How to choose the right floor color, taking into account the maximum number of factors, how can it affect the interior of the room? Most developers are faced with these issues; their solution determines not only the appearance of the premises as a whole, but also the indicators of living comfort. Before you move on to decorating individual rooms, you should learn the general rules.
How to choose a floor color
Physiological features of color perception
A very important factor when choosing the color of the floor is how it will combine with the color of the walls, ceiling and furniture, which shade will be dominant and which will complement it. Developers solve problems in different ways; some take pieces of wallpaper or examples of paints used, photographs, etc. with them to the store. But this approach cannot be considered optimal; based on these elements alone, it is very difficult to make the optimal decision. After all, the choice of floor color is influenced by many factors, including the number and size of windows, their location in relation to the cardinal directions, the purpose of the room and the personal preferences of the residents. No professional can create the final design of a room based on a piece of wallpaper.
Carpet shades
When choosing, the peculiarities of the human brain also play an important role; optical illusion occurs on a subconscious level. Pay attention to the picture.
Illusion
It seems to us that the top half of the square is much darker than the bottom. But this is not so, this is what both squares would look like without the influence of the color of the floor and walls.
With different combinations of colors, lighting and shadows, color may be perceived differently
They suddenly turned out to be completely identical. This is how our brain perceives information; surrounding objects can completely distort reality. Conclusion: color selection should only be done comprehensively; you cannot select the color of each element separately. The fact is that after combining them, the final result may differ significantly from what was expected.
Wenge laminate
The wenge laminate in the interior seems darker than in the sample
Wenge laminate in a well-lit room with white walls
Wallpaper color selection
- Choosing wallpaper is a responsible matter. Therefore, you need to take into account the type of wallpaper and its color. The color scheme of the wallpaper, ceiling and floor largely determines how a person will feel in the room. The color of the wallpaper, ceiling and floor will determine your mood, emotional state and performance. Therefore, you need to try to ensure that the color of the wallpaper and ceiling creates the most comfortable environment.
- Selecting the color of wallpaper for the ceiling is a very important stage in renovation. Quite often they try to match the color of the ceiling to the wallpaper, choosing a similar color scheme. If the color of the wallpaper in white shades is provocative, then the ceilings against the background of the wallpaper will become not very expressive and faded.
- Wallpaper of different colors can be combined in different ways. Light wallpaper is perfect for a small room. Such wallpaper will visually increase the space. Wallpaper in dark and sharp colors, on the contrary, will make the room smaller. You should also consider the natural light in the room.
- Wallpapers with frequent and large colors visually make the room smaller, while small and sparse wallpapers significantly expand the room. In addition, wallpapers with large floral patterns dominate within different styles. Wallpaper with small patterns is used mainly as a neutral style background.
- Green wallpaper indoors conveys the beauty of a natural theme. These wallpapers are perfect for almost any design, as they are combined with wooden elements and many colors.
Monochrome gray wallpaper complements bright furniture
Patterned and striped wallpaper in the interior
Wallpaper with a pattern under old paint
Blue wallpaper with white floor and furniture
General recommendations for choosing floor color
Taking into account the peculiarities of the human brain, professionals have developed general recommendations for choosing color solutions. They can be slightly adjusted depending on the wishes of customers and the characteristics of the premises, but too large deviations are not welcome.
| Flooring color | Design and performance characteristics |
White | Floors of this color are associated with cleanliness and simplicity, and are often used when creating modern interior design styles. A white floor makes the room much lighter, which helps compensate for the lack of natural light. The combination of a white floor with green walls creates an atmosphere of calm and freshness without straining the eyes. White and purple emphasize the prestige of the room; in combination with crimson, it gives them lightness and optimism. White floors and yellow walls are an excellent solution when creating a classic style; with brown walls, rooms look more strict; this option can be used to decorate large living rooms. |
Grey | Gives spaces a serene yet elegant look. Gray and blue can be used when decorating bedrooms and offices; gray and orange can calm the activity of the nervous system. It is not recommended to combine gray with green, these colors depress each other, but it looks great with purple. To visually expand the room, you can add white shades to this combination, but gray should remain the main one. Women like the combination of gray and pink; this combination makes the room airy. |
Yellow and beige | The colors are reminiscent of natural wood of various species, and this material will always be in fashion. With such a floor, almost all colors of wall and ceiling decoration can be used, in some cases the rooms become businesslike and strict, in others elegant and festive. To increase volume, increase the amount of white; to add nobleness and severity, add more brown. |
Orange and red | These are the colors of noble, expensive wood. Accordingly, the use of orange and red floors gives the premises an expensive, exclusive look. Almost the entire spectrum of colors can be used with them, the only limitation being blue. |
Brown | A very original color that can simultaneously give the room sophistication and rural simplicity. Often used when decorating rooms in country style. But it is recommended to use such color schemes only when there is enough natural light in the room. |
Black | The color of bohemia must be applied very carefully and carefully. Looks great in combination with gold decorative elements; black and yellow emphasizes the extravagance of the tastes of the apartment owners. |
These are general tips for choosing a floor color, but each room has its own rules regarding the purpose of the rooms.
