A flooring pattern is just as important in making your room seem more open and spacious as the furniture arrangement and wall coverings. Whether you are using marble or another type of tile, a decorative design in carpeting, vinyl or linoleum, selecting the right-size pattern helps to enlarge the room optically. Even hardwood flooring positioned in the correct manner appears to increase room size. Wall color is a factor consumers must consider before choosing flooring. Does this Spark an idea?
Pick an oversized pattern for your flooring rather than one that is tiny or busy. This makes rooms appear larger than they actually are, as suggested by the World Floor Covering Association.
Install ceramic or other types of tile in a diagonal direction on the floor. This makes it look intriguing and draws the eye visually across the length of the room.
Pick a pale or light neutral shade for the flooring if the walls are an intense color to visually open the room. This method works in the same way if you select dark flooring for a room in which walls are covered in a pale paint or wallpaper. This provides contrast and interest in the space.
Lay hardwood flooring in a manner that enhances rather than detracts from the room size. Install the planks so that they go in the same direction as the longest section of the room, as suggested by The Money Pit.
Tips
- Don't choose tiles that are so big that the pattern does not repeat itself in the room. This results in an incomplete look that has no continuity, rather than enhancing the space in the room.
- The color of the grout around your tile is another factor to consider. An abundance of intersecting lines in small tiles may cause the flooring to look busy, thus diminishing the size of the room.
