Design Planning

Getting started with your hardwood or laminate flooring design requires careful consideration of the surroundings and style of a particular room. What kind of wall covering colors do you have? What kind of furniture do you plan to add to a room? Is the room exposed to a lot of light? These are the type of questions you should ask yourself before selecting a particular color or style of hardwood or laminate flooring.

• Colors: Interior home colors should reflect the personalities of the people who live there. Colors in a room should complement each other. Try a neutral color and two complementary colors. They can be cool or warm, contrasting, or soft complementary colors. This gives a room more personality.
• Patterns: When deciding between large or small patterns, think about the feeling you want the room to have, and remember that color can also play a role. Lighter colors make a space appear larger, while darker colors may give a room more drama and make you feel cozier.
• Light: Lots of bright sunshine can open up a small room and make it feel more expansive, while even a large room can feel more intimate if it's more dimly lit. Light and color work together to create a mood. A small room with a dark floor or wall color can still be cheerful—just make sure you have enough daytime light from windows, make good use of lamps or overhead lighting at night, and use light or bright accent colors. Similarly, a large, bright room with light-colored walls and floors takes on a cozier feel when you soften it with a darker window treatments, furniture, and accessories.

Showroom by room

Here are some examples of hardwood and laminate flooring to illustrate some of the innumerable interior design possibilities. (Click on each image to enlarge.)