You might not think much of them day to day, but the floors we walk on play a big part in shaping our homes. Next to repainting the walls, replacing your floors is one of the most impactful renovations you can do to a room.
So if you’re looking at creating a dramatic makeover, either for an extension or just to spice up your abode, here are some of our favourite designs. Taken from both our own projects and some we’ve fallen in love with on the web.
Enjoy!
Designed by Team Resi
Let’s start simple and go in with timber. A wooden floor is a classic feature and has been for centuries. However, not all timber floors are the same and homeowners now have a range of colours and textures to choose from.
In the above example, you can see the homeowners have opted for a rich colour of wood, with warm red undertones. This helps create a sense of cosiness, contrasting nicely with the cool countertops.
Designed by Resi
For the complete opposite, you could also opt for cool, grey pine. The brightness of this flooring helps reflect light, making your room appear larger than it actually is. An excellent option for anyone working with smaller spaces.
The home above isn’t actually all that big but, combing the grey floor with large skylights and a broken plan layout, and this family feels like they’ve got bags of space.
Designed by Team Resi
Don’t forget about texture too. These cool, grey floorboards also feature distressed details. Helping give the space some character with a rustic touch.
Designed by Team Resi
If texture isn’t your thing, you can also play around with patterns. Rather than just lay your floorboards side by side, they can be made into a zig-zag pattern, as seen above, which is known as parquet flooring.
Designed by Team Resi
And you don’t have to limit this pattern to just the kitchen, you can see it at work in this living room. The soft, ash timber bringing together both brightness and warmth.
Designed by Resi
This pattern of flooring also works well with even darker shades of wood. What’s interesting about this design is that the homeowners have used the pattern to add division between rooms. Here in the bathroom with see parquet flooring and then in the living room…
They’ve taken those same rich, dark brown floorboards and straightened them out. A nice way to bring character to each space. And in the living room, by having the flooring work in straight lines, it helps create long lines for the eye to follow. A neat little architecture trick for making a space appear bigger.
Designed by Team Resi
Speaking of contrasts, check out the light and dark flooring these homeowners have used in their kitchen and dining room. The dark helps the dining room feel intimate, while the lighter wood helps give a more open and lively vibe to the kitchen.
Designed by Team Resi
For another take on colour contrast, take a lot of this rear extension. We’ve split off the inside space for the patio with contrasting tones of wood. However, the similar layout and the same material still invites a sense of continuation. Meaning, with the doors open, it feels like one big hang-out area.
Designed by Team Resi
But you don’t always need to separate these areas. In fact, there’s a benefit to landscaping your garden to reflect the flooring in your kitchen. Take this home, for instance. We’ve matched the tiles inside with those of the garden, so the two become blurred together when those impressive bi-fold doors are open. Another way to create the illusion of more space in the home.
Designed by Team Resi
Before we move onto tiles and other floors, here’s some more food for thought when it comes to our beloved timber.
Designed by Team Resi
Here’s another example of using texture. It provides a nice rustic contrast against their modern style fittings, while also showing off how dark woods can still have those cool tones.
Designed by Resi
These homeowners have chosen to match some of their fittings to their chosen timber floor. A lovely interior design choice that helps make the whole house fit together.
Designed by Team Resi
Even without furniture, you can see how much live a timber floor can add. This newly created flat still has a homely sense, thanks to the character of the wood.
Designed by Team Resi
So to wrap up on timber floors… light wood is good.
Designed by Team Resi
Dark wood is good. All wood can be good for your home! Right, onto something else…
Designed by Team Resi
Now let’s talk tiles and stone slates. Much like timber, they come in a range of styles and colours. However, here you’ll have even more to choose from. You could keep your floor light and simple, as these homeowners have done with this wonderfully minimalist stone.
Image credit to @renovatingthehouse
Or you could go bold - really bold. While many play it safe with their living rooms and kitchens, the bathroom provides a real opportunity to get creative with your flooring. And no material is better for this than patterned tiles.
Designed by Team Resi
In this bathroom, we used tiles to help emphasis the home’s history. As a Victorian townhouse, we sourced Victorian-style tiles for the bathroom. Helping add a touch of historical charm to the space.
Designed by Team Resi
In this space, we kept the pattern more subtle. The small dots add a dash of playfulness to the bathroom, while the white tones match those of the tiles in the shower. On top of this, by choosing light colours, the natural light brought in by the skylight shines better than ever.
Designed by Resi
Of course, as with timber, there’s light and dark options for every space. If white isn’t your thing (a nightmare to keep clean), then something like these grey slates might work best. We love that the homeowner paired with those light salmon coloured tiles - a very trendy touch!
Image credit to Ingrid Rasmussen/Thames & Hudson via The Guardian
But don’t think you have to keep all those good tile ideas hidden in your washroom. These homeowners have chosen a wonderful, almost fish-scale type of tile for their kitchen. Matching the blues of the flooring to the blues of the cabinets, complete with a pop of red. We have to admit, there’s a real WOW factor to this space.
Image credit to @katerosemorgan
And if you’d like to take your creative flair to the bedroom, perhaps this pink number might inspire you. Note how they paired the green in their flooring to their house plants. If you’ve got a green thumb, this might be the style for you.
Designed by Team Resi
Of course, bold flooring isn’t for everyone. In fact, many homeowners like to keep things simple. Take this home, they’ve opted for a cool white floor. Not only does this make the space feeling open and bright, but it provides the perfect canvas for their bright fittings. Now any colour they do add will really pop.
Designed by Team Resi
Even off-white can help open up your home. The ivory tiles used in this room help make any light this basement room gets work as hard as possible.
Designed by Team Resi
White isn’t for everyone though, which is why we also love the stormy grey of this laminated floor. Much like white, the block of colour gives the perfect light to bright accents in the room, such as those lemon coloured chairs.
Designed by Team Resi
On the theme of grey, one trend that’s been taking off is concrete flooring. However, pouring concrete into your home isn’t without its downsides. Once set, you’ll have a hard time accessing anything that might be below them, such as pipes. For a simpler option, you could choose large concrete style tiles. They’re cheaper and you’ll be spared any future headaches, should your pipes act up.
Design by Team Resi
Here’s another example of this fake concrete look at work.
Designed by Team Resi
And, like timber, this faux concrete can come in a range of shades. We really like the delicate touch these tiles provide. You’ll also notice they’ve opted to match theirs to the landscape outside - smart.
Designed by Team Resi
Has these feast of inspiration got you hungry for change? If you’re looking at unlocking your home’s potential - whether through renovating, extending, or converting - you can get expert advice, free of charge. Simply book in a consultation with our team and we’ll advise on everything from budget, timings, to design.
Book your free consultation here.
