It has always been believed that gray floors and gray walls in the interior evoke melancholy and monotony, however, the work of modern designers and technologists has turned this idea around. Today the market offers a huge variety of artificial surfaces with almost unlimited color options, so interior designers have the opportunity to expand their palette.
Gray laminate and gray floor tiles quickly became popular and it turns out that they can fit perfectly into any design project.
Possibilities and features of gray floor
- A dark gray floor in the interior can visually reduce the space of the room or make it narrower, while a light gray floor can cause the opposite effect.
- Not too dark shades of gray do a good job of uncluttering an interior cluttered with furniture, bringing a little freshness and lightness into it.
- A room with a gray floor creates a calm and cozy atmosphere, conducive to proper rest and recuperation.
- If you can find a laminate on sale that has an unusual color (a mixture of gray with beige or brown), then using such material you can create such an unusual gray floor in the interior that its appearance will change your entire understanding of the interior decor.
But the feeling of relaxation and harmony of space that people experience when they spend a long time in such interiors often prevents them from concentrating, their performance decreases and it becomes difficult to do any painstaking work. It is for this reason that the same designers do not recommend laying gray parquet or laminate flooring in study corners and work rooms.
But rooms in gray tones allow you to harmoniously collect your thoughts and tune in to a philosophical mood.
A gray floor color will look great in the interior of a bedroom or living room. Gray may seem no less attractive in the kitchen or dining area, provided that the owners are not afraid of the certain coldness of the atmosphere it creates. However, the last drawback can be easily corrected by adding bright colors or beige shades to the interior palette.
Varieties
Linoleum is distinguished by thickness, protective layer and susceptibility to abrasion. According to these parameters, linoleum is divided into three main categories - household, commercial and semi-commercial:
- Household linoleum is the most inexpensive option. It is quite thin, but this does not affect the quality of the coating in home spaces, where the load on the floor is not so significant.
- The commercial (or industrial) type of linoleum is most often used in halls that involve large crowds of people, offices, institutional corridors, and shops. The material is the most dense, can withstand maximum loads, is resistant to abrasion and the weight of objects. However, its price is significantly higher, so this type of linoleum is not suitable for an ordinary apartment.
- Semi-commercial linoleum is a cross between household and commercial material. This option will successfully justify itself in the living room of a house, where crowded companies often gather, or in the reception area of the boss’s office.
What interior styles does gray flooring suit?
When designing an interior, you should consider what wall color suits the gray floor and that it is not equally suitable for all styles.
It is best to fit a gray floor into the following interior styles:
- strict classic;
- high tech;
- modern
In addition, gray laminate will look good in some ethnic styles, for example, Scandinavian.
Photo of a gray floor in different interior styles (high-tech, modern, Scandinavian):
In order not to get a too cold, deathly gray interior, it is better to dilute it by experimenting with a warm palette of wall coverings, or add furniture from correctly selected types of wood. The color scheme of furniture can be quite rich; a light gray floor in the interior looks great with furniture of the following colors:
- vanilla;
- zebrano;
- wenge.
If the owner seems that the room lacks special softness and comfort, then this impression can be softened with the help of objects painted in warm colors, with a texture close to wood.
Material composition
Linoleum also has significant differences in the composition of the materials used:
- Thus, household linoleum is most often made from fiberglass, which is then covered with a thick protective film.
- Polyvinyl chloride in linoleum is usually used in several layers and provides increased strength of the material. This linoleum does not require perfectly flat surfaces for installation.
- Linoleum based on foam materials is quite dense and flexible, and is an excellent heat and sound insulator. Thanks to the thick protective film, there are no dents left on it from heavy objects.
How to combine a gray floor with other colors?
- The extreme options for gray are white and black. By connecting them, gray shades greatly soften their contrast, making the interior less flashy and provocative. But to create compositions with this color you need to have practical experience and professional knowledge. After all, it is not so easy to understand which walls are best combined with a gray floor, so that later there will be fewer problems with the selection of furniture.
- The combination of gray and blue colors looks very harmonious; this composition will fit perfectly into the interiors of a bedroom, living room or office.
- Gray pairs well with cool color palettes, including blues and purples.
- The combination of gray and yellow is quite rare, and an abundance of yellow inclusions should not be allowed, but light yellow-gray stripes would be appropriate.
