The big question is, should flooring be the same throughout the house? The quick answer is YES! Using the same flooring throughout ties rooms together, improves flow, makes the home seem larger, simplifies cleaning and maintenance, and is often easier on the budget.
There is absolutely no need to change flooring from room to room. We often work with homeowners who feel the urge to pick a different flooring for every room of their home, but there is absolutely no need to do this. Your home will look best if you create one consistent look that travels from room to room.
There's nothing wrong with using the same flooring throughout your home. There's nothing wrong with using different floorings. But what you don't want to do is use two that are almost the same, but not quite.
The Rule of Three
The flooring “Rule of Three” states that from any point in the home, you should see three different types of flooring, or less.
It is perfectly acceptable to use multiple styles of flooring throughout your home from room to room. Typically, living rooms and bedrooms are carpeted from wall to wall. But, you can successfully enjoy bedrooms with floors that are different from common areas and other rooms.
While some people think that they should match the floors throughout their homes for a sense of uniformity and space, it is unnecessary to do this. At Classic Floor Designs, we recommend that you consider mixing different types of wood on the floors throughout your house for a stunning result.
When it comes down to finding the best flooring to increase home value, it all boils down to your market. Hardwood will likely give you the highest return, but laminate and luxury vinyl plank flooring also offer plenty of perks to buyers.
Matching your kitchen floor with the rest of the house can create a nice consistency, but laying a different floor can make the kitchen a unique area with better durability. You have to consider both the floor's color and the material. It is generally best to use flooring that can withstand the kitchen's environment.
Different bathrooms can match throughout the house, but this isn't necessary either. As a general rule, your bathrooms should have the same relationship with each other that they have with the kitchen. So long as they agree with the style of your home, you can distinguish larger bathrooms from smaller ones.
Are the stairs supposed to match the floor upstairs or downstairs? Interior designers and flooring experts universally agree on the answer. Stairs act as a transition between both floors, and therefore, should coordinate with both the upstairs and downstairs flooring.
Can you mix two different hardwood floors side by side? Yes, you can mix two different wood floors side by side. However, whenever homeowners have two different hardwood floors adjoining each other, they often try to match the colors for continuity in visual aesthetics.
No Matches at All
Kitchens and bathrooms are two separate rooms, and, as such, it's perfectly fine to design them as such. There is nothing that requires you to coordinate and match the counter designs for either rooms. But if you wish to do so, it's also okay.
There's no rule that every bathroom in your home has to be the same color or be decorated in the same style. However, if you like a similar style throughout, it's probably a classic style that will be beautiful in any bathroom.
You can choose the same color, but you might want different sizes for each of the spaces. Bringing it all together, the question – does the kitchen need to match the bathroom and vice versa – is still up in the air. When it comes down to it, it is merely a matter of preference.
Blonde wood flooring
While dark finishes like ebony and espresso have their place among 2021 trends, lighter colors have a way of making rooms feel larger, which complements the open floor layouts that are popular today. This effect has increased demand for more natural tones, including blonde wood finishes.
Houzz looked at the two big factors: material and color. Out of six options (tile, hardwood, vinyl, engineered wood, laminate, and natural stone), tile took the top spot with 24% of homeowners choosing ceramic or porcelain for their kitchen upgrade.
Put simply, the answer to the question do wood floors have to match room to room, is entirely one of personal choice. You can choose to have different flooring in each room if that works for you, but synergy and flow from selecting one central flooring material can look wonderful too.
In high-traffic areas it can show wear and tear, and laminate can't be sanded or refinished for an updated appearance. Because of its lower price point, laminate also won't do much for your home's resale value.
Even though it's not true hardwood, buyers will still appreciate the aesthetics and feel of these durable floors. This is what buyers really care about at the end of the day. So yes, installing new vinyl flooring in your home will raise your property value.
New flooring can add a ton of perceived value, encourage higher offers, and even make a home sell faster, but it may not add dollars to your appraisal. Buyers may like the updated flooring and offer more as a result, but don't expect a higher appraised value.
You should not change the direction of hardwood flooring between rooms—the reason why is that it causes visual disharmony. Placing hardwood flooring in the same direction that follows your space is best.
Hardwood floors are one of the best flooring options for homeowners looking to increase the resale value of their home, with hardwood typically yielding around a 75% return on investment.
It is common for bathtubs to match the sink and toilet. Having a bathtub that matches the other elements in your bathroom, such as the toilet and sink, depends entirely on your preferences. Although it's common for the bathtub to match the toilet and sink in most bathrooms, this is not a firm rule.
While it's a great design choice to have a cohesive theme throughout your house, your ensuite and your main or master bathroom don't necessarily need to match. Using the same tile, floor, cabinets and hardware (like taps and showerheads) is a great way to keep your bathroom design connected.