Contradicting Advice on Wide or Narrow Wood Floor Planks
In the midst of our house rebuild, one of the questions we have is what size planks should will opt for when choosing our engineered wood flooring.
When looking for advice on this based on room sizes, we have found completely conflicting statements.
For example:
(1) attached image from UK Flooring Direct brochure, clearly advises that narrow and shorter planks make small rooms look bigger
versus
(2) https://www.woodandbeyond.com/blog/how-wide-or-narrow-wood-flooring-will-affect-your-decor/
which states the complete opposite!
Our rooms will generally be 'mid' sized, ranging from a playroom of 3.7m x 2.6m to a living room of 5.5m x 5.7m and also a semi-open plan [(kitchen/diner) + (lounge)] of [(8.5m x 5.5m) + (5.5m x 3.3m)]
Anyone on here with a better idea than us on who is right?
Thanks in advance
Comments (12)
minnie101
6 years ago
PROCasa Colori
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Matt or Satin Lacquer (Wide Oak) Floors?
Comments (13)I bet they will look fabulous. Mine are just pine floorboards trying to imitate oak. So if you are happy with the existing tone (colour) of the board then you really want a clear finish on the oak in whichever finish you decide to go for. I know one product that has a totally clear finish but some do make the wood a slightly warmer tone so be aware. Personally, I would choose a finish you think looks good, and that is the easiest to maintain. Ie matt/satin matt is more forgiving (shows less scratches) and is considered more contemporary at the moment. A slight sheen does look good as I consider very matt flooring to be more in keeping with a traditional property. If you have a local flooring showroom, have a look at the finishes they have on display as it will be a lot easier to decide what you prefer when it's not your own floor yet....See MoreLiving Room flooring/walls advice
Comments (17)hi Manny i run a vintage lighting and interior design business..let me try and help.. looking at your layout you have maximised your space with the current layout however your main issue is lack of lighting and fact that you have used similar colour tone throughout which essentially camouflages all your furniture into one big colour pallet in a very dark room with poor lighting. Solution: 1) you need to break the colour pattern and create light zones essentially to let your couch table and furniture chairs stand out. choice of flooring needs to create sense of space and light. Avoid cream wall paint go white greys ...avoid cream. 2) flooring : remove carpet and replace with wide plank engineerd wood or a good quality laminate suitable for heavy traffic given that your living room dinning room gives access to entrance and access to stairs. Professionally i would go for an enginneered wood. Colour try a light grey oak wood finish go with wide planks. For a carpet in the middle of the room i would go for a geometric pattern white carpet with bold geometric patterns to open up the space. 2) lighting this is very important to fix your lack of lights and dark appearence. create zones and define them. Above the dinning table add a pendant directly above the table with a low drop. the main living rooom light needs changed the spot lights you have is not suitable for livingrooms ..the light needs to be an upper ...or down pointing given your low modern ceiling I would remove your spots and install led ceiling spots 4-6. at the corners of the couch i would add a reading table light at one end and a tall floor lamp at tge other. 3) painting and decorating. .lose the dado rail the makes your wall height seem smaller removing the dado rail will open up the room ...paint over tge cream...i would go for a matt brilliant white to different shades of white..you can also consider making the main wall a feature wall crown paints have feature wall paints with great colour range Alternatively you can use wallpaper but make sure you go for light colours that will not minimise the sense of space... 4) final stage is dressing - add a big rectangular mirror above your couch , a throw and cushions to your couch...seagrass matts on the dinning table with a glass bowl as central piece.. 5) tv - yes this would look great wall mounted and save you space..consider adding led back strips to the tv ... if you have a passion say travel or cars..planes you can express this through in adding some pictures or ornaments that are important to you and define your hobbies or passions.. for example tge world map print picture is also available as a feature wall wall paper which you could use as a main feature wall.. hope this has helped...remember dont be affraid to use colour add light and always aim to create zones as this will make the room seem bigger than it is! peace Paolo Retro&Dansk...See MoreWooden Floors & Doors Advice
Comments (5)Hi tgross39 Is there any reason why you said that painted wooden doors would not look good? Some simple pine doors will be inexpensive, then you can just paint them. Either ask you decorator to paint them or if budget is really tight then you could paint them yourself. This will look great with a wood floor. Alternatively you can consider the mdf veneer option but just make sure you see one in person first to check the quality is acceptable. Regarding the wooden floor, an oiled (matt) finish is usually more popular over lacquered (shiny) but it's personal preference. An oiled finish will need re-oiling every so often and can be more susceptible to marks and stains. A lacquer is more durable but can be prone to scratches. My advice would be to get down to a showroom and start looking at some to see what you're drawn to. Start with what you know you like (wood with character and knots, wide boards) to help narrow it down. Buy one pack and lay it out on the floor to see how it looks as a larger sample too. Hope this helps! Jennifer...See MoreAppreciate advice new Kitchen/Dining Room - same FLOORING or zoned?
Comments (9)Good morning Georgie and thanks for posting your dilemma. You're not the first renovator to have asked this question and won't be the last. You want the warmth and homeliness and texture of wood in the dining room but the practicality of tile in the kitchen - hard when the two spaces are one! I recommend that you go for a porcelain tile that is wood-identical. It fools everybody and is eminently practical. I would suggest that you consider a rug in the dining room (if you have tinies buy a hosable one from Dash & Albert ) to add texture and softness and then everybody is happy. Look at this one from Mandarin Stone, (Baltic Fir) but plenty of others are available. If you need any other help, just ask. I am an interior designer specialising in total house renovations and new builds for private clients and developers. Kind regards, Sarah https://www.mandarinstone.com/media/9314/7203-aspen-fir-porcelain-plank-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=800&height=800...See More
PROCatherine White Interiors
6 years ago- PRO
PerSqM
6 years ago - PRO
Catherine White Interiors
6 years ago 
PROAmber Jeavons Ltd
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
charlie_bill
6 years ago- PRO
PerSqM
6 years agoThanks Henry ... we have not yet decided on our floors but are actively looking. We are after a darker colour. To be honest, really like the very dark, glossy floors often featured in attractive magazine photos, however are worried about comments we have read about dark floors making rooms looking smaller, dingy, unappealing etc. However, personally we are not great fans of the very light, airy, look which seems very popular in Scandinavian countries. Our ceiling heights will be 2.6m and rooms will be a mixture of bright and less bright zones (as I would imagine most homes!).
Just by way of example, see attached photos. Not necessarily exactly what we are searching for but both look attractive to us.
PROCheville Parquet
6 years ago
London Fields, Chevron in colour Double Espresso · More Info
London Fields, Chevron in colour Double Espresso · More InfoAmer
Sure, what you are looking for is fine, a bit like our Double Espresso. You can give the floor a bit more of a sheen by putting a light coat of satin maintenance oil on post installation. You wouldn't want to go any darker anyway as dust / scratches show really easily - same principle as with a black car.
Happy to send a couple of samples out.
As I said before I'd advise 190mm x 1.860m x 18mm planks
Woodfloors4u