- The best wallpaper for a gray floor is beige or light green; it will keep the interior cozy and make it elegant at the same time.
Practicality of finishing
When choosing flooring and wallpaper, it is worth considering the practicality of finishing coatings. If the windows face the sunny side, the floor illumination will be maximum. In such cases, you should avoid using dark-colored laminate. Otherwise, the floor covering will look dusty. This will make cleaning the room much more difficult.
White laminate is especially popular among consumers. With its help, they create a luxurious floor that will color the entire room. But, there are cases when it is better to refuse such finishing. If there are animals or small children in the house, then a white floor is not the best solution. The fact is that in such conditions the risk of contamination of the floor covering is very high. As a result, the floor will quickly lose its original shine. It is better to opt for beige flooring material.
When choosing a floor, it is worth considering the cardinal directions to which the room’s windows face. If the windows face north, then it is better to choose light and warm colors for the floor. You should not use a gray shade here, as it will create a feeling of eternal cold. The warm wood texture will create a cozy homely atmosphere.
On video: combination of laminate in the interior.
Common mistakes with gray floors
The main disadvantage of a gray floor is its coldness. If the interior is not given warm accents, it will turn into a completely unattractive, lifeless desert. In addition, monotony cannot be allowed here, therefore, if gray doors with an incorrectly selected texture complement the gray floor, then such an interior may be doomed to failure in advance.
If the project has a light gray floor, what walls can harmonize with it? For example, not too bright, dark wallpaper is quite suitable, as well as introducing rather popular metallic-colored furniture into the interior. However, under no circumstances should you polish everything in a gray room until it shines, turning it into a chrome box.
To enliven even a hopelessly “gray” interior, you need to boldly use unusual patterns and ornaments, work with shades, glossy and matte surfaces, combine fur, silk and other textures.
Gray floor in the kitchen
The color of the floor in a gray kitchen or dining area may seem no less attractive, provided that the owners are not afraid of a certain coldness of the atmosphere it creates. The gray floor in the kitchen not only looks presentable, but is also extremely practical, since traces of dirt, grease and stains are much less visible on a gray background.
For small kitchens
A gray-white floor in a small kitchen will be no less acceptable than a combination of gray shades of different saturation, as well as gray-beige and gray-blue. In general, for small rooms, tiles need modest sizes.
If the goal is to visually increase the space, then it is better to lay either tiles with a simple, inconspicuous pattern, or without it at all, in a single color, since the more complex and noticeable the pattern, the more it conceals the space. On the contrary, a kitchen with a floor that has a smooth surface texture will appear more spacious and brighter.
For spacious kitchens
In spacious kitchens, ceramic tiles of any size can be installed, although larger elements look better here. Tile of non-standard shape, for example, hexagonal or with rounded edges, looks great. Here you can try a bunch of shapes and sizes, as well as different installation methods (diagonal, herringbone and others) to achieve an unusual look for the interior.
You can, abandoning stereotypical solutions, grout the tile joints with grout of a contrasting color. Then the grid of tile rows will appear more clearly, which will draw attention to the floor covering. If you use a darker grout, the tiles will appear cleaner and lighter.
Photo of a gray floor in the kitchen:
The combination of a gray floor in the kitchen with walls and furniture
It is very important to find a harmonious combination of the design of the floor, ceiling and walls. Also, you should not lose sight of kitchen furniture and accessories. However, you should always remember the functional features of this room, therefore, even if you have a gray floor in the kitchen, it is hardly worth installing white walls in it, since they will get dirty very quickly.
But if you add a white ceiling and light (but not white) walls to a gray floor, then visually the kitchen will be more spacious and brighter.
You should not try another option, where the ceiling is left in a light tone, but the walls are made darker than the floor covering. With this combination, the overall background becomes too dark, the room fades, becomes gloomy, and visually shrinks in volume.
When choosing wallpaper or tiles for walls, combining the color of the floor in a gray kitchen, you must take into account the degree of natural light in the kitchen room:
- On the sunny side, it is wiser to use cool or neutral tones (green, blue, turquoise) so that even a hot stove does not seem so hot.
- If the kitchen faces north, then it is better to warm up its atmosphere with a warm wall color (orange, yellow, peach). The warming color palette of the walls will make the gray floor more pleasant to perceive.
A gray plinth framing the floor of the same color will visually make its area larger, creating the illusion of its continuation.
White kitchen facades will look bright against the background of a dark gray floor, creating an elegant interior. Fans of playful combinations may wonder: if you make a gray floor in the kitchen, what color of the set should you choose? They can combine gray with acid lemon or yellow, bringing, for example, yellow chairs into the dining room interior, and hanging thin lemon organza on the windows. An excellent combination with a gray floor will be formed by cutlery, dishes and appliances made of stainless steel; fortunately, all this does not require a long search on sale.
Photo of a gray floor in the kitchen interior:
And it’s even better, instead of ordinary tiles, to use gray porcelain tiles for the floor, which is its relative, but has a better design and physical and mechanical characteristics. Gray porcelain tiles for the floor in the kitchen interior can be perfectly combined with furniture of a wide variety of colors. A neutral gray floor will be perfectly enlivened by colored spots of furniture, no matter what they are: metallic, wenge, pine or even white.
Psychologists say that the presence of warm colors in the kitchen stimulates appetite, and cold ones, on the contrary, reduces it. This property is especially important to consider for those who want to lose weight.
At the same time, there is no real reason to say that gray tiles make the kitchen interior dull and nondescript. It is important to find the right combination of materials and shades, and the gray kitchen will become beautiful and sophisticated.
How to care for flooring?
In order for linoleum to serve for many years, pleasing with its appearance, it is recommended to constantly monitor its cleanliness. In this case, pay attention to the following tips:
- When cleaning the floor covering from stains and dirt, you should not use acid-containing products, baking soda or ammonia. There are specialized detergents for cleaning linoleum. Use them.
- Experts do not recommend wet cleaning immediately after laying the material. The coating needs to rest, perform dry cleaning only.
Cleaning linoleum with a vacuum cleaner
- When laying flooring in rooms where it will be constantly exposed to direct sunlight, purchase appropriate material. It does not fade and will retain its appearance for a long time.
- To eliminate the possibility of dents forming on the surface of the canvas from various elements of furniture and decor, specialized attachments are used on the legs of these structures.
- At the entrance to the room, it is better to place special mats that are aimed at absorbing dirt, sand, dust and other debris. This will prevent you from unnecessarily spreading dirt throughout your home.
- You should not drag furniture elements over the linoleum surface. After all, at this time you can permanently damage the material. It is better to place a rag under this item.
- Before starting wet cleaning, clean the floor from debris with a vacuum cleaner or brush.
- Now you know what gray linoleum is like in the interior. We hope the article will help you appreciate all the delights of such a coating for decorating your home.
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Gray floor in the living room
You can choose a combination of gray with warm shades of wood so that it enhances this impression.
Shades of gray can perfectly emphasize the elegance of high-tech style. Here you also need to be guided by the rule of five colors: in addition to the main one, the interior can combine one additional color and no more than five different shades of gray.
If a gray living room lacks lighting, then to make it visually more spacious, you need to illuminate its walls with soffits, and to make it look sunnier, you can use yellow elements in the decoration of the floor and walls, for example, a large yellow panel or a floor carpet of the same color .
Photo of a gray floor in the living room interior:
Design options
There are two main design types:
- Plain. It fits into an already created interior much easier; the main thing is to correctly take into account the style features, choose the ideal combination and decide on a suitable shade.
- Color. Combining different colors, linoleum makes the atmosphere more energetic and creates the necessary accents and contrasts.
Gray floor in the bedroom
A bedroom design with a gray floor can easily be decorated in a neoclassical style if you use an antique-style chandelier with candles, a café-au-lait-colored carpet, and a shiny velvet bedspread in the interior. Gray laminate will perfectly emphasize the charm of such an interior.
Photo of a gray floor in a bedroom design:
Gray floor in the bathroom
An attempt to use gray ceramic tiles on the walls and floor of the bathroom will once again emphasize the restraint of forms and the refined simplicity of this room.
It can be safely combined with yellow, red, emerald green, beige and a host of other colors. You can use pearl gray as the main color, which will highlight bright color accents: gilded showers and taps, heated towel rail racks and other interior elements.
Would you like to have a gray floor in your home or have you already decided on it? Share your thoughts in the comments - we are interested in knowing your opinion.
