Do dark floorboards make a small room seem smaller?

oxygen

Hey

I am getting some hardwood flooring down in my sitting room/hall/dinning room (really an office).

Its a fairly small room (I dont have the exact measurements with me, Im in work). I really like the look of dark wood flooring rather than the normal light wood flooring, but will this make the room look alot smaller in peoples opinion?

*I will upload measurements and pics when I get home.

LaChatteGitane

No, not really. It's the colour you put on your walls (and ceiling) that makes your room seem smaller/larger.

oxygen

ah thats a relief, since I was planning on painting the walls a slightly off white or cream anyway.
and the ceilings are white, obviously

sas

I would suggest that you don't go with wide plank flooring.

In my opinion it works amazingly well in large spaces but tends to make small spaces feel small.

Whatever you choose, makes sure and run it parallel to the longest wall.

LaChatteGitane

That sounds great.

'and ceiling' I wrote that because you never know what people get up to :D

oxygen

cheers Sas. Good suggestion, I will keep the planks fairly narrow and parrallel to the longest wall

oxygen

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

That sounds great.

'and ceiling' I wrote that because you never know what people get up to :D

Yea, I know. I've seen that where people are painting ceilings like a light grey if the wall are blue or dark grey. What would you be thinking, there is no way I would say that would work.

Note:
I'll probably have the ceiling light grey in two years :rolleyes:
which is genearlly how far behind trends I seem to be :P

paddy147

sas wrote: »

I would suggest that you don't go with wide plank flooring.

In my opinion it works amazingly well in large spaces but tends to make small spaces feel small.

Whatever you choose, makes sure and run it parallel to the longest wall.

Run the flooring in a diagonal fashion.

This gives a bigger sense of space and also makes for something interesting to look at and talk about.;):)

oxygen

paddy147 wrote: »

Run the flooring in a diagonal fashion.

This gives a bigger sense of space and also makes for something interesting to look at and talk about.;):)

hhmmm, thanks for the suggestion Paddy, I dont think Im brave enough for diagnol floorboards though. Like the ceilings above, Ill probably have it in the house in 2 years

LaChatteGitane

It's not something I would recommend as it would make the room look fussy and tacky. But that's only my opinion.
I guess the OP could hang a nice painting on the wall as a talking point, or talk about more worldly topics.

sas

paddy147 wrote: »

Run the flooring in a diagonal fashion.

This gives a bigger sense of space and also makes for something interesting to look at and talk about.;):)

I really don't like that. I've seen it done once or twice before in homes and it doesn't work for me.

Talking points for me should be based on something being interesting, not odd.

paddy147

If everyone was the same then life would be boring,and if everything in the world was the same then the world would be a boring place too.

I like to be different,but thats just me in a nutshell.:)

paddy147

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

I guess the OP could hang a nice painting on the wall as a talking point, or talk about more worldly topics.

Or a nice large 500 litre Discuss tank in the sitting room and custom made marine tank in the kitchen area.;):)

paddy147

oxygen_temp wrote: »

hhmmm, thanks for the suggestion Paddy, I dont think Im brave enough for diagnol floorboards though. Like the ceilings above, Ill probably have it in the house in 2 years

Sure my house is still a work in progress too.Keep on thinking of new ideas and different/unusual ways do do things.:)

oxygen

I think we all owe Paddy a small apology for being soo scoffy

Below is an example of dark narrow plank diagnol floor boards. They look really nice. But I think the room in the link is a bit bigger than my room and this probably wouldnt suit...

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/102408unplggdhousetour/item/45363

Also Paddy, I think I was talking to you about this before, but your fireplace hearth in the first picture you posted is exactly what I want done with my fireplace (its going in with the flooring) so if you dont mind I might PM you a question or two as Im doing it in case anything comes up.

paddy147

oxygen_temp wrote: »

I think we all owe Paddy a small apology for being soo scoffy

Below is an example of dark narrow plank diagnol floor boards. They look really nice. But I think the room in the link is a bit bigger than my room and this probably wouldnt suit...

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/102408unplggdhousetour/item/45363

Also Paddy, I think I was talking to you about this before, but your fireplace hearth in the first picture you posted is exactly what I want done with my fireplace (its going in with the flooring) so if you dont mind I might PM you a question or two as Im doing it in case anything comes up.

Ask away here then.:)

Anything I can help you with or advize you on then fire away and ask here.

That hearth is a polished 40mm thick hearth and its layed flush with the wide plank oak flooring.

The old sh1tty 1970s styie red brick fireplace and chimney breast was demolished and a new fireplace was built to fit the Stovas multi fuel stove into.
It was part of a major house rennovation and large extension project.Basicly the old house was gutted back to just 4 bare walls and the roof was removed too.Quite litterly a shell of a house when it was gutted/stripped back.

A hell of alot of work involved in it,but it worked out fine,in the end.:)

Bought in 2 pallets of briquettes (184 bales) to fuel the stove.

LaChatteGitane

oxygen_temp wrote: »

I think we all owe Paddy a small apology for being soo scoffy

Below is an example of dark narrow plank diagnol floor boards. They look really nice. But I think the room in the link is a bit bigger than my room and this probably wouldnt suit...

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/102408unplggdhousetour/item/45363

.

That is something entirely different though. That is herringbone parquet flooring. Smaller pieces of wood are used as opposed to floorboards.

If you want to use flooring diagonally you should 'frame' it with a certain width of parallel to the walls floor boards or tiles if you do it with tiles.:)
It's all about balance.

oxygen

paddy147 wrote: »

Ask away here then.

Anything I can help you with or advize you on then fire away and ask here.

That hearth is a polished 40mm thick hearth and its layed flush with the wide plank oak flooring.

Excellent, thanks Paddy. 40mm thick hearth is what I’m going with as well I think. The only difference is I’m going with Narrow plank floor boards, not wide plank. The floor boards are 20mm and plywood is 20mm. Was there a specific type of plywood you used?

I’m coming back to the fireplace later, first I’m concentrating on the floor and hearth. Going to leave a mirror covering the hole in the wall until I get time and money to address an inset. Was looking at something very similar to your inset, but also toying with the idea of using bio-ethanol fires. I have a lot of research to do and showrooms to visit, but they look like a very clean alternative to a solid fuel inset.

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

That is something entirely different though. That is herringbone parquet flooring. Smaller pieces of wood are used as opposed to floorboards.

If you want to use flooring diagonally you should 'frame' it with a certain width of parallel to the walls floor boards or tiles if you do it with tiles.
It's all about balance.

Yea, I’ve seen those type of floor boards before, and they look great as you say framed in a house that much older/bigger and grander than mine. I think narrow plank dark floorboards parallel to the longest wall is the way I am going

sas

paddy147 wrote: »

That hearth is a polished 40mm thick hearth and its layed flush with the wide plank oak flooring.

Out of curiousity, how did you conceal an expansion section for the flooring around the hearth given that it's laid flush with the flooring?

It's not obvious from the pic if there's an edging bead involved.

paddy147

sas wrote: »

Out of curiousity, how did you conceal an expansion section for the flooring around the hearth given that it's laid flush with the flooring?

It's not obvious from the pic if there's an edging bead involved.

The oak flooring is 7 feet long,200mm wide and 20mm thick " beveled wide plank" white oak engineered flooring.

The boxes of flooring were left opened and sitting,aclimatizing indoors for 6 weeks before being installed by the builder and carpenter.
So too,was all the skirting boards,white oak doors and door frame architrave.
Theres no beading at all,I wanted a clean flowing look to compliment the open plan design of the house and extension.

I,ll post a better pic or 2 later on,as the internet is acting up here,and its taking forever to try and load pics.

Thanks UPC.:(:mad:

paddy147

sas wrote: »

Out of curiousity, how did you conceal an expansion section for the flooring around the hearth given that it's laid flush with the flooring?

It's not obvious from the pic if there's an edging bead involved.

A few pics,as prommised.:)

paddy147

oxygen_temp wrote: »

Excellent, thanks Paddy. 40mm thick hearth is what I’m going with as well I think. The only difference is I’m going with Narrow plank floor boards, not wide plank. The floor boards are 20mm and plywood is 20mm. Was there a specific type of plywood you used?

I’m coming back to the fireplace later, first I’m concentrating on the floor and hearth. Going to leave a mirror covering the hole in the wall until I get time and money to address an inset. Was looking at something very similar to your inset, but also toying with the idea of using bio-ethanol fires. I have a lot of research to do and showrooms to visit, but they look like a very clean alternative to a solid fuel inset.

A layer of membrane was 1st placed onto the old concrete floor.Then 18mm WPB ply was used and drilled/mushroomed to the floor

An accoustic layer was then layed down and then then the engineered wide plank oak floowing was laid down on that.The stove hearth and floor and flush in height.I went with this style as it adds more space to the open plan style of the house,and also theres less chance of me,my missus or kids tripping up over a normal hearth.

