5 Tips to Consider When Choosing your Flooring Shade
Where to start?
Whether you’re working on your dreamy new build home, or you’re renovating your current oasis, choosing a new floor can be exciting, and let’s be honest, a daunting task too. With different types of flooring and thousands of shades out there it can feel like a whirlwind to navigate, especially if it’s your first time working on a flooring project.
We want to share with you five indispensable tips that will help you choose a timeless vinyl flooring shade that is just right for you and your home.
What you can expect in this article:
- Learn about vinyl flooring. You may be surprised!
- Consider the room’s lighting: Natural vs. Artificial
- What is the mood you’re going for?
- Considering furniture’s impact on your space
- Agreeing with your partner on a shade
1. First things first - Why vinyl flooring?
Vinyl flooring has come a long way since the drab look of the 70s’ outdated cottage style. Today, you can find a variety of shades mimicking the look of hardwood that will completely modernize and refresh your space. Plus, you minimize the cost of upkeep and maintenance. This waterproof floor is also super easy to install. Hello weekend project! Check out our DIY installation tips for vinyl flooring here.
Rigid Core SPC vinyl is made of synthetic materials. It has an SPC core, with a calcium carbonate bottom layer and coated with PVC and a plasticizer. This material is then printed, embossed, and coated with a 20 mil abrasion resistant wear layer. This no-wax surface wear layer offers optimal stain resistance. It is layered with urethane ensuring it is more durable against everyday scratches and scuffs. We mean it when we say, rigid core vinyl plank is the utmost durable flooring product on the market.
2. Consider the lighting: Artificial vs Natural
Just like a paint color will change with the given lighting, a floor shade will also alter in vibrance and appearance with the light it gets from outside or from the ceiling light. When ordering a selection of samples, you can easily see how the floor shade will look like in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening.
With functionality in mind, if you’re working in a basement or a space with little to no natural lighting, a lighter floor shade will help create a more spacious environment. Spaces with lots of natural lighting can easily accommodate any shade of flooring including the dark brown shade you may have had in mind. Remember, darker floors, in general, will create a cozy, and smaller feel to the room.
3. Establish the room's mood you're aiming for
Perhaps you already have a Pinterest board or a mood board for the style you want to achieve with your upcoming design. If not, it’s a great idea to establish the mood and feel of your space.
Some questions you want to ask yourself about your design are:
What mood do you wish to create now with this room refresh? Are you aiming for the feeling of being tucked away in a contemporary cabin up in the mountains, adorned by rustic accessories and wooden furniture? Or are you going for a sunny, light and bright resort inspired bedroom?
What words come to mind when thinking of your space? Some words to inspire you: warm, fresh, whimsical, sophisticated, antique, vintage, minimalist, Scandinavian, sleek, cozy, spacious, elegant, quirky, quaint, eclectic.
A style and mood you may consider is Scandinavian, which according to Apartment Therapy, is characterized by light and airy spaces, lack of clutter, and live plants to bring a sense of nature indoors. Neutral colored spaces with plops of black or tan accents are also seen in this style. A lightly colored floor pairs ever so nicely with this décor style.
4. Match or contrast the furniture you're working with
Chances are, if you’re renovating your home, you already have your furniture that you adore. Or, it may simply not be the time to spend on a new couch right now. When picking a new shade of flooring, consider if you’ll be keeping your existing furniture, and if so, what are the main tones of your furniture? It is recommended to either contrast the different types of wooden tones in your décor, or to aim for a flooring shade that is already similar to the tones of your furniture.
A whitewashed wooden bed frame will blend effortlessly with a light flooring shade, such as everhome’s Northern Oak SPC to create a zen and minimalist look. On the other hand, traditional medium brown furniture would be a great match with everhome’s Tahoe Brown SPC.
Think of what color family you're naturally drawn to. Do very light neutral colors catch your eye and make you feel like you’re on a coastal getaway, reminding you of a foggy morning on the beach? How about something warmer like a honey inspired pallet, with white linens that bring about a country-side bed and breakfast? A well-lit living space with dark brown floors can make you feel as though you were transported to an elegant resort tucked away in the mountains.
5. So you’re set on a shade, and your partner has a completely different idea. How do you get their buy-in?
We don’t claim to be relationship experts here, but we do know a few things about picking floor shades.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong choice of color. If the final choice ends up being different than what you had in mind. Don’t sweat it. You can always be the one in charge of picking the rug or the new furniture. Décor is always flexible, and so should your home design experience be.
What you may want to discuss with your partner is, do you both agree that the shade in mind complements the existing furniture? How long do you plan on living in this home? Are you renovating to prepare your home for the market, or are you planning on living in this home for the next 15 years? If it’s a home that is about to go on the market, think of keeping the appearance neutral. Think light brown floors with fresh white walls. If you know you’ll be residing in your humble abode for many years to come, then it’s your time to be creative and create a space that truly reflects you and your family.