Flooring #

Dark floors vs. light floors: pros and cons of each type

Hackrea Com / February 27, 2021

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Surprisingly, it is the question of choosing a flooring when planning an interior for many that becomes a real stumbling block. Not only harmony but also the practicality of the space depends on the correctly selected color scheme. How comfortable, cozy and convenient it will be.

The flooring is the foundation, the base on which the entire interior is built. And even if you closely follow fashion and try to follow the latest trends, do not forget that designers recommend not getting too carried away and, above all, focus on your own comfort. Use a color palette that will look appropriate in a specific space, meet your tastes, preferences, and ideas about comfort.

Practical color solutions

Experts recommend choosing the floor, guided not only by aesthetics but also, first of all, by the purpose of the room:

It is not recommended for the corridor or hallway to use floors that are too dark or white, on which street dirt will be most noticeable. It is better to opt for shades of natural wood, terracotta, or brick tones;
Ideally, white or black flooring is considered not very successful for decorating the interior of a bedroom. On such “pure” colors, every speck of dust, the slightest scratches and damages will be visible. Besides, such a color palette will add to the room officialdom instead of giving the room the desired coziness, an intimate atmosphere. Variations of dark or light shades, diluted with halftones, look much more appropriate in a recreation room;
When choosing a floor color for small-sized bathrooms and kitchens, choosing a flooring of lighter shades with a lack of natural light is better. Too dark colors will make the room look even smaller. And water droplets are much more noticeable on dark surfaces. If you want to add variety to the interior, preference should be given to a combination of white flooring with bright colored stains.

Professional designers consider the most undesirable shades for any interior to be perfectly glossy white and black colors. In addition to the fact that any speck of dust, stains, scratches, or chips will be visible on the glossy surface, such floors look as unnatural as possible in the home interior. Contrary to expectations, glossy surfaces do not give respectability but visually cheapen the space. The glossy flooring deprives it of airiness and makes the design heavier.

Light flooring features

Light shades of the floor are the most neutral and allow you to create the most interesting and convenient interiors for use in everyday life. True classic variations in a soothing color palette and extraordinary designs with bright original accents.

The advantages of light-colored flooring include:

Versatility. The light floor suits almost any style. It is harmoniously combined with various shades, which expands the possibilities when choosing a decorative wall covering and buying furniture;
Practicality. Small dirt, flaws, and debris on a light floor are practically invisible;
Visual expansion of space. With the help of a light floor, even a small room can be made more voluminous, “expanding” its boundaries, breathing airiness and lightness into the interior. Thanks to the light floor, you can increase the room’s illumination level and make it comfortable and cozy even in the absence of a source of natural light.

Dark flooring features

Dark floors are an excellent starting point for creating contrasting designs.

Among the main advantages of dark floors are:

Practicality. Dark surfaces, except for the black floor, stainless, look neater even with minimal maintenance;
Versatility. Dark flooring suitable for almost all types of premises. Harmoniously combined with bright objects and shades in the interior;
Respectability. The rich dark palette gives the interior depth, makes it as effective and stylish as possible;
Neutral perception. Dark flooring does not irritate, looks respectable, and, when properly combined with furniture and the color of other surfaces, adds ease, refined charm, and comfort to the room.

Principles of the combination of dark and light flooring

When choosing the color scheme of the future floor, the main rule is to balance the space, giving it comfort and harmony. Therefore, when choosing the color and shade of the flooring, one should be guided not only by personal preferences and tastes but also by the footage, location, level of illumination, and shape of the room:

In a narrow room with low ceilings, a dark floor will look beautiful and appropriate in contrast to the light soaring ceiling, adding depth to the room. The creation of a light accent wall, framed by walls of deeper and more saturated shades will allow to equilibrate the room of an elongated form;
For rooms with high ceilings, an option with a dark floor and ceiling is suitable, which will visually expand the boundaries of the room, make it proportionally correct and harmonious;
A light floor in combination with dark walls will create the effect of a chamber space, will emphasize horizontal surfaces;

Do not neglect the combination of dark and light shades and give preference to a single color scheme. An excess of dark tones will deprive a room of form and depth, and an excess of light colors will deprive it of individuality, turn the space into cold, inanimate, and impersonal space.

Light floors or dark floors: Conclusions + Photo gallery

When choosing the flooring color, you should remember that it should be practical, harmoniously complement the interior, correspond to the room’s purpose, visually meet your tastes, not annoy and not cause negative emotions. There is no need to “sacrifice” your comfort for the sake of rapidly changing trends and rely solely on designers’ opinions. Even the most extraordinary option, according to experts, can be the right decision for you, the embodiment of the dream of an ideal home.