Space purple
Even though ultraviolet is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2018, it's still not widely used in interior design. And in vain, because with the help of purple and lilac tones you can add a little sophistication and mystery to the space.
In addition, unlike many other bright shades, purple in the minds of the majority is not at all associated with the palette for children's and playrooms and will not “forgive” the environment.
Photo: Instagram bureau_leatelier
Kitchen floor color
The kitchen is a room in which housewives spend a lot of time. But they not only work in it, but also relax; in addition, the size of the room is most often much smaller than in the hallway. These features require increased care when choosing floor color. The main rule is that you cannot approach the choice of floor color separately from linking it with the design of the walls and type of furniture. All these elements should be combined and complement each other as much as possible.
Kitchen interier. Combination of beige and white
Combination of black and purple shades
Black floor in a loft style kitchen
Color should not cause irritation or other negative emotions. Do not forget that due to the correct color design you can visually enlarge the space; it becomes wider and lighter. But you can also get the opposite result - an already small kitchen becomes lower and smaller.
Kitchen-living room interior in high-tech style
Small kitchen interior
Another option for color solutions is not to make the floor monochromatic. True, not all floor coverings allow you to use this recommendation; this should be kept in mind when choosing a specific material. The easiest way to implement such a solution is with ceramic tiles - the most common material for flooring in the kitchen. The room is divided into several working areas, each of which makes its own decision. The work area and sink may have a dark floor, the rest of the area is lighter.
Zoning in the kitchen
Another example of zoning
An unusual solution for zoning a small kitchen space: combining white hexagonal tiles and laminate
A dark floor makes it possible to create contrasting room design solutions. The ideal combination is a dark floor, light walls, dark furniture and household appliances. In this case, you need to take into account the size and location of windows and doors. If there is insufficient lighting, a dark floor is not recommended; such an environment causes rapid eye fatigue. You have to constantly use artificial lighting, and none of them can completely replace solar.
Black floor and white contrasting set
Black and white kitchen and bright purple accents
Bonus: 4 good reasons to use bright floors in your interior
- Obvious accent. A colored floor can become the main bright “spot” in the interior.
- Shift of attention. Accent surfaces distract attention from the dimensions of the room (important for small rooms) and the shortcomings of the space configuration.
- Zoning. Color is a simple way to visually separate one functional area from another.
- Designer's trick. Colored flooring is not the most common solution, which means this way you can add some zest to the decor.
Photo: Instagram hippykittendecor
Photo: Instagram mio.colorissimo
Bathroom floor color
The day begins and ends in the bathroom; it should both stimulate work and calm you down after a busy day at work. Correctly selected floor color helps solve these mutually exclusive problems. The subjective perception of the room depends 40% on the color of the floor, the walls and ceiling have another 50%, and the remaining 10% depends on the accessories.
Blue self-leveling floor in the bathroom
Nowadays, most designers do not subscribe to the widely held belief that bathrooms should have as much white as possible. This rule existed 20–30 years ago and was explained by the small range of materials for flooring. Excess white color makes the room boring, it does not evoke any positive emotions, and is always associated with a hospital ward. The only advantage of white is that it increases illumination. But today's lighting devices easily solve this problem in any color scheme. The time spent in bathrooms is very limited, so you should not pay attention to the safety parameters of artificial lighting for vision.
White bathroom design
How to lay tiles on the floor with your own hands
Dark, gloomy bathroom floors are considered inappropriate. Such premises may look stylish on the pages of glossy publications, but it is unlikely that there will be anyone who wants to use them all the time. Dark colors, in principle, cannot evoke the positive emotions needed in the morning and evening.
