You may be surprised to learn that dark wood flooring can help to make your room look bigger too. Darker flooring offers an inviting feel and opens up a space. Whether you choose rich colours or softer dark colours, they both have their advantages when it comes to expanding the appearance of a room.
Diagonal Dreams
The key to making rooms look bigger with flooring starts with the diagonal rule. Diagonal lines work to create the illusion of more space, because when a person enters a room, their eyes are drawn to the widest part of a pattern—the same is true in art.
Decorating Tips for Color
Generally, light colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Light and bright colored walls are more reflective making a room feel open and airy, and maximizing the effect of natural light. Dark colors, on the other hand, absorb light, making a room look smaller.
Light, Airy Colors
Lighter shades of colors, such as blue, teal, and earth tones are possibilities as well, giving a more open, airy, and uplifting vibe than darker shades. Blonde, light brown, or even whitewashed hardwood flooring can also make the most of this technique.
Both dark and light floors work very well, and only you can choose which is best for you and your home. Dark floors tend to be more stylish and hide imperfections while light floors tend to show dirt less and last longer.
Light color flooring tends to brighten up a space and make it feel larger. Bright and creamy floor tones can help modernize a small room, adding an element of airiness. Be sure to snag as much natural light as you can or install warm artificial lights to make your small space as attractive and inviting as possible.
So, what colors make a room look bigger? For an optimum effect, go with soft tones like off-white, blues, and greens, and always remember that brighter rooms feel bigger and more inviting. And here's another hack: Try painting your wall trim and moldings in a lighter color than your walls.
Big floral patterns make a room appear larger. Install wallpaper with horizontal stripes to make a room seem wider, or commit to vertical stripes to stretch the room visually and raise the ceiling. A busy pattern featuring chevrons, simple geometric designs, or a texture that mimics marble can make a room seem bigger.
Consider the size of the room: If you're putting a new floor in a large or wide room, going with a darker color will make a sprawling space feel somewhat smaller and cozier. In contrast, a lighter color such as beige or cream can help “open up” cramped living areas and make them seem bigger.
And should the wood floors be lighter or darker than the cabinets? Decorators all agree on the answer. Wood floors can be lighter or darker than the cabinets, as long as the colors complement each other. The best way to do this is to start your project by picking 2 complementary colors and an accent color.
If you make the classic choice of wood for its durability, warmth, comfort on your feet and easy repairability, a light colored option such as pine or ash, or an even lighter peach-hued maple, will do a great job of hiding dust.
Many home experts agree that the floor color should be darker than the walls. The rule generally applies because lighter walls and a dark floor make the room seem larger. Most homeowners prefer a spacious looking interior. However, the rule can change with low ceilings.
Contrary to what some might think or say, wide plank flooring does NOT make your space look smaller. It's interesting, even though the planks are wider, because of the visual tricks wide plank plays on your eyes, the room often appears even larger than it is…not the other way around!
Go for pale shades of grey and blue for maximum lightening effect. If it's warmth you're after, don't be afraid to use light terracotta or yellow paint colours – a sunny hue can brighten and warm a dark, dingy space. Just be careful not to clutter the room with brown furniture so the scheme doesn't become overpowering.
Just as the white does, yellow also reflects light and can provide a small room with a space-enhancing effect. Therefore, if you do not want to use white as your wall color, you can use natural yellow to get the best effect. Yellow can be a better alternative to white and can make a small room look bigger.
Soto follows what she calls the cantaloupe rule: "Decorative accents that are smaller than a cantaloupe cramp a room." Opt for a single, statement-making piece instead. Photo by iStockphoto. Media Platforms Design Team.
Darker shades of colors like blue, purple and brown can also help to hide flaws and create a slimming illusion. On the other hand, lighter colors, like white and khaki, can add pounds and give the illusion of a larger frame.
From favorite paint colors to specialized design advice, Benjamin Moore's color and design experts have the answers to a common homeowner question: How do I make a small room look bigger and brighter? Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms.
A choice of timeless hardwood floor colors
Brown Maple floors have hues of rich gold, amber and brown. Cherry floors feature a burnished auburn color that will darken over time. Hickory offers hues from lighter blonde sapwood to cocoa brown and beige heartwood. Red Oak comes in deep, salmon tones.
Dark brown hardwood floors in particular never seem to go out of fashion, they are always trendy and still in style. There's something about the contrast between dark wood floors and bright, light walls, white kitchen cabinets, furnishing etc. that epitomize a sophisticated and upmarket style.
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.
Cool Gray. A great alternative to a white paint color is a light cool gray, which can feel fresh and bright without the starkness of pure white. Cool colors feel fresher and brighter than warm ones, so it helps visually create the appearance of more space.