Originally posted 28th November 2016
Last updated 7th June 2022
Laminate Flooring Colours & Which Shades Work Best For You
Laminate flooring is a highly popular choice because it can realistically replicate the aesthetics of...
Laminate flooring is a highly popular choice because it can realistically replicate the aesthetics of real wood, but give your further variety when it comes to laminate flooring colours. For example, laminate now offers the effects of real wood, but in shades of grey, black or white. Unlike solid wood flooring which always sticks to the earthy browns.
With the array of laminate floor shades available, it’s surprisingly easy to colour coordinate your wall and furniture colours to your floor. Whether you have anything from oak to beech laminate, just follow this guide to find colours which will perfectly harmonise with your shade of laminate.
Related: How to Match Your Furniture to Your Floor
Understanding Your Colours
When it comes to colour sourcing, you don’t have to be an interior designer to understand what will go best. A colour wheel can easily show you which colours will and won’t correspond. Start by finding your flooring's undertone and matching accordingly using the wheel. For example, if you have a walnut flooring, with undertones of red, that will correspond to other warm colours such as yellow and orange. Likewise, grey flooring, which is a cool colour, will match well with other cool furnishings, for example, a blue or green sofa.
While sticking to the colour families can create a cohesive harmony, contrasting also works wonders. After deciphering your laminate floor shades, find the complementary colours which are opposite on the colour wheel. For example, flooring with hints of blue will go well with orange furnishings. These pairings create a contrast which will make both surfaces pop.
Working With Your Laminate Flooring Colours
With this basic understanding of colour theory, it’s easy to apply it to your shade of laminate flooring and work out what colour schemes will agree with your home.
If you have white laminate fitted, your options of colours are very open. As white is so neutral, it will go with just about anything. Adding further light or beige furniture will help create a timeless or minimalistic look. Adding bright colours, such as vivid orange, creates a contemporary feel. And adding dark colours, or black, to this room could also create a sophisticated contrast. One tip: do not add more white to this room, as too much could create a space that feels too clinical.
For light and pale laminate flooring colours, the undertones usually tend to be quite cool shades of taupe or hints of a cool yellow. If this is the case, other cool colours are recommended. For example, furnishings of green and blue can work wonders. Just because your laminate floor shades are light, do not feel like the other colours must be light too. It’s best to create a slight contrast with cool colours of a darker shade.
Beech Laminate
Beech laminate is less pale than light laminate and slightly warmer. It tends to have subtle undertones of orange or yellow, therefore stick to other warm colours for the rest of the room. For example, red will go well with beech floors. If choosing complementary colours, blue furniture or walls could create a contemporary space.
Grey laminate is undoubtedly cool and works best when matched with other cool colours. For example, mint greens or blues can create a striking space. With grey, people tend to add other neutral colours such as black or white for a chic and monochromatic style. But don’t feel afraid to add a splash of yellow or blue when accessorising.
For medium laminate flooring colours, such as standard oak, there are no strict rules. Like white, this shade will match with most colours because it isn’t overly light or dark. As most medium laminate floors have warm and yellow undertones, try colours such as yellow, orange or red for harmony. For contrast try a little violet.
Related: How to Match Wall Colour to Your Floor
Walnut is a warm and dark shade, so works well with lighter colours to avoid making the room appear too heavy. Because walnut’s undertones tend to be red, you can match this flooring with a lighter orange, yellow or red shade. A striking contrast would be to add elements of a cool or jade green to the room.
Dark laminate is similar to walnut, but with more of a cool earthy palette. Again, cooler shades of blues, greens and greys can go well with this floor. As would a contrasting yellow or orange to brighten up the room with a modern twist.
Finally, a black laminate floor will work best with lighter colours. There’s no restriction on which colours, as black will go with just about anything, but try to avoid dark shades which will make the room too heavy. It’s often popular to pair black floors with white furniture for a classic and timeless contrast.
Our Flooring Calculator
When you browse any type of flooring at Factory Direct Flooring Ltd, each product has a flooring calculator on the page. Simply enter the surface area in either metres or feet squared and our My Project flooring calculator will tell you how many packs you’ll need and how much it will cost you.
By simply measuring your room and entering your dimensions, we will provide you with an instant price which will show on every type of flooring you browse across our website. You can either input the total coverage or your width and length measurements, in meters or feet. You can even save your measurements room by room to make your shopping experience stress-free.
It also offers to add an extra 10% for wastage. While this may cost a little bit more, we highly recommend adding it just in case there are mishaps during the installation process. Enjoy the My Project flooring calculator below:
Get instant Personalised Pricing for your room
- Enter your unique room measurements.
- We'll give you an instant price for the flooring you need in your home.
What wall colours have you matched with your laminate flooring colours? Let us know in the comments!