The best flooring solutions are light green, blue, light gray and lavender.
Bright bathroom in mint shades
Purple bathroom
Bathroom design in white and gray shades
The color of the floor in small rooms can match the color of the walls and ceiling; in large bathrooms you can experiment with different combinations. Although the use of more than three shades is considered a lack of taste.
Hexagonal tiles in the bathroom
Lovers of bright and saturated colors are somewhat limited in their choice. Red should not be used, it has too active an effect on the nervous system. But yellow and pink look natural in rooms and do their job perfectly. Of course, the choice of floor color should take into account the style of the bathroom. The classic style requires a sand-colored floor; for Japanese, a brown floor is recommended. The French prefer white, and Mediterranean countries are fond of light green and blue floors.
Laying hexagon tiles
Which paint to choose?
A very important point in the case of laminate floors is that floors painted with oil paints or those that are water-based are not suitable for this material. You can use polyurethane paints and alkyd enamels.
As for choosing paint for a wooden floor, you should approach each case individually. But the highest quality and most comfortable to use include polyurethane, acrylic and alkyd paints.
Hallway floor color
The hallway is one of the smallest and busiest rooms in the apartment. It is this that significantly influences the final opinion about the apartment and the tastes of the residents, and the first impression is very difficult to change. The color of the floor in the hallway also plays an important role in solving complex specific problems.
Many developers prefer dark floor colors, their reasoning is simple - dirt and mechanical damage are least noticeable on such surfaces.
Gray linoleum on the floor in the hallway
The excellent performance characteristics of modern flooring materials enable designers to break tradition and choose various light colors and their combinations. But there are also certain general patterns in the influence of floor color on hallway design .
Small rooms should have light-colored flooring. Small inclusions of dark areas in the form of paths in the middle of the hallway are allowed. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to combine all the advantages of both colors. Light areas make the hallway more spacious, while dark ones hide dirt in places where people pass.
Option for combining tiles and laminate flooring in the hallway
The spacious hallway makes it possible to implement many ideas, including with different shades. Dark floors look great with white walls. The general rule is that the floor should always be darker than the walls.
Dark gray floor in the hallway
The bright floor is combined with light, plain walls. This option is better suited to rooms that do not have natural light.
Bright tiles on the hallway floor
The choice of color in the hallway is greatly influenced by the number, type and placement of lamps. If spot ones are planned, then the color of the floor must be chosen in such a way that it scatters the rays and makes the lighting uniform. Furniture should always be slightly darker than the floor.
Modern small hallway 2 sq. meters in the apartment
Light floor and black carpet in the hallway
How to paint?
The simplest way is to apply the paint as the first layer, then it dries for two days and the floor is painted again, after which, if there are still uneven spots or stains, you can cover it with a third layer, but only if more than three days have already passed since last painting. It is important to remember that the paint should be applied in a neat, thin layer so that everything is evenly distributed. Otherwise, everything will look ungraceful, and a thick layer will peel off faster. Afterwards you need to wash off the unabsorbed drying oil. It is important not to use soapy water or soda.
Which color is the most practical?
Above in the article we looked at the rules for choosing floor colors from the point of view of designers. It should be pleasing to the eye, go well with the colors of the walls, ceiling and furniture, with the design style, etc. And what color can be considered the most practical for each room?
Corridor. In the dark, dust from clothes and dirt from shoes after slushy weather are clearly visible. In terms of labor intensity of cleaning, a dark floor is almost in no way inferior to a light one. Practitioners advise choosing brick, terracotta colors, and various shades of natural wood in hallways. An excellent solution is a motley floor of several colors, with stains and spots.
Option of ceramic tiles for the hallway
Bedroom. Both very dark and very light colors are not recommended. It should be borne in mind that light dust collects on the floors in bedrooms, and it is least noticeable on clear varnish. That is, you need to choose not so much the color as the finishing flooring materials.
Self-leveling floor in the bedroom interior
Zala . If this room is the least visited, you can use any colors for the floor. The main attention should be paid to the design; the cleaning process is not difficult. Since there are few people in the room, there is nothing to clean.
Living room interior
How to properly wash laminate flooring
Bathroom and toilet. Professionals recommend blue and light blue tones; they do not stain from dried water. As for cleaning, in bathrooms you need to use moisture-resistant materials with smooth surfaces.
