How to Combine Flooring in Your House

Dynamic design can add to a home’s aesthetic appeal and value! While some houses feature the same flooring in every room of the house, many modern homes have at least two types of flooring in different areas. Often, that means carpet in some of the living areas and hardwood, tile, or vinyl in the kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms. But how do you combine different flooring types or patterns for a clean, consistent look throughout your home? Read on for our best tips!

Should You Combine Flooring in Your House?

While not every interior designer agrees, it is generally a good practice to vary the flooring types in your home. At the very least, you want a softer, more comfortable feel in your bedrooms and living areas and a water-resistant, easy-to-clean surface in your kitchen and bathrooms. Even if you have or are planning for hardwood flooring throughout your home, area rugs and other large floor coverings can add a comfortable feel and some variety to your home’s look and feel. 

Ultimately, your own aesthetic preferences and personal style will guide your decisions. If you do combine flooring in your house, follow some quick guidelines for the best results!

Combining Wood Flooring

Some homes feature hardwood throughout; but that doesn’t mean it all has to look the same! When you’re combining different wood types, colors, or grain styles, be sure to plan ahead. Some considerations to make include:

• Width and Plank Direction: If you’re using wood flooring in hallways or other long, potentially narrow spaces, watch out for the bowling alley effect! Laying your wood flooring horizontally will make narrow hallways seem much more roomy. You can vary the look of your home by alternating the wood plank direction from larger rooms to hallways, creating an intentional transition from one space to the other.
• Wood Plank Sizes: Even if you’re using the exact same species, color, and grain type of wood throughout your house, you can give your space a more “bohemian” varied look. This style features planks of different lengths and widths throughout larger spaces. With some careful planning, this style can add character to your living areas and increase the visual impact of your wood flooring.
• Complimentary Patterns: Make sure the wood flooring styles you choose are complimentary. You might want lighter flooring in living areas to give those rooms and open, airy feel while a darker wood brings cozy comfort to the bedrooms. Consider varying the grain patterns in your wood flooring to give your home a consistent, intentional aesthetic that doesn’t make for jarring transitions from one wood to another. 

Combining Different Flooring Types

You can combine different flooring types – hardwood, carpet, tile, vinyl, stained concrete, or linoleum – to create a unique feel for the different spaces in your home. While variety is the spice of life, it’s best to stick with two or three different flooring types in a single home. You might decide to vary the flooring on different levels of your house or contrast hard surfaces in public spaces with plush carpet in the more private retreats. When combining different flooring types:

• Keep it intentional. Make sure that your different flooring types have a nice contrast – like a dark hardwood in the living room against a striking patterned white tile in the kitchen – or are complimentary – like a soothing transition from comforting light carpet to an earthy-toned mosaic. You want your home to feel complete, not cobbled together. Consider choosing one patterned flooring solution and one or two solid-color options for appealing visual effect.
• Use transitions. You can install transition strips between carpet and hard surfaces or even employ gradient tones in tile patterns to smooth over the switch from one flooring type to another. Transitions happen naturally in doorways or at staircases, but be mindful of different adhesives used to secure your flooring and how they fit together.
• Make your combinations pragmatic. Think about the different areas of your home and how you want them to feel for your family and guests. Consider harder, water-resistant flooring types in spaces where moisture, humidity, or frequent cleaning might cause issues.

Visit the Flooring Experts at The Carpet Center

Whether you’re looking for advice on new construction or renovation projects, the experts at The Carpet Center are here to help! You’ll find the best selection of flooring, plenty of samples, and friendly, helpful associates at our showroom in Conway. Of course, we also serve the Little Rock, Jonesboro, Searcy, and Mayflower areas with fast, professional installation and excellent customer service! Contact us today for more information or a free quote.