Designing a wood floor has evolved into an art form for those who want to move beyond tradition.

 

As wood floors have increased in popularity, renovators have been adding them throughout most or all of the first floor instead of just in a foyer or dining room. This approach adds continuity to the space, but also raises some design issues if renovators try to blend too many materials together.

 

While oak floors with natural finishes historically have been popular choices for renovators, there are other options to consider:

 

·        blending two or more types of wood together

·        using wood that has been bleached or custom stained

·        adding decorative borders made of marble or ceramic tile.

 

Wood Floors in the Kitchen

Renovators often add more creative touches to a wood floor in the kitchen, as they try to blend it with their cabinets, trim, countertops and wall tile. They are adding white or light cream marble or ceramic tile borders or diamond tile inserts in the floor to match the kitchen cabinets.

 

In some instances the floor design includes bold colors, either as a marble border or as an antique stain that is applied to the floor to highlight the color of the cabinets. The idea is to complement your kitchen’s design by adding some color to the floor.

 

While some worry about water getting onto wood floors, this has not stopped many renovators from using it in their kitchens. The key is to keep water away from the floor -- if you have a spill, then get to it right away.

 

Living Room and Dining Room

In the living room or dining room, renovators are using one type of wood for the floors and another type to border the room. For example, if you have a mahogany table you might consider a mahogany border around a maple floor. It frames the room to give it a more traditional look while highlighting certain pieces of your furniture.

 

Renovators can achieve a similar effect by adding a stain to the floor that brings out a particular color. Stains are available in a wide range of colors and tones that can turn light colored wood dark or add a hint of color to contrast with the wood’s natural tone.

 

“There are so many stains you can use for wood floors,” said Karen Goldberg, an interior designer with K. Lasker-Goldberg Designs, Inc. in Highland Park, IL. “Sometimes they put in a pigment so you have some kind of tint to the floor.”

 

Contemporary Looks with Wood

While wood floors often are considered traditional in style, there are ways to create a more contemporary look instead. The type of wood and stain and the way it is installed can help make that shift. “In traditional styles, the direction of the floor goes fairly straight, like in older homes, with smaller boards, typically in oak,” Goldberg said. “When you get into contemporary styles you’ll find boards going in different directions and different patterns in the boards.”

 

Contemporary designs often include lighter wood or wood that has been bleached. Often this is done to help blend the wood with white, gray or black furniture. The wood also may be installed in a “W” or “V” pattern or on a diagonal instead of a horizontal line. Those detailed designs are best suited for large rooms, however, as they may overpower a smaller space.

 

The diagonal layout often is created to add an interesting design element to the floor and produce a contrast. In rooms that have diagonal walls, though, you can often achieve the same effect by using the more traditional horizontal installation.

 

Using Wood in Multiple Rooms

As you add wood in several rooms, the key is to make sure the rooms flow together. “When you get into some of the bigger homes, it is a tricky thing to integrate the various rooms,” Goldberg said. “You want to make sure that every time you cross a threshold that there’s some kind of integration so you don’t have a choppy space.”

 

This integration can be achieved by using a border around the floor or random pieces of tile to match furniture, a fireplace surround or wood trim.

 

Where Not To Use Wood

In some instances, there are functional reasons to avoid wood. For example, where there is the possibility of lots of water on the floor. Think twice before installing wood in the laundry room or mud room. It can be a disaster if the washer overflows, especially if you’re not home for several hours.