Prior to the housing crisis in 2008, the trend in housing was to buy as big as your budget would allow, and in many cases beyond what many homeowners could afford.  After the dust settled on the worst real estate market in a very long time, people are going the opposite way when buying a house and going smaller.  There is even a movement toward “tiny homes” where some are building houses smaller than 500 square feet.  While these smaller homes may create a cozy atmosphere, they can also create a feeling of being cramped and cluttered.

One technique to make a small living space appear bigger is using flooring to create the perception of a larger space.  In this article we will discuss some simple techniques that will “open up” your smaller living space by configuring the flooring to make it appear larger.

Use light colors

The trend in decorating is moving toward lighter colors.  Dark colored flooring is used to make a room feel smaller and cozy.  The opposite is true.  Light colored flooring and walls opens up a space creating the perception of more square footage.  Additionally light colored flooring is more reflective and amplifies the effect of natural light making the room appear bigger than it is.

Use large tile

Tile flooring has become a very popular flooring choice, but in a small area, if you use the wrong sized tiles, it can make the room feel small and cramped.  For this reason small tiles are not recommended when tiling a small area.  The fewer the grout lines the larger the floor will appear.  Because of this, if you want a small room to look large, use 12, 16, 18 or 24 inch tiles.

Use the same flooring

Using multiple flooring types in a large area is a great decorating technique primarily used to define the different areas of a home.  In a small area, it does just the opposite creating the perception that the space is actually smaller than it is.  If you are trying to create the feeling of more space, use the same flooring throughout the house.

Use stripes

If you want to appear taller, you buy clothing with vertical stripes.  The same theory can be used for opening up a room.  Stripes make a room look bigger than it is.  This is especially the case if your living space is narrow.

Whatever you are trying to accomplish with flooring, the professionals at Majestic Floor Covering can help.