One of the most common complaints we hear from our customers is that their homes aren’t big enough. While a new wood floor won’t give you an extra bedroom or the home office that you believe will change your life, there are some great tricks that you can do with wood flooring to make your rooms seem bigger. Here are a few ideas:
Play with colour
In the same way that the colour of clothing we wear can have a huge impact on how we look, choosing the right colours for your home makes a big difference too. When it comes to choosing the right colour wood flooring to make your room and indeed your home look bigger, there are two main things you can do. They are:
Use the same colour throughout. Choosing the same colour of flooring throughout your home is a great way to make your overall home look bigger. The feel of uniformity that this option gives makes your home seem like it is one continuous area that’s flooded with light and space.
Choose light colours. Light colours reflect natural light and give the impression of space in any home. By choosing a light, natural coloured wood, a white or a white washed or limed wood floor, as well as painting your walls in a light, reflective colour will give your room an immediate boost in terms of volume.
Experiment with board width
It’s a common reaction to assume that if you have a small room, the only wood flooring option open to you is a narrow board. While this is often the best solution, playing with board width can create an interesting and effective result. If you choose wide boards for a small room, it can have the same effect as broad stripes on a person – it can make the room look bigger! Although this isn’t a decision you should make lightly, it’s well worth bearing in mind if you’re re-flooring a small room.
Get creative with board length
Any professionally laid floor will have the wooden floor boards laid randomly, so that there isn’t a fixed line at which boards start and finish. This is completely normal and is what you should be aiming for even if you’re laying your new wood floor on a DIY basis. However if you’re keen to create an illusion of space in a small room, using either very long boards, where there are virtually no ends on show or short boards where there are many, are clever techniques.
By using long boards, depending on the size of your room, you may well be able to create a floor where the boards run the full length or width of the room. This sleek look will help make your room look bigger.
On the other hand ironically, using short boards can also have the same effect. Although it may seem bizarre; the eye expects floor boards to be a certain length and it can be tricked into thinking a room is bigger if more joins in the floor are visible. While these decisions can be tricky, there’s no getting away from the fact that experimenting with board length can pay huge dividends in small rooms.
Don’t go mad with finish
While there are literally dozens of wood flooring finishes available on the market these days, when it comes to choosing the right wood flooring for a small room, the message is clear: keep it simple. The last thing you need in a small room is lots of interest at floor level. While you needn’t hide your interior design light under a bushel, you should seek out a simple finish that gives a sleek impression to make your room seem bigger.
If these things aren’t enough to make your room apparently grow in size, here are another couple of tricks you can try:
Keep accessories to a minimum
Nothing will make a small room seem even smaller than clutter. Don’t be tempted to fill your room with either furnishings or accessories such as rugs because they’ll make the room seem even smaller. What you should do is aim to keep the floor area as clear as possible to give the greatest impression of space.
Choose furnishings that don’t reach down to floor level
A final clever trick in small rooms is to choose chairs and sofas that don’t reach right down to the floor. Choosing furnishings on legs allow light to pass through the room and create a real illusion of space. Also, choosing glass or Perspex furnishings is a great idea.
If you’d like some help to choose the very best wood flooring solution for a small space in your home, we’re here to help. All you need to do is get in touch and we’ll give you all the help we can.
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FAQ
Question: What effect does colour have on the perception of room size?
Answer: The colour of your flooring can significantly impact the perception of room size. Using the same colour throughout your home or choosing light colours, such as a light, natural coloured wood or a white-washed finish, can reflect natural light and give the impression of more space.
Question: How does board width affect the perceived size of a room?
Answer: While narrow boards are often a go-to solution for small rooms, experimenting with board width can create an interesting and effective result. Broad boards can have the same effect as broad stripes on a person – they can make the room look bigger!
Question: What is the effect of board length on the perceived size of a room?
Answer: Using long boards, where there are virtually no ends on show, or short boards where there are many, can create an illusion of space. The eye expects floor boards to be a certain length and it can be tricked into thinking a room is bigger if more joins in the floor are visible.
Question: How does the choice of finish influence the perception of a room’s size?
Answer: In a small room, a simple finish gives a sleek impression that can make the room seem bigger. Avoiding complex finishes helps to reduce visual clutter at the floor level.
Question: What other tricks can help to make a room appear larger?
Answer: Keeping accessories to a minimum and choosing furniture that does not reach down to the floor level can make a room appear larger. Allowing light to pass through the room and opting for glass or Perspex furnishings also create an illusion of space.