How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger With the Right Flooring.

No matter what floor plan or style of architecture, it seems like every house has that one room that looks too small no matter how it is decorated.

Choosing Color Tones

Lighting is said to be a key element in opening up a space. A light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet will make the room appear brighter and more open. Many people believe that brighter means bigger when it comes to decorating. That’s a pretty common misconception when it comes to flooring. The real deal is this: dark flooring in combination with the right wall color actually gives the room a more expansive look. Use a cooler color tone for the walls, ceiling, trim, and molding, then select a darker toned carpet or hardwood/laminate flooring in Brazilian cherry, walnut, or oak.

Using Larger Tiles.

The best flooring for smaller spaces should always use the biggest tiles or widest planks possible. When the flooring itself looks larger, it creates a greater impression of size as you enter the room. If you are installing vinyl tiles, the best choices are 16, 18, or 24-inch size rather than standard square foot tiles.

Large Patterned Carpet Tiles.

Not a fan of laminate flooring or hardwood? If you must install carpeting in a room due to preference or budget constraints, select large patterned carpet tiles rather than wall-to-wall carpeting. Placing these larger carpet tiles on a diagonal with the widest part of the pattern facing the door, gives a much larger impression of square footage despite the fact that you have just increased the size of your carpet tiles and not the actual dimensions of the room.

Diagonal Flooring.

Whether it’s a carpet pattern or hardwood, when you lay it out diagonally it immediately creates an impression of greater size in a room.

Conclusion.

Picking flooring that expands the visual impression of each room can go a long way in making individual rooms look much more spacious without the need for demolition and expansion.

Consulting with a flooring specialist when renovating or redesigning rooms in your home is always a good idea, and be sure to look at as many options as possible in order to get the look you want, not the look you can live with. With just a little planning and forethought though, it is very easy to expand the look of any room in your home.

For more information on flooring options, contact Saddleback Carpet & Flooring today!