Choosing the right colour of floor for your project is actually much harder than you’d first think. Interior Designers spend years training their eye to pick out colours that go and avoiding ones that don’t, so don’t be disheartened if you can’t find a coloured floor that you like straight away. It can be really tricky and take a lot of time to get right, but here are a few basic tips to help you reach a decision…
#1 Room Size
The colour of a floor has a strange effect on how your subconscious perceives the size of a room. A dark floor makes a space feel smaller and cosier; good for a lounge or a snug perhaps. Conversely, a light coloured floor will make the space feel bigger; great for kitchens and bathrooms.
It’s only very subtle, but it can make a big difference to how a space feels especially at the extremes of either end e.g. putting a dark floor in a small bathroom.
Bonus Tip:  While thinking about room size, consider widths and lengths of the planks. Large planks in small spaces can actually make the room feel bigger! Also consider orientation, diagonally installing the planks, having them run parallel to the longest wall or towards a window opens the room up further still.
#2 Lighting
Similar to the size of the room, how light a space is has a major impact on how the floor looks. In a very well lit space, a darker floor may be lighter than you initially envisaged and can drastically effect the mood you’re trying to create (more on that shortly). However, it’s not always a bad thing, if the space is a bit too light a dark floor that swallows some of that could be ideal.
Always get samples of the floor you’re interested in and see how it looks under different lighting conditions; during the day, at night, under traditional bulbs, LED’s or any other ways the floor may be lit post installation.
#3 Mood
The next thing to consider is the overall mood you’re trying to create. For example, in a kitchen or bathroom in a contemporary house, you may want it to feel crisp and clean, so light colours would be best. In an older house where you might be trying to create a rustic, more cosy feel, a dark floor would be better suited (remembering the previous tip on the lighting of course).
Think about what the room is going to be used for and how you want to feel while in it. Remember there are no wrong answers here, it’s all personal preference.
Bonus Tip: Remember to consider the grading of the wood. If you’re going for a crisp and clean mood, a rustic grade hand-distressed floor may look out of place. A Prime Grade with much fewer knots would be more congruent with the theme.
#4 Consider The Colour of Your Furniture
Find the largest piece of furniture that will be in your newly renovated space. For example in a lounge, that may be the sofa or in a kitchen, it’s most likely the cabinets. Then find a colour that compliments that piece of furniture. e.g. dark blue kitchen cabinets would suit a very light grey floor. This is the tricky bit and again there’s no real right or wrong answer, it’s whatever you think goes well.
#5 Pinterest & Instagram
At the end of the day, most of us aren’t as talented as interior designers and knowing what colours to choose to create the mood you want can be difficult. So our last tip is to look for inspiration. Head over to Instagram or Pinterest (here’s our Pinterest to get you started) and search until you find a style and mood you like, then replicate it!
Here at Oakwoods, we offer up to five samples free of charge (and more if you really need them!) so please don’t hesitate to ask if you want to compare a few of our coloured floors.
