Tips for Designing with Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floor styles come in strips, planks and parquet, and are available with numerous edge treatments such as square, micro, and beveled edges. The state-of-the-art technology and almost limitless choices of today's stains, finishes, styles and designs makes hardwood flooring one of the most practical and versatile floor coverings available.

The shade of hardwood flooring you choose can dramatically change the look of your room. You can compliment the other design aspects in the room, bringing continuity and balance to the overall design. Lighter colors of hardwood help small rooms appear larger, while rich, dark tones add drama to larger rooms to create a warmer, more intimate feel.

One of the most popular attributes of hardwood flooring, is its' natural coloration. Natural flooring adapts to any style, now or in the future. For rooms with plenty of natural light, you may want to consider some of the darker tones available. If the room doesn't have natural light, you can lighten it up considerably by choosing a floor with a lighter color. Just remember, you can avoid being tied to a particular scheme by choosing natural colors.

Hardwood comes in a variety of strip and plank options. Strip flooring is 21/4 wide and plank comes in varying widths starting at 3". You can visually expand the size of your room by selecting a strip floor, while a plank floor enhances a larger room. Choose a width that corresponds to the overall scale of the room. A popular option is to use different width planks ranging between 3-5-7". This can create a more traditional and less formal look.

Beveled edge planks can help delineate detail in the natural wood and adds a more casual feel while square edge planks fit flush against each other creating a smooth, traditional look. An eased or micro-beveled edge creates an angled effect where boards meet to create more depth and dimension while creating a more casual, relaxed look. These profiles can give the overall floor pattern distinctively different looks.

This flooring article was written by Barry H. Get more tips and techniques at: Flooring Information.

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