. Gray falls flat usually and beige adds the dimension with warmth. When combined it’s extremely visually pleasing.
This color family gives you a blank canvas to decorate with since it can go well with modern contemporary styles and also work well in a country home.
Whitewashed Color Family
This is often a favorite flooring choice for people on the coast. It can go well with a beach vibe, but this is also a popular choice for people looking to go rustic depending on the grain and level of whitewash.
A relaxed and laid-back vibe will come with this flooring.
It will make your space feel larger and more open.
You will usually see a lot of definitions.
Characteristics:
There are a ton of different characteristics that flooring can have, and I don’t want to get into all of them, but I will list a few that are worthy of noticing before you purchase.
The main thing to pay attention to are the grain and knots in it. If you are wanting rustic/farmhouse flooring you would go for an option that has a ton of grain showing and a variety of knots. The more the grain/knots the more rustic and busy it will feel.
If you’re trying to accomplish a modern contemporary feel in your space you’d want to steer clear of flooring that has a ton of color variations and grain/knots. You would want to pick a style that would still have grain, but it would be subtle and not too contrasting to the flooring color. The darker the grain the more noticeable the distressed look will be once you have a lot of it laying down. As for the color variations, there are some flooring styles out there that when you see a lot of it laid down you’ll notice some boards are a lot darker than others and this technique leans heavily into the farmhouse/rustic style and shouldn’t be used if you’re trying to accomplish a clean contemporary space.
Width:
Narrow Floor Boards
Often spanning from 2-4 inches in width.
They will make smaller spaces feel larger.
More room to expand with moisture.
You’ll notice the seams more prominently with these since there will be more of them.
There are a lot more boards needed for installation.
Your floor may feel busier if there’s high contrast with the seems.
Wide Floor Boards
Spanning from 5-12 inches in width.
Will make small rooms feel cramped.
Great for larger spaces and giving the illusion that the space feels wider than it is.
The boards need more space to expand with moisture.
Not as many seams since the boards take up more space.
You won’t need as many boards for installation.
Regardless of what you read about flooring, I think it will always be a stressful decision. It’s usually an expensive upgrade for your home and seeing all the options out there can confuse anyone (even the professionals). This is why it’s important to have an idea of what you’re looking for before going into purchasing. I’d suggest going through the images you’ve pinned on Pinterest or flagged in magazines for other ideas and just notice what flooring color or style they used in that space. You may have saved that image for the cabinet color or the color furniture, but look at the image now with your flooring spectacles on and realize that the flooring they used in that room may be the unifying factor of what tied that look together. You may notice similarities throughout all the pictures you’ve saved. That will help give you a direction to lean towards.
I’d love to hear about your unique flooring adventures or mishaps along the way. Or if you’re planning to pick out some new flooring soon and would like to discuss what could work for your space. Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
