Lots of people dream of living the good life in a huge open plan space. Made popular in large part by dreamy loft apartments in major cities around the world, open plan living can be heaven on earth for those of us who are tidy, but hell on earth for those of us who have a more casual approach to being organised.
Tidiness aside, open plan living is an exciting prospect and calls for a bit of planning to get it right. Thinking about things like major and soft furnishings, what you’ll use to adorn your walls and even colour schemes all have their own rules when it comes to open plan. But in this article we’ll focus on making the right wood flooring choices to maximise the style and charm you get from your open plan living space.
There are various things you need to think about when choosing your wood flooring for your open plan space. Here are just some of them:
- Whether or not you have under floor heating
- Traffic levels
- Budget
- Colour
- Board size
The first three items on our list are pretty quickly addressed and can be summed up thus…If you have under floor heating, you simply must choose engineered wood flooring (that’s confirmed as suitable). If you are likely to have high or heavy traffic, it’s best to choose a floor that can be re-sanded and re-finished a number of times during its lifetime. If you’re tight on budget, the best approach is to shop around, negotiate and seek out a bargain (which you’ll always find on our site J).
When it comes to colour and board size, this is where you can get really creative and make your open plan space look a million dollars without investing an arm and a leg. Here’s how we’d approach the colour and board size decision-making process if we were flooring an open plan space…
Colour
The colour you choose for your wood flooring will play a huge part in the final look of your space. If you want to make a major statement, both black and white wood flooring will tick your boxes for sure. But if you want something that’s a bit more conservative or something that you’re sure not to tire of, then choosing something in between is the safest bet.
Black wood flooring is a real fashion statement and looks great in a modern, monochrome home as well as in shabby chic or antique strewn open plan spaces. There are several options when you’re shopping around for black flooring. For example, you could opt for a naturally dark wood, like this wenge wood flooring that’s brushed and UV oiled, as well as benefitting from the DIY-friendly click-system of installation.
Although many people are frightened of white wood flooring, thanks to their notion that they’ll be mopping it all the time, you really don’t need to fear it and can enjoy this brushed and white oiled floor at a great price as well as in the knowledge that it’ll hide the dirt as effectively as any other option.
All of that said, sometimes people are fearful of making such a bold statement and for them, either a natural wood floor colour or a grey coloured floor are a great compromise. The likes of this Natural engineered oak London Grey UV Oiled wood flooring is perfect if you’re keen to achieve a true grey look for your wood floor at a great price. A classy and stylish solution, the UV filter means that if your open space is washed in sunshine, you don’t need to worry about fading or colour loss. This sort of solution would look fabulous in either a big or small open space and certainly isn’t something you’ll tire of.
Board size
Wood flooring board sizes have three elements to them: thickness, width and length. When it comes to choosing the right look for your open space, you’re more likely to be interested in the width and the length of the boards you choose than the thickness. That said, if you have under floor heating, you need to be careful to choose a thickness that will allow the heat to pass and that is recommended for use with under floor heating. A good flooring supplier will help you make the right choice.
When people think of open plan, they tend to think of large spaces, but of course as all studio owners will know, this isn’t always the case. Some open plan spaces are small and some are big; that’s a fact of life. Regarding the right choice of board width, at Wood and Beyond, we have engineered wood flooring that ranges in width from 100mm to 240mm. What this means is that no matter what width of board you fancy, we will more than likely have it in stock.
Generally speaking people assume that the smaller your open plan space, the more likely that a narrow board will work best. This can be true, but isn’t always the case. If you have a small room and you want to make it look bigger you can achieve this by choosing a narrower board, but at the same time, a broad board can look really stylish. The same is true for big open plan spaces. Many people think a big space must have wide boards, but of course this needn’t be the case. The secret is to get creative and imaginative.
When researching your flooring options, you’re likely to come up against both random and fixed length boards. While random boards are more common and normally more affordable than fixed length boards, you can pick up fixed length boards from time to time and they can be really effective in small open plan spaces.
If you’d like help to make the right wood flooring decisions for your open space, why not get in touch? At Wood and Beyond, we like nothing more than accompanying our clients on their wood flooring journeys and helping them make sure they make the right decisions for their unique projects.
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FAQ
What are the main considerations when choosing wood flooring for open plan spaces?
The main considerations when choosing wood flooring for open plan spaces include whether or not you have underfloor heating, the expected traffic levels, your budget, the desired color, and the size of the boards.
How can the color of the wood flooring impact the look of an open plan space?
The color of your wood flooring plays a crucial role in the final look of your open plan space. Black or white wood flooring can make a major statement, while natural wood or grey colors can offer a more conservative yet stylish look.
What factors should be considered when selecting the size of the wood flooring boards?
The size of the boards you choose can have an aesthetic impact on your open plan space. While some people might assume that large spaces need wide boards and small spaces need narrow boards, this is not always the case. Both narrow and wide boards can look stylish in any space. It’s also important to consider the thickness of the boards, especially if you have underfloor heating.
How can the length of the boards affect the look of a small open plan space?
When researching your flooring options, you’ll likely come across both random and fixed length boards. While random boards are more common and normally more affordable, fixed length boards can be really effective in small open plan spaces as they provide a more consistent look.
What are the benefits of using synthetic decking for open plan living?
Synthetic decking is a good looking, hard wearing, and easy maintenance decking option that doesn’t break the bank. It also allows for a more modern aesthetic if that aligns with your personal style.