Five Flooring Choices to Make a Home Seem Larger

Thanks to Scott Levit for this excellent post, which we've copied below.

Debbie Gartner of Floor Coverings International in Westchester/Western Fairfield wrote a concise post recently on how choosing the right flooring can improve the apparent size of a seller's home. This piece is adapted from Garner's post...

Here are 5 subtle tips for your sellers that will help stretch smaller spaces.

1. Use lighter colors. Lighter makes the space look larger. The same goes for walls.

2. Use wider planks. Wider makes the space look larger. The same goes for tile; larger tiles make the space look larger. (Conversely, parquet hardwood makes the space look smaller, so stay away from this and from small tiles).

3. De-clutter. The more open space readily visible (be it floor or walls), the larger, cleaner, and neater the space will look. Remove some of the knickknacks and maybe even a piece of furniture that's not necessary.

4. Use same flooring material and color across rooms. Whenever possible, continue that same surface across rooms. By continuing the same surface, you connect the space and it just looks larger. Be it hardwood, tile, or the wall color cafe au lait, try to be consistent and make the rooms appear seamless.

5. Lay your floor on a diagonal. Whether you have tile or hardwood, this will make you space look larger as it carries your eye along the longest length (In trigonometry -- remember that? - the hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle). It will also make your space look more visually intriguing. Note that occasionally when the space/room is very rectangular, a straight lay across the longest length is a better option, but most often, a diagonal is the better choice.