What color hardwood floor would make a small family room look larger, light or dark hardwood?

Question

My family room is on the tiny side and I need to know what I can do to make it appear larger as far as the flooring goes. Or should I use a tile?

Answer 1

We have installed light oak flooring in our new addition and we love it.. really made the rooms look larger and bright ... so easy too, just get a big fluffy dust mop and run over it ...it stays nice and clean I sometimes damp mop  and it  just looks beautiful without even a smudge .  

Answer 2

Darkness tends to make things appear smaller (i.e.- why people wear black to look thinner, why dark painted walls make rooms appear smaller, etc.) Go with the light and you'll be alright!

Answer 3

Well, the general theory is light features make a room look bigger, but I would suggest considering staying light on the walls & having the dark floor.  Since it is on the floor, it will disappear a bit any way, but will provide some contrast to having a lot of other light things in the room (which I think will make more of an impact).  You want to avoid having EVERYTHING light b/c it runs the risk of looking washed out.  I do think the hardwoods are better than the tile b/c of the nature of how they are laid down, it's gives a more elongated look in stead of a broken up pattern.  If you decide to go with tiles, I would stay neutral to light in that case & consider larger sized tiles, say 13x13 or up.  Use tight grout lines & a grout color that matches so it doesn't bring attention to itself, to get a more seamless look.  Good Luck!

Answer 4

Light hardwood always makes room look larger.