When you’re deciding on whether to have a dark or a light floor, there are lots of issues to consider. You’ll probably start with your initial preference – but use this checklist to decide whether to stick with it or switch.
1. Do you have pets and children?
If so, pale wood may not be the best option. However, if you’re determined to go for it, then washable rugs can make all the difference, especially in areas such as hallways. Muddy dogs and children’s gumboots make much more mess in winter. So you could have a rug down in winter, then in summer, send the rug off for cleaning. Then you can enjoy your light floor during the long summer days – very Nordic!
2. Do you need to make the room seem bigger?
If you do, a light floor can help to make a room seem more spacious. Planks or flooring strips that are laid longways, that is in the direction in which the room is biggest, can also make a difference. Pale colours on the walls make them recede rather than close in.
3. Do you have time for dustbusting?
Dark wood floors show dust much more than lighter floors, so if you’re the type of person who loathes housework, a medium shade is probably a better choice.
4. Is cosiness important?
If you’re creating a snug study, or a living room with comfy sofas and a nice fire, then choose a rich, dark colour for the floor. A traditional rug in a deep magenta or burgundy, over a deep-toned laminate flooring, https://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk/laminate-flooring.html for example, will make this a space you’ll love when the evenings start to draw in.
Many people opt for this kind of room, because in the summer they’re often using decking, or a patio as an outdoor room, and don’t use their living room much. The style site, Houzz, has some good ideas for how to pair furniture and decor with dark flooring – https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/29251681/list/what-goes-with-dark-wood-floors.
5. Make sure the floor tones with your existing pieces
If you have furniture that’s been handed down, or an expensive sofa that you don’t want to replace, make sure that your new floor will tone in. Take a photo to the showroom, so you can use it while looking at different flooring colours.