That Stove is a Stovax Riva 66 multi fuel stove.

Its an 8kw stove and it chucks out some serious heat indeed.I burn wood from dead and felled trees and also briquettes too

The entire house is internally insulated with insulated plasterboard (walls and also ceilings too) and the attic spaces are sprayed with Bio-Foam 800 Open Cell spray foam.Windows are new A rated double glazed and also some windows are tripple glazed too,with bespoke hand laid stained glass.

The house retains the heat very well indeed,and its sometimes too warm in the house and windows have to be opened in wintertime to allow some heat to escape.We also went for solar hot water system.and all lights inside and outside the house are LED,so this saves alot of energy costs


PS-Ill post some pics later on when Im back home,Im in my girlfriends house and the internet is acting up,thanks to UPC crashing in Dublin today.


Pics now added.:)

sas

paddy147 wrote: »

The oak flooring is 7 feet long,200mm wide and 20mm thick " beveled wide plank" white oak engineered flooring.

The boxes of flooring were left opened and sitting,aclimatizing indoors for 6 weeks before being installed by the builder and carpenter.

So in a nutshell you decided that you didn't need an expansion area around the hearth. I suppose with engineered etc. you will likely get away with it.

I'm not sure I'd do it though.

paddy147

sas wrote: »

So in a nutshell you decided that you didn't need an expansion area around the hearth. I suppose with engineered etc. you will likely get away with it.

I'm not sure I'd do it though.

Never had a problem in over a year now.
The architect and structural engineer had wide plank flooring down on the floorplans and spec lists,and I went and picked it out with my missus.

The builder came up with the idea of making it all flush/flowing though,so credit given where credit is due.:)

He left the final decision with me,so I decided to go for it.


"Chance favours the brave minded".....;):D

PS-Engineered flooring is much more stable than normal flooring,as it doesnt really move or expand.

Its also tougher under foot,so thats why I went for it.

L1979

sas wrote: »

So in a nutshell you decided that you didn't need an expansion area around the hearth. I suppose with engineered etc. you will likely get away with it.

I'm not sure I'd do it though.

Did exactly the same thing as Paddy with my Slate hearth and engineered oak floor and have had no problems in over a year and a half.

More aesthetically pleasing imo.

Only down side for me was accidentally buffing hearth when oiling the raw boards and still havent got around to refinishing slat hearth with boiled linseed oil

Looks good Paddy, we'll compare gaps in a couple of years

sas

L1979 wrote: »

More aesthetically pleasing imo.
Looks good Paddy, we'll compare gaps in a couple of years

I wouldn't dispute the aesthetics. I hate beading. I was just curious as even suppliers of engineered I'd spoken to on my travels weren't happy with no expansion space. If you take the risk and don't have problems then good for you.

sas

paddy147 wrote: »

PS-Engineered flooring is much more stable than normal flooring,as it doesnt really move or expand.

Its also tougher under foot,so thats why I went for it.

I'm aware of the dimensional stability of engineered.

Can you explain why it's tougher under foot? I would have thought that seeing as the timber layer on engineered is still solid timber that it would demonstrate the same characteristics (from a wearing point of view) as it's solid cousin. This assumes the same species of course.

L1979

sas wrote: »

I wouldn't dispute the aesthetics. I hate beading. I was just curious as even suppliers of engineered I'd spoken to on my travels weren't happy with no expansion space. If you take the risk and don't have problems then good for you.

I should have mentioned, I nailed my floor! Don't know if i would have done the same if it was floating, although i have also seen it done else where (4 yearish) and still no problems. But I would have to weight that up carefully myself

paddy147

sas wrote: »

I'm aware of the dimensional stability of engineered.

Can you explain why it's tougher under foot? I would have thought that seeing as the timber layer on engineered is still solid timber that it would demonstrate the same characteristics (from a wearing point of view) as it's solid cousin. This assumes the same species of course.

The builder said it to me,so too did the carpenter,my architect also said it to me.

And all of the flooring stores and suppliers that I spoke to said the same aswell.

That the engineered wide plank flooring would be more stable and also tougher/harder wearing for high traffic areas and heavy load areas (fish tanks).

I got a good deal on the wide plank,I needed 45 square meters of it,so I haggled like mad and played one supplier off another to get the best deal.