Hardwood laminate floor?

Question

So we are finally getting around to remodeling out tiny kitchen. We are going to re-paint the walls a very pale shade of green, re-paint the cabinets white and all of the trim will get a new coat of white paint too. We are looking to lighten up the space and make it look bigger. We have been told that the lighter colors help to do that. We are also wanting to put in Laminate Hardwood floors. We are looking at a pale blonde color. Will this color be okay with all of the other lightness in the room? or should we go with a medium brown floor?

Answer 1

It is true that using light colors not only helps brighten up a room; it also makes a small space look bigger. To avoid making your kitchen looking too pale, though, and lacking character, I would suggest that you go with either an in-between light and medium color that has a distinct pattern (for added character) or a tile laminate but set it in a diagonal pattern---a little trick to add more dimension to the space and make it look bigger than it really is. With regards to spills ruining your laminates, this only depends on the quality of the laminate. The tighter the locking system on it, the better it will hold up to moisture and spills.

The company I work for sells really good laminates at a great price and I saw this floor, thought it might interest you:
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/flooring_details.aspx?FlooringID=265

There are tile laminates, too, but this one seems perfect for your kitchen's motif. :)

I answer the live chat for simplefloors.com so if you need any additional information on this stop by and chat with me, flooring is what I specialize in and I am happy to help out, no strings attached.

*for live chat: http://www.simplefloors.com/default.aspx

Answer 2

Personally, i would not use a laminate flooring in a kitchen or any room where water is used. All you have to do is spill a cup of water on the floor and it is ruined and you will have to rip up the entire thing. Over the years I have had things happen like sink drains become loose and leak, flooding the floor, overflows from the dishwasher, spilling water from containers, and any of these would destroy a laminate floor.

My recommendation would be not to use a laminate floor in a kitchen. People who are interested in selling you a liminate floor will tell you otherwise, but I have installed these things and I have seen what happens when water gets onto the floor. It's not something you want to have. Go with a vinyl tile floor with waterproof adhesive (at the very least) and even better is a ceramic tile floor (if installed properly. Putting a laminate floor in a kitchen is just asking for trouble.

Answer 3

We put down the blonde color laminate flooring in our kitchen, dining and hallway about l year ago. Its the wider flooring not the small space one plus it has the grooves in it that make it look like they are planks. It is very nice looking, it's not the dirt that shows up its the water spots, and drops. We have a dog so there are always water spots, or dog foot prints. I do love the look of the floor, and it is very easy to wipe clean, and it does make the rooms look much bigger. I'm sure on the medium brown floor you will still see water spots, and every floor has dirt and dust now and then. Go for it...get the blonde, I really think you will like it. I had a sample of both, and the brown really darkened the rooms. Good luck....

Answer 4

We installed a hardwood laminate floor in our last house. Since we also had a lot of lighter-toned walls and light pine furniture, we opted for a darker (almost redwood) tone for the floor.

If you're worried about it looking washed out, consider "cabin grade" wood. It's got lots of features / knotholes / etc that catch the eye, and it's usually a bit cheaper than other "more pristine" looking woods.

Also, make sure you have at least 1/2" laminate or more. If (when) you need to have your floor ground and resurfaced, more is better. They usually say every 10 years or so, unless you have a water leak, similar accident, or deep scratches. Also, a polyurethane layer (or 3 in our case) on top helps you extend the life of your floor greatly.

Answer 5

You have opted for a very light value palette reminiscent of beachfront cottage feel. Oak has much too heavy a grain for such a light, airy feel and will make your feet feel heavy on the floor. A dark wood will scream out, "HEY LOOK AT THE FLOOR AND FORGET ANYTHING ELSE IN THE ROOM!" and I don't think that is what you want. I, personally, would not use wood flooring at all in a kitchen, I, myself, would opt for a white granite or marble type flooring. But, if you're set on wood flooring, you must stay within your color scheme. To use even a blonde wood is introducing another color tone; that being yellow. It will not mesh well and seem disjointed. If I had to choose a wood flooring, I would get a very tight grained wood, such as birch or ash, and whitewash it to match not only the white in the room, but to also match that beachfront cottage feel.

Answer 6

I had laminate flooring put in a lot of my house 3 years ago and I went with a lighter shade of brown. It isn't a medium brown but it isn't a blond either. I love it and it has been great for us. It looks really nice and is so easy to clean. I had linoleum in the kitchen before and this is so much nicer.

Answer 7

I would not put laminate floor in the kitchen. Too many spills. I would put in tile a medium color, terra cotta goes with almost everything and easy to clean, hides alot so not every speck shows.

Answer 8

if you're painting every thing white i would use natural oak laminate with a grove that makes it look like a natural wood floor it goes very will will with all white cabinets and pale green walls look it up the quick step brand have one
good luck

flooring expert

Answer 9

Go with a medium oak color....it will bring out the lighter colors and tone down the darker colors.

Answer 10

I say go with a sandstone colored slate tile floor. The 20" size stiles with a medium tan grout. Don't forget to seal it too.