Bathroom decoration with blue and white tiles
Tips for cleaning tiles
Of course, no color guarantees that the premises need not be cleaned; it simply masks dirt, and this does not make the floors cleaner.
Bathroom and toilet
It's no secret that the most popular shades of tiles for “water” rooms are blue and white. Dried splashes of water are hardly noticeable on them, and cleaning will not be difficult.
- DIY artificial flowers - the best original home interior design ideas
Volumetric paper flowers - diagrams, templates, decor options and DIY decorations
Free Melbet promo code
Gender color and human psychotype
The color is chosen taking into account the recommendations of doctors, you should listen to them. People have different temperaments, behavior depends on genetic inheritance. Each type of temperament perceives the same color in its own way.
Choleric people feel calm in rooms with a predominance of orange color, but for phlegmatic people such an environment has a depressing effect.
Orange floor and pastel orange bath mat
Sanguine people are better suited to light green walls and a light floor.
Light green walls, light gray floor
For melancholic people, brown floors and light blue walls are recommended.
Brown parquet floor and blue walls
Science has proven that the color in a room has a serious impact on mental state. This is very important due to the fact that we spend most of our lives indoors. The red color causes a rapid heartbeat, can cause anxiety, and sometimes a person becomes unreasonably aggressive. This color is categorically not recommended in bedrooms, kitchens and children's rooms. It is allowed to be used only in living rooms, and then in limited quantities.
Red furniture as a bright accent in the living room. Floor: light laminate
Red carpet on black parquet floor
The yellow floor brings the energy of activity, but without aggression and anxiety. It stimulates brain activity and can be used in workrooms and schoolwork preparation areas.
Yellow goes well with white and beige
Purple and blue are recommended to be used in limited quantities; prolonged stay in rooms with a predominance of these colors can cause depression. The pink floor gives the room a romantic character.
Pink marbled floors and pink walls go well with a black bed and black bedside tables
Green is considered the most friendly color for the human body. Make it the main one when decorating the premises and, depending on the shade, choose the color of the floor.
Modern interior with bright flooring
Green 3D self-leveling floor in the bathroom
Green tiles on the floor and walls
Shades of green flooring can be combined with wall decor or accessories filling the interior
Always strive to have color balance, gender plays an important role in it. But don’t forget about human psychology.
Painting laminate
I would like to note that if this coating is worn out and has an unsightly appearance, it is still better to simply replace it, since in general the difference in effort and finances is not very significant. But in this case, you can get a new floor covering.
But if you decide to paint the laminate, then it also needs to be prepared for the procedure.
First of all, you need to remove all the furniture, sweep the floors, and then thoroughly sand the laminate flooring. In this case, the paint will better adhere to the structure, and the coating will retain its original appearance longer. Afterwards you need to clean the floor from dirt; you can even wash it with a vacuum cleaner. Treat with a primer, and then, when it dries, you can paint. After the paint has dried, it should be coated with polyurethane or alkyd varnish.
Floor and door color combination
Only two options for combining shades and colors are used: a contrasting option and in one color. If the floor and doors are the same color, then choose the second one several tones lighter. Due to this, the space is logically perceived in the direction from above, from the light ceiling to the dark floor. If white doors are installed in the room, then transitions should be made through the use of structural accessories on the walls and furniture. Doors in dark colors are recommended for use in cases where the floor is pastel in color.
Floor and door color combination
Bedroom
For a relaxing and comfortable stay, experts recommend not choosing “flashy” colors. Give your vote in favor of pastel colors with a glossy finish, where dust particles are less visible.
Practical tips for choosing the best color combinations
There are two universal rules when selecting colors for floors, walls and ceilings, which can be used in 90% of cases.
There is no need to read articles about what color and how to choose a floor, what goes together and what is not recommended for use. Remember that not a single advisor will live in your apartment, and accordingly, he will not “enjoy” the results of his recommendations. And since you live in it, then the decisive and final word is yours. All clever words about which color is friendly with which and which is not should be taken only as recommendations, and not a prerequisite.
The main rule is that the colors should be friendly to you and please you personally. If your tastes coincide with the opinions of the designers, great; if not, don’t pay attention to them, do what pleases you.
The color of the floor should match your favorite shades and match your psychological profile. These are two factors that have the maximum impact on the comfort of living in an apartment.
Conclusion - you can combine any floor colors with any walls and ceilings. But you can do this not only with pleasure, but also according to the rules.
First you need to familiarize yourself with two characteristics of color.
- Lightness. The hue gradually changes from standard to lighter or darker - the process of a smooth transition of color to white or black is called lightness change.
- Saturation. Changes when gray is added to the base color. As the concentration of gray increases, the saturation changes and eventually the color becomes gray.
Colors combine well if they have the same lightness, saturation, or both lightness and saturation.
Achromatic interior
To simplify the choice of floor color, you can use special color fans; they are sold in specialized stores. Each fan tab has a separate color with different saturation options. For ease of use, all shades have an international classification.
Laminate prices
Tarquette laminate
How to use color fans?
Step 1: Choose a wall shade that already exists in the room. Determine its location on the fan tab.
Step 2. Unfold the fan and pay attention to what colors the chosen shade goes with. All options are located at the same fan height.
Step 3. Decide on a suitable floor color option.
Color Guide
This is a theory, but in practice it is necessary to take into account the finishing floor covering materials currently in use. You should know their shades and focus on real options.
Corridor or “hallway”
As we said above, on a dark surface dust from clothes, dirt from shoes, animal tracks or stains from poor cleaning are very noticeable. Therefore, especially for the corridor and places where regular pollution is possible, we advise you to give preference to natural wood shades (brick, terracotta, light wood).
In specialized stores you can find tiles or parquet with contrasting patterns in the form of spots, stains or cracks. This does not spoil the appearance at all, but allows the housewife to return to washing such a coating less often.
What characteristics should you pay attention to when purchasing?
When a buyer chooses a laminate, he looks at the price, appearance, and sometimes the wear resistance class. The latter characteristic ceased to be important when production technologies were modernized and the market was replenished with Chinese brands. For example, coverage of class 34 from China may be inferior to class 31 from Germany. It is better to focus on the guarantee: if the manufacturer is confident in the quality, he will indicate a long warranty period.
All technical specifications are indicated on the packaging. Let's look at what markings are important if you plan to lay laminate flooring in a residential area:
- panel thickness: 8-9 mm is enough. If this indicator is higher, most likely the manufacturer used a material of low density. Such a lamella can bend under the influence of static loads;
- abrasion: for a corridor or dining room, the normal indicator is AC3 (W3). For a bedroom or nursery it may be smaller;
- moisture resistance: a must for the kitchen;
- density: from 850 kg/m3.
Sometimes icons are placed on the packaging, which also provide information about the product. This is convenient: the characteristics are clear, and it is easier to understand whether the coating is suitable.
- the image of shoes with heels is a sign that the laminate is scratch-resistant and furniture can be moved on it.
- if you see lightning, the coating is antistatic and does not attract dust.
- a picture with sun rays means that the decorative layer will not lose its brightness due to ultraviolet radiation.
How to choose wallpaper for laminate?
We tell you how to choose the right wallpaper if the floor has already been laid. Which one to choose depends on the color of the flooring.
Red shade of laminate. Milanese walnut and cherry give a noble reddish glow. which is appreciated by lovers of the classics. It is not difficult to combine such a floor with walls: for a bedroom or living room, choose thick non-woven wallpaper in light colors with red flowers. If you need to decorate a nursery, pale blue or swamp green options are suitable.
Brown. This is the most common type of flooring that can be combined with almost any wall. Cream, yellow, green, all modifications of pastel colors - decide for yourself. Paintings on the walls will help add personality - even if brown tones predominate in them too.
An interesting solution is to combine dark brown and purple. A bold combination is suitable only for spacious rooms with a lot of light. Consider additional lighting in the evening: add LED lamps that will create a feeling of coziness.
Grey. Another common option, which is chosen because of its unpretentiousness - dust on such a coating is almost invisible. Combine it with wallpaper of the same shade of any brightness - from saturated to almost white. To add accents, choose yellow accessories. Be careful with red: this energetic color needs to be diluted with beige elements.
Light. This flooring visually expands the room, and it is easiest to combine it with wallpaper. Avoid only saturated purple shades: they will negate all attempts to expand the space. Pastel floors with bright walls look good, but then the furniture should be neutral.
Dark. It's difficult to beat Wenge. We do not recommend experimenting with color: without the help of a professional designer, they will most likely fail. Choose classic light wallpaper and try to give as much light as possible. This will help achieve harmony.
