How to Choose Laminate Flooring Color

1. Size of the Room

Room size matters when choosing a floor color. A good rule of thumb to remember is that light colors open up a space, while dark colors make a room appear smaller. If you have a large room with abundant lighting and ventilation, you might consider dark-colored laminate. Meanwhile, if you need flooring for an apartment with minimal lighting, a lighter-colored laminate would likely be your best bet.

2. Type of Room

It’s crucial to consider the room you’ll be installing the laminate flooring in. When choosing a floor color for your office or study, for instance, you might select an energetic and practical shade like black or brown. On the other hand, if you desire a space with a relaxing, comfortable feel like a bedroom, you’d probably go for a light and warm floor color to create a peaceful atmosphere.

3. Lighting

Light laminate floors don’t absorb light as much as darker floors. This makes a lighter color ideal for a room with less natural light. Lighter flooring in a bright setting may cause the room to appear washed out. Meanwhile, darker flooring can look fantastic in a space with good natural light.

4. Color of the Walls

Your wall color plays an essential role in choosing a laminate floor color. If you have light-colored walls, you might want to contrast them with darker-colored floors and vice versa.

5. Furniture and Decor

Because your furniture will sit directly on your floors, it’s important the two elements match. With wood furniture, for instance, try varying the color of your laminate floors so that the room doesn’t appear overly uniform. Dark wood furniture with lighter laminate flooring can create stunning contrast.

Consider the remaining decor in your room as well. Artwork makes it easy to choose a laminate flooring color — examine any pictures on your walls and determine the color scheme in these images. If they have bright, bold tones, you might go for a more modern floor style. If there are neutral or earthy tones, you might consider a more rustic and warm floor color instead.

6. House Style

Like with any type of floor, different interior design styles call for different laminate flooring styles. Here are some tips to help get you started:

• If you want a modern, contemporary or minimalist room, try a black or gray laminate floor.
• If you want a beach or coastal-style room, go for a lighter or whitewashed wood color.
• If you want a traditional-style room, opt for oak or cherry wood coloring.

The right flooring color sets the tone for your overall aesthetic, so it’s essential to choose a style that best matches your personal taste.

7. Lifestyle

Besides imitating the appearance of authentic wood, tile or stone, another perk of laminate flooring is that it’s strong, scratch-resistant and easy to care for. That means it can accommodate a variety of lifestyles.

Laminate flooring is durable and long-lasting, making it suitable for high-traffic areas with pets or children. Whether dirt, mud or spills, it’s easy to clean and remove from a laminate floor. However, light-colored laminate can make dirt and mud more easily visible, while dark-colored laminate can have the same effect on pet hair and dust. If you’re concerned about dirt, pet hair and dust, your best bet is to go for a medium-colored tone.

1. Gray

Gray laminate flooring can be a great choice when you want to:

• Create a trendy, luxurious feel.
• Embrace a minimalist, modern or Scandinavian interior design style.
• Match almost any other color decor.
• Create stellar contrast with colorful elements.

Remember to avoid pairing gray laminate flooring with gray walls. Instead, we advise warmer neutral tones, like off-white, to offset the gray flooring. A lighter shade of gray flooring can help open up your space, while a darker shade can create a more compact and intimate space.

2. Light or White

White, burlap or other light-colored laminate flooring is slightly easier to work with and can help brighten up any space. Consider lighter laminate flooring when:

• Your space is smaller or needs to be brightened up.
• You desire a calming, natural or casual interior.
• You’re decorating with pastel colors.
• You want to create contrast with colorful accessories and textured rugs.

As discussed earlier, lighter flooring can make spaces look and feel larger, so we recommend it for a smaller room to help it feel less restricting. Try to avoid light floor tones in already large and spacious rooms — they can cause the space to look bare, especially if there isn’t sufficient furniture to offset the appearance. Remember to pair light-colored laminate flooring with less natural light, as we mentioned.

3. Dark

Finally, consider black, dark gray or dark brown laminate flooring when:

• Your space has great natural light.
• You’re pairing it with light-colored walls.
• You’re creating a polished, rich or moody interior.
• You’re working with a larger room.

Dark wood laminate flooring can help cozy up your space, helping it look and feel less bare. On the contrary, if you have a smaller room with abundant furniture and minimal lighting, dark flooring can make it appear even darker and smaller.