Don’t live in a sprawling mansion by the sea? Odds are that there’s at least one room in your home that’s on the tiny side, whether it’s a laundry or spare bedroom. For small rooms, the last thing you want to do is make the space look even smaller. The type of flooring you choose can have a huge impact on how big it feels. If you want to create the illusion of space, keep the following advice in mind when selecting your floor coverings.

Tiles

One of the main things you want to watch out for when picking any kind of flooring for a small room is visual clutter. With tiles, grout lines take time for the eye to process, therefore making the space feel more crowded. Choosing a larger tile will reduce the number of grout lines and make the room feel more comfortable and spacious. Reserve heavily patterned tile for decorative trim or larger areas as a busy design in a small room can overwhelm and tighten the space.

Carpet

Solid colour carpet isn’t the only way to go when it comes to choosing carpet for a small room. That being said, if you do opt for a patterned carpet, select a carpet patterned in different shades of the same colour or choose a cut and loop pile carpet in a single colour where the pattern is sculpted into the pile for a floor with subtle visual interest and depth. Carpet comes in many colours and designs, but using carpet that matches the colour of your walls will make the space feel seamless, flowing on from floor to wall.

Timber, Bamboo, Laminate, or Wood-look Flooring

In keeping with the goal of reducing visual clutter, when choosing timber or wood-look flooring, go with wider planks to cut down on the number of seams between planks. Make sure you also examine the wood grain. A smoother grain with less variations in colour and contrast will help to reduce visual clutter. Laying the planks adjacent to the longest wall will draw the eye along and out to emphasise the wider axis. For a bolder look, you can even lay your planks diagonally from corner to corner of the room to create the illusion of expansion.

If you’d like to know more about how best to floor your small space, visit an Andersens showroom near you and talk to one of our friendly team members for expert advice.