Choosing Paint Colors to Complement Your Floor

Dear Rob:

I’ve finally settled on the wood floors I’m going to be installing in my living room, and now I’m struggling with paint colors.  The floors, being wood, are a neutral earthy color, but I’d like a vibrant color on my walls.  Can this work, or should I stick with earth tones?  Help!

-Nikki in Vermont

Dear Nikki:

Choosing the right wall color with your floor choice can provide harmony and balance to a room. There is more than one correct option for wall and floor combinations, but there are some general guidelines that can be followed to make a good decision.

If your room has dark, warm floors such as a mahogany it is best to use a warm paint color. If you want the room to feel dark and cozy, then a darker warm paint color should be used. Without the right amount of light in the room the room can feel like study or a cave. If you want the room to feel cozy, but not dark then a lighter shade of a warm color should be used.

For a room with light floors such as a light beige tile, dark or light walls can be used, depending on the look you are going for. If you want the room to feel open, light and airy a lighter color should be used. If you want the color of the wall to stand out, a darker color should be used.

Cooler colored walls should be used with cooler colored floors such as natural finished maple or hickory rather than a walnut or mahogany.

Basically, warmer colored floors should be paired with warmer wall colors and cooler colored floors should be paired with cooler wall colors. The shade or depth of color used determines the feel of the room.

When choosing a color from a floor covering that has multiple colors or shades it is not necessary to match the exact color of the floor. Choose a color that blends with the floor or is one of the minority colors in the tile. One easy way to do this is to match the floor to a paint color on a paint chart and then choose a color that is lighter or darker on the paint chart. This will ensure that the color blends, but does not match exactly. This will also allow you to use many more colors in your design scheme by opening up the pallet of colors used.

Another consideration is whether or not an area rug will be used. This opens up the choice for many more wall color choices. Again, when choosing a wall color with an area rug in mind, the color does not have to match exactly. You are looking for a color that blends or is a minority color in the rug. Again, this will allow you to use many more colors as a part of your overall design scheme.

Choosing the right wall and floor color combination can bring a room to life. If possible, be sure to test the paint swatches on the wall after the floors are installed. This will help you see if the color of the wall and the color of the floors compliment each other.

-Rob

Tips for Using Tile on Fireplace Surrounds and Hearths

Dear Rob:

I’ve read about a lot of different ways to use tile on your site, but not much about my latest project.  I’d like to use tile to give my old brick fireplace a new look.  Do you have any tips before I get started?

-Jeff in Ohio

Dear Jeff:

There are many different ways to use tile around your home, as well as many different types of tiles that can be used to finish fireplaces. Since you’re working with an existing fireplace, you are a little more limited as far as how much tile and what size tile you are able to use. If you are beginning from the design phase, you have many more options and ways to use tile.

The most common way to use tile on a fireplace is to install it on the fireplace surround. This is the area directly surrounding the fireplace box below the mantle. Most commonly, the tile is installed with 12 inches showing around the edges. The tiles typically used are 12×12 ceramic or porcelain tiles, 12×12 natural stone tiles such as marble, granite or slate, several rows of 4×4 tiles or mosaic tiles.

If the area requires more than 12″ to be covered, then the appropriate size tile should be chosen to fill in the space desired with the least amount of cut tiles. Other tile sizes that can be used are 13×13, 16×16, 18×18, 20×20 and 24×24.

If the fireplace has a hearth, the tile can be installed here as well. Some hearths are simply tile installed flush with the adjacent floor covering. This is done to protect the floor from sparks that can fly out of the fireplace when real wood is being burned. Some hearths are built like an elevated box that you can sit on. Tile can be installed on the face and seat portion of the hearth, or this part can be made from a different material. Often the part of the hearth that you can sit on will be installed as a slab of stone rather than individual tiles.

Tile can also be installed above the mantle. The choice is up to you how high the tile is installed. Sometimes, the tile is installed all the way to the ceiling making the area appear higher and taller.

Tile can also be used when you have a corner fireplace. Using a porcelain or glass tile is a good choice because the tiles are the same color throughout. This makes the corner and edge transitions look as natural as possible.

Tile patterns that are most commonly used around a fireplace are: straight, diagonal, staggered or brick joint. There is generally not enough room in the area around a fireplace to install a very detailed pattern.

If you are about to install tile on a fireplace, be sure to consider the amount of space you have to tile and how many full pieces you can get in that space. Doing this before hand will make it easier to shop for the right tile. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a piece of tile for the fireplace and then measuring the space only to find out that you will end up with one full piece and a small cut piece. It is acceptable to have cut pieces, but small cut pieces next to one full tile can look awkward, distracting and unplanned. It is much easier to know your options before you begin looking for the perfect tile.

Different Floors for Different Lifestyles

Dear Rob:

We really need to replace the carpeting our new house, but we aren’t sure what to choose.  We like the durability of tile, but aren’t sure if it is really the right choice for our family.  We have young kids, and some time in the next few years, we expect my elderly grandmother to move in with us.  Can you help?

-Rita in Washington

Dear Rita:

Different lifestyles call for different flooring needs. Homes with children, the elderly and pets will benefit more with the right flooring choice. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of hardwood, carpet and tile for your lifestyle.

Flooring advantages for homes with children include:

Hardwood:

• Durable against rough playing, most toys and heavy traffic
• Long lasting
• Hardwood does not have to be replaced like carpet after years of spills and stains
• Excellent choice for households with allergies
• Can be refinished in the event of excess wear and tear

Tile:

• Durable against rough playing, toys and heavy traffic
• Tile floors are water resistant against spills
• Tile floors are stain resistant against spills

Carpet:

• After the children are grown and have finished extreme wear on the product, it can be replaced
• Soft to play on
• Keeps the room quiet

Flooring disadvantages for homes with children:

Hardwood:

• Slips and falls can happen when children are in socks
• Extreme use of certain toys can permanently scratch wood floors
• Certain toys or misuse can dent soft woods like pine flooring
• Kids tend to not be as careful with hardwood’s enemy: water
• Falls can hurt a little more on hardwood than floors such as carpet

Tile:

• Slips and falls can hurt a little more on tile than floors such as carpet
• Tile is not as comfortable to lie on and play

Carpet:

• Carpet shows spills and stains more if not caught and cleaned up on time
• Carpet needs to be replaced before other flooring types such as tile or hardwood

Flooring advantages for homes with elderly persons:

Hardwood:

• Wheelchairs can roll easily without damaging floors

Tile:

• Wheelchairs can roll easily without damaging floors

Carpet:

• Falls are softer on carpet than other flooring surfaces such as hardwood or tile
• Carpet is softer on the joints than other flooring surfaces such as hardwood or tile

Flooring disadvantages for homes with elderly persons:

Hardwood:

• Slips and falls can hurt a little more on hardwood than floors such as carpet

Tile:

• Slips and falls can hurt a little more on tile floors than floors such as carpet
• Tile is harder on the joints than floors such as carpet when standing for long periods of time

Carpet:

• Wheelchairs and walkers do not roll as well on carpet
• Wheelchairs can leave wheel marks indented in carpet

Flooring advantages for homes with pets include:

Hardwood:

• Hair is easy to keep swept up
• Pet accidents are easy to clean up
• Spills caused by pets are easy to clean up

Tile:

• Hair is easy to keep swept up
• Pet accidents are easy to clean up
• Spills caused by pets are easy to clean up
• Nails do not damage the floors like with hardwood or carpet

Carpet:

• Carpet is soft and warm to lie on

Flooring disadvantages for homes with pets include:

Hardwood:

• Heavier dogs with sharp nails can scratch hardwood

Tile:

• Tile can be uncomfortable to lie on

Carpet:

• Accidents can be harder to clean up if not caught in time

General flooring advantages for homes:

Hardwood:

• Lasting beauty
• Hardwood adds resale value to homes
• Warm feel to the home
• Easy to maintain

Tile:

• Tile adds resale value to homes
• There is no need to refinish tile floors
• Easy to maintain

Carpet:

• Carpet is soft and warm

General flooring disadvantages for homes:

Hardwood:

• High heels can leave permanent dents in  the floor
• Dirt and dust can gather in the corners of the room if not cleaned frequently
• Homes with frequent water spills are not the best candidates for hardwood

Tile:

• Tile can be noisy
• Glassware and fragile items can break when dropped

Carpet:

• Has to be replaced before hard surface items such as hardwood or tile

I hope this breakdown helps you with your flooring decisions!

-Rob