Many contemporary designers consider dark flooring to be more traditional. Light laminate in the interior is much less common compared to other coatings. However, if you correctly organize the entire design, then such a coating will fit perfectly there. Let's take a closer look at all the pros and cons of light laminate in the interior.
What kind of material
Outwardly, the laminate is like a wooden parquet. However, it cannot be completely attributed to wood products. The top layer is made of resin, acrylic or melamine. It is a protective coating that preserves the beauty of the decorative finish. After the first layer comes a decorative film that imitates wood. Then - a slab of fiberboard or chipboard. Thanks to this plate, the laminate becomes stronger and more rigid.
Laminate has a whole range of different consumer properties. Therefore, you can choose the most suitable for a particular room.
How to chooseright?
Light laminate in the interior must be chosen according to two main criteria: appearance and quality. However, it is important to pay attention to such factors:
- strength;
- wear resistant;
- wