Flooring Colors
 

I am having the devil of a time making an executive decision on picking the flooring color in my kitchen. I will not have to live with it for very long, I hope, as I am trying to move to TV.

I have beige rugs on either side of a galley type kitchen. The cabinets are an oak type color, (medium brown), with the countertop a light color, (light brown bordering almost on white).

Does one pick the flooring color to match the counter top or to match the cabinet color or somewhere between the two colors?

Does anyone have an thoughts or insight as to what is the proper way to pick a coloring or is it a matter of personal preference?

just thoughts...
 

2BNTV,
It sounds like you are preparing to sell, yes?
What catches your eye first (or stands out most predominately)
when you view the kitchen? Is that the feature you most want to highlight?
If it is, (say it is the counter tops.) then try to match closely with that same color on the floor and your counter tops will balance the space and be highlighted. (this will also make your space look bigger.)

If the cabinets are the jewel of the kitchen, you might consider matching the floor to the cabinets, both in color and texture. Surprisingly, this can make the space look bigger as well, with a seamless flow from the cabinets on down.

Then, keep the floor there clear of rugs when you show it, and prospective buyers will admire how beautiful it is!

Depending on how big your kitchen is you might want to place your tile, if your considering tile on the diagonal. This will also make your space look larger. I' addicted to hgtv and that's what they say.

Expecially, if your trying to sell your house, I'd find something neutral that looks good with both.

Laminate tile, (beige, 16 by 16 blocks) is the one that caught my eye but my kitchen is only 46 inches wide and maybe 5 to 6 feet long, the total effect may not be realized as it is not a big area. I would prefer the tile to have offset seams.

Appliances are almond and dated. Real Estate agent recommended the appliances not be replaced until we have an open house and feedback will determine if I need to update, if this becomes an issue.

I was leaning towards what is know as Pergo, (brand name), that is a wood look type laminate with a color almost identical to the counter-top.

I'm a guy. What do I know?

Any input is appreceiated.

Sometimes the store will let you take home samples. Ask. Even if you have to put a deposit down, it is usually refundable or can be applied to your purchase.

Place them next to your baseboards, and leave them in place for a day or two. See how they look at different times of the day. What may look good in the daylight may look completely different when the lights are on at night.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but most often it's the lady of the house you need to appeal to when it comes to a kitchen.
Got a neighbor, friend or real estate person (female) who is willing to view your selections down on the floor? Ask for feedback!

Now I know that most guys will just want to get it completed and be done with this kind of project, so my suggestion may sound like a pain in the drain, BUT most real estate articles I've read say that it's the kitchen that usually sells the home. Taking a few days and being patient with this extra step could be a benefit for you in the long run. You want your efforts to be maximized, right?

You COULD say that seller will allow a $500 flooring allowance for kitchen. If not, go for neutral beigy light taupey ceramic tile 12X12.

Gracie is right on, as always
 

Gracie's suggestion of the neutral tile 12x12 sounds like a very attractive floor. Installing on the diagonal in a small space doesn't always show well. As for laminate, I really like it but some people are unsure of laminate in a kitchen (water). Maybe your realtor can make a suggestion?

Thank you to everyone as I went to the store and the sales woman pulled up my original ticket and showed me the floor coloring the female real estate agent selected.

The sales woman stated the color that matched my cabinets would be best as the room would flow better and the cabinets are the best thing in the kitchen. The color I was leaning towards was not good as ithe kitchen would have three different shades of colors but similar.

Took the samples home with me and determined she was correct.

Like I said, "what do I know, I'm a guy?".

Thank you for the help.

Make sure you don't go with white- we have white porcelain tile in our bathroom and it shows EVERYTHING (dirt)! I would use earthtones- you can never go wrong with them.

The one was going to select was a lighter color but selected the maple oak color as I agree it would not show any dirt easily. It is the darker color that matches the cabinet.

Thank you for your help.

just make sure the color of the grout is as close to dirt as you can get and you can't go wrong....trust me on this...and YES, I am serious!

No grout invovled as this is a pergo type flooring. Sorry if my post was not clear.

The artist in you shines again!

A special thank you to Uptown Girl as her idea of matching floor to cabinets was echoed by the sales woman and the female realtor that originally picked the color of the flooring.

:BigApplause: