If you are looking for a seismic transformation in your interior design, or want to add a touch of elegance, height or energy, we suggest you take a look at these types of flooring steeped in the most basic color concepts.
Aditi is an experienced home writer and editor. She has written hundreds of articles for many international titles helping readers make the best home design choices, and she spends her days interviewing interior industry experts to bring the latest ideas to her readers. For this piece, I spoke to the world’s top designers to find out what are the common colors for flooring.
1. Red
(Image credit: KATIE LOCKHART)
Consider deep red, which gives your interiors an edge along with a touch of warmth. Warm tones like these tell a story and reflect your taste. Deep red tones look great with wood, so you may want to include a lot of teak or pine furniture in the space. This tone is also accentuated perfectly with copper utensils.
A great way to enhance the color of your floors is through tile patterns. If chess floors sound more 1950’s to you, you might want to rethink. Sure, this style has a retro quality, but it can look equally chic and modern when painted in the right color.
‘The design goal was to balance the parquet wood floors that carry through the rest of this home in the same checker pattern but in a new material palette that was tiled,’ says Katie Lockhart. (Opens in a new tab)Founder, Katie Lockhart Ltd.
2. Pink
(Image credit: Purple Backyard)
Pink is a timeless color that is universally loved. It never goes out of style and remains an essential element of interior design. No matter your wall paints, consider painting floors in this shade, and add a splash of color in interesting patterns.
There are many shades to choose from, depending on the atmosphere you want to create. The pale pink floors will create an airy and breezy feel. The darker color will add depth.
Interestingly, when floors are stained or painted in an unusual color and used throughout the home, they become neutral. It may seem counterintuitive, but when you use unusual tones across large surfaces, it becomes less out of the ordinary.
‘This is the floor of entertainment,’ says Kumbal Fayed, ‘where the idea was to keep things bright, light, and fun while being understated. (Opens in a new tab), founder of Purple Backyard. We decided to make this cement textured tile to provide a change in material from stone and marble while still being elegant, and the colors were neutrals instead of the usual white, brown and black. “.
3. teal
(Image credit: YSG Studio)
For an impactful home, the floor is a good place to put saturated colors. Huge color taken from above is less dramatic than having it surrounded by your peripheral vision. While strong colors on the walls can compress a room, the same used on wood or laminate floors can raise the visual height of a space and make the entire room feel like the focal point of the home.
Presented with the entire Laminex color range (Opens in a new tab)We chose to showcase the latest solid color decor combined with timeless classics and authentic wood grain, says Yasmine Ghonim. (Opens in a new tab), founder of YSG Studio. We aimed to immortalize the mood by capturing the essence of “afternoon joy” — that warm, cozy time of day when the sun seeps into the house and there’s nowhere else you’d rather be because the world seems to stop for that golden moment. And to enhance the nature of the filtered sensations emanating from the interior, the wood floor painted in eucalypt green visually expands the dimensions of the kitchen.
4. Orange
(Image credit: Purveyor Design. Studio Credit Elizabeth Beard Architecture and Design Studio Shademaker)
Using a dark floor color is especially effective in a free-standing space like a painted staircase, a place that feels more like a “destination,” where you’ve arrived to admire artwork or fine furniture, or a place you go to read. The lively and lively hue will instantly make this room or space feel like a jewel box in the house, giving it its own personality.
“In this home, painted stairs reduce cost while highlighting the homeowner’s art collection, adding a fresh touch,” says Elizabeth Beard, founder of Elizabeth Beard Architecture and Design. (Opens in a new tab). “Varied materials and colors, incorporating many styles and eras, draw not only from the client’s tastes but also from the eclectic sensibilities of nearby South Congress.”
5. Black
(Image credit: CRISP ARCHITECTS)
For a sophisticated and luxurious space, consider black floors that will look just as stylish today as they will look decades down the road.
Painting wood grain black adds a sense of warmth to your room, making a statement without taking away from your existing decor. When it comes to kitchen or bathroom tile ideas, black polished wood can be used to elevate other tones in a room such as brass faucets, crystal chandeliers, and more.
While a matte paint color is best suited for most spaces, you might consider using a high-gloss paint that will allow light to bounce off the paint and give the space depth.
6. Green
(Image credit: Fran Parente. Studio credit N + J Arquitectura)
Use a soft aqua green to calm the room. Sometimes furniture, artwork, and more can create visual distraction and clutter, and take away the calm you want in a room. Soft-coloured floors can make a small room appear more open, opening it up to provide a sense of stillness. Consider this tone in a small study, living room, or hallway floor ideas.
“The inspiration was to create a vintage atmosphere, referring to the 60s and 70s, without abandoning the contemporary language of the space,” says Nildo Jose. (Opens in a new tab)Founder, N+J Arquitectura. This is why green hydraulic tiles are chosen. We chose furniture and decorative pieces that made a good blend of contemporary with the vintage language of the 60’s and 70’s, as well as tones in the pieces that blend with the tone of the floor, for example, tones of pink with a light green tone of the floor.
Should the floor color be light or dark?
(Image credit: Tim Cuppett Architects. Photo by Whit Preston)
This depends on several factors: the size of the room, the natural lighting present in the space, and the finish of the paint. Usually, the best color for wood or tile floors are darker tones because they suit larger rooms and open floor plans. Color helps tie a large space together and visually shrink a large area into a compact space.
Also, dark tones work best in a naturally lit room with lots of windows. This will not allow the space to feel too closed off to it.
Light colors are best for small spaces that need a little freshness. Soft tones make the space appear larger than it is, and add a natural vibe to the space.