Natwerk Designs

what color flooring should I use?

I want to install vinyl plank flooring in my two bedroom apartment, but I don't know what color to choose. I originally wanted bamboo color because it's lighter and might make my place look bigger, but now I'm thinking about a darker chocolate wooden color because it can hide dirt, but I'm afraid it will make my place look smaller. It might be significant to note that I have teal colored marble in my kitchen and bathrooms so it will have to compliment that. Any suggestions from interior designers or experts? Mahalo!

Public Comments

1. Bamboo comes in a couple light shades I have seen and both are very neutral and will work nice any pl;ace.
2. I think you should use the lighter colour unless you have an awful lot of natural light to keep the place looking bright in the daytime. It will make the place look bigger if you have a lighter colour. Unless you have a lot of dirt coming in, which you don't usually get in apartments, keeping it clean won't be a big problem. I've got two colours of vinyl plank flooring, maple in the kitchen and cherry in the living room and bedroom. The cherry looks wonderful and warm at night with lamps on, but my place doesn't get much sunlight and it tends to look dark in the daytime with that floor colour. A lighter floor would probably have been a better choice in my house, though it would certainly show the hair my two black dogs shed. The maple is the floor we walk into at the front door, and it does show dirt but I have a lot of tree needles around here and they get everywhere. Are you in Hawaii? I'm sure you usually get a lot more light in daytime than I get here in the cloudy Pacific Northwest. Keep in mind that it isn't necessary to choose the same colour for every room. If you have an entry hallway where most of the dirt could come in, and there's a logical transition point to go from one colour to another, there's no reason you need to use one colour throughout. Depends on how your place is laid out. It makes a place look bigger if all the floor you see at one time is the same colour, but making, say, a dining area a different colour can help set it off from the rest of the place if you want a different feel in that area. I know the maple colour I have would look nice with teal, and bamboo was my next choice after that. The cherry in my living room looks really nice, very warm and cosy, with the teal area rug I have, but I'm not in a warm climate so warm is good in home decorating for me. Teal goes well with a warm wood colour so stay away from a wood colour with any grey tones in it. Keep to the yellow/red range. They will probably let you bring a sample home to check how it looks at home. It's excellent flooring, too. I'm very happy with mine and it has stood up well to me and the two dogs coming in with sandy feet. Easy to install. If you have a rolling chair, make a chair pad with some of the planks. Sand and wheels weren't a good combination around here.
3. Just the opposite. Dark floors show everything! Light floors (except for white of course) show very little. Also I recommend a medium to relatively dull sheen for the same reason.
4. As the other have said, darker floors actually show more than the lighter floors. I would recommend going with a medium to light tone.