There’s a lot to consider when choosing hardwood floors like budget, lifestyle, climate, and sustainability, just to name a few. Another consideration? Design.

Hardwood floors come in a wide variety of species and colors, but did you know you can use them to add a design that reflects your personality in your home, too? Floors make up a big portion of most budgets, so when homeowners remember to incorporate hardwood flooring ideas into the design, the options are endless!

So how do you pick the best design for your hardwood floors? In addition to functionality, here are a few things to consider:

• Think about the space the floor will occupy and select a design that will complement the overall feel.
• Find the center of the space and make that the focal point of the design. This will also be the spot from which you lay out your furniture and rugs, too.
• Create symmetry by keeping imagining a line down the center of the space and balancing the design elements of the two sides.
• Consider adding a border as a visual boundary or bridge between rooms.
• Think about whether the basic design of the room or home is small, medium or large when selecting the design for the hardwood floors.

So where should you begin? Start by thinking about the overall feel you image for your room or home.

• For traditional styles, oak and ash are very popular. In terms of finish, rich colors like mahogany or honey hues would be worth exploring.
• For modern or contemporary styles, many homeowners gravitate toward maple or exotic hardwoods. In terms of finish, a sleek, high gloss, dark stained floor might be the best fit for you.
• For a cozy or rustic style, hickory or cherry hardwoods are common. In terms of finish, you might want to look at antiqued or hand-scraped hardwoods which come in a variety of colors.

If you prefer contrasts, then consider a dark finish on your floors with light furniture or vice versa. You can also try to match your floors to other elements in your room.

Here are a few of the basic patterns to be familiar with when exploring hardwood flooring ideas:

• Parquetry is a decorative geometric mosaic of wood developed by the French in the late 1600s that’s still common today.
• Marquetry is an Italian-based form, also from the 16th century, that creates a mosaic pattern using curved or free flowing forms.
• Herringbone, a V-shaped pattern found in twill fabrics, is also a popular design pattern.
• Additional patterns include basket weave, brickwork and trellis designs.

Feel free to call us  for more ideas, we’d love to help you come up with hardwood flooring ideas perfect for your home.