|
Whether it is engineered or solid hardwood, our master craftsmen bring out the exceptional warmth along with the wood’s soothing tones and textures. Each species is unique in color, grain and personality. To make selecting and installing new hardwood flooring as easy as possible, follow these tips for what to do before and during your shopping trip.
Room Size
If your room is small, select a lighter color to make the room appear larger. Rich, darker tones will absorb available light and create a warmer, more intimate environment in a large room. A narrow-width board or small pattern will work well in small rooms where the pattern is visually interrupted by an island or other furniture. However, a larger pattern can actually expand a room visually.
Be sure to choose a color to either coordinate or contrast with your current furnishings and cabinetry. To coordinate with a resilient floor, make sure your tones work well together. For wood and laminate, if your cabinets are brown-toned, stay with a brown tone rather than flooring with red or gray tones. For contrast, white or almond cabinets look great with virtually any floor. Painted cabinets can often pick up an accent color in a floor pattern.
Darker wood tones usually have a more formal or traditional look, while lighter floors lend themselves to more casual styles. Resilient floors are available in an array of the latest color trends for home design. Choose one of these colors to add interest and design excitement to your room. You might want to select a color family that coordinates with your countertop, wallpaper, or even dinnerware that you will use in the room.
All Mannington floors are made to be the highest standards and last for years to come. But there are considerations you should keep in mind. What type of room will the floor go in? Are there doors to the outside? Do you have kids or pets? Higher traffic areas such as kitchens are best served with a resilient floor (especially if you have kids and pets) or a laminate floor for durability and ease of maintenance.
The size of your windows, the direction they face, and whether the rooms have incandescent light all contribute to the appearance of your floor. Always view your flooring selection in the same lighting as what will be used in your home.
Creating Drama
If your goal is to add character and interest in your room, consider the rich, rare species of our Historic and Exotic Collection laminate floors. They are sure to create drama in any room.
Design and Style
Choose your floor to coordinate with the style you like. Whether your home is traditional, country or contemporary, your floor can make a statement. For traditional or country/contemporary decors, a random-width plank or a rustic ceramic look is appropriate. Single-width planks and crisp geometrics are more likely to be used in a contemporary setting. Polished marbles and ancient stones with inset designs have a beautiful look for traditional design.
Scale and Pattern
When coordinating a floor with wallpaper, the general rule of thumb is that if the wallpaper or fabric used in the room is a large scale, select a small-scale design or board on the floor, and vice versa. Also, if you plan to use several patterns in the room, you'll have the best results if you use one small, one medium and one large pattern. That way the designs are neither too overwhelming nor too busy.
Flooring Selection
Your floor should complement rather than dominate other design elements in the room. If your room is simple, consider a floor with a stronger pattern. If your room has a more distinct style, the floor should pick up on existing colors and patterns. The floor should serve as the backdrop to the overall design scheme. |
