An Interior Designer's Take on Laminate Flooring

Although laminate flooring is not natural wood, it makes a great choice for any homeowner looking for a wood floor.

Truth is, laminate flooring can excel in areas that natural wood flooring can't, and it's price tag is much more affordable.

As a flooring company, our opinion may seem a little biased, so we asked our friend Paul Johnson of Room2Improve for his expert opinion as well.

First, a little bit about Paul. Paul Johnson and Dan Davis are the creative co-owners of two interior design companies in Metro Detroit. Room2Improve is their latest venture and it gives people the opportunity to have great design without a big price tag.

A word from Paul Johnson of Room2Improve:

We are often asked, "what are the rules to good interior design?" and I quite cheekily respond, "If there were rules you wouldn't need interior designers". And while this is somewhat true, there are guiding principles and then there is the creativity that knows when to bend or even break the guiding principles to be able to go from something that looks good to something that wows.

With that in mind, I would like to discuss flooring, which seems like such a humdrum part of an interior. It may appear humdrum, but flooring is the base to all that goes on top of it, and as we all know, without a good base, everything else can crumble.

But, along with being aesthetically pleasing, the floor also needs to practical (I know, *GASP*, an interior designer pointing out that things can't just be pretty, they need to be practical). Why give a busy working family a floor that looks beautiful for the first few minutes after cleaning but looks horrid the rest of the time?

This brings me to today's post, selecting the right floor for the right application and quite often the flooring choice is laminate flooring.

Let's not confuse engineered hardwood flooring, which is all wood, with a plastic laminate floor, which may have a wood component to it, but has a laminate surface (think Formica but much, much, much more durable). These are two very different floors and will perform differently.

When we need a floor that is easy to maintain and can stand up to moisture and cleans up easily, quite often we will look at laminate flooring options.

Since it was first introduced almost 25 years ago it has become more realistic, more durable and a go too for busy families that need a practical floor. We especially like it because it can do the two things a designer wants: it gives the aesthetic backdrop we need for the rest of the room and it is practical.

Here are a few suggestions we have when selecting a laminate floor to make sure it works with the "pretty" side of things.

1. Pick a floor where each piece looks like a single plank of wood. Don't go with one where the individual planks look like a multiple pieces of wood. In many cases we are using laminate as a substitute for hardwood because we need a practical floor for areas that would not be suitable for hardwood, therefore we want our laminate to look as close to the real thing as possible.
2. What color to use… such a simple question with such a convoluted and difficult answer. When we are working with clients, we are trying to create a room that is personalized. So, when it comes to color, it depends on the client. Generally speaking, we try to go with more natural looking wood tones. We don't want to be trendy. It's too much work and money to replace when the trend has gone the way of pet rocks, parachute pants, and that avocado green refrigerator your mom had.
3. How do I make my room look bigger (or more intimate)? Tough job for a floor, but it can help. Just like any of us with a bit more around the waist know not to wear horizontal stripes, the direction you run the planks can help emphasize or de-emphasize a room's characteristics. If you have a long narrow room and you're trying to make it look more intimate, it might help to run the planks perpendicular to the length of the room. This is where working with a good flooring retailer or interior designer comes in handy. We both have seen a lot of different types, shapes, and sizes of rooms and can offer our best advice on how to camouflage the flaws and emphasize the assets.
4. What brand should I select? With this question we rely on our vendors (the flooring store) to help guide us to a brand that has the aesthetic we need for the project and supports and guarantees their product they produce. Companies, like The Carpet Guys, have a lot of experience with many brands and will steer you to the ones they have the least issues with. No reputable retailer wants to direct you towards a company that produces inferior product because we all want happy clients and fewer headaches.

Hopefully, this information helps you make a more informed decision not only aesthetically but practically when it comes to selecting flooring (specifically laminate flooring) for your home.

Install laminate Flooring with The Carpet Guys!

Finding the perfect laminate flooring for your home doesn't have to be difficult. Make it easy on yourself with a free laminate flooring estimate from us!

With The Carpet Guys at your side, you'll get much better traetment than what average flooring companies offer. We go above and beyond our competitiors and offer top-notch services including:

• Next-day installation for in-stock products
• Simple carpet financing options
• Free furniture removal
• Free old-flooring tear up
• Professional installation and expert service
• Quality brand name products
• So much more!

Get your estimate with The Carpet Guys set up today.

You'll have laminate flooring you love installed before you know it.