Interior Obsessions – Wood Floors

After a week off to showcase our wonderful readers, I am back to discuss another element of the home that becomes an Interior Obsession. Last time, we took a look at the combination of black and white for your interiors. Today we’re going to take a peek into the many possibilities for wood floors. Wood floors immediately warm up a room, a big difference from the hard and colder qualities of tile, stone or concrete without going quite so far as carpeting. Most of my architectural clients use wood flooring in their main living areas, especially those on upper floors. Wood flooring is also a great way to showcase area rugs, as we saw in my post from a few weeks ago.

Not only are there a huge range of colors from which to choose, but sizes and patterns as well. Think about contrasting a bit with your furniture when you choose a color ““ A very dark floor with very dark furniture can be a bit overwhelming. Wide planks give the look of a more solid, homogeneous surface than do skinny ones, which offer a little more texture. You can even mix the two. Edges can be finished completely flush for a very modern minimalist look, or can be rusticated or even recycled. Herringbone-set boards are a great way to add a pattern while keeping the whole look simple, and parquet tiles are also making a comeback. Modern touches can include continuing the flooring surface up the walls and even onto the ceiling. One look that I really enjoy is an inset wood floor that helps to delineate a larger space, much as an area rug might. This works especially well if you don’t have a good place to terminate your flooring. And don’t forget that a painted floor can be a great look, especially if you want to cover up an existing wood floor that just isn’t up to snuff.

(above) Herringbone

Inset Wide Planks + Recycled Pallets

Parquet Flooring

Thin Flush Planks + Painted Wide Wood

Continuous Wood Surfaces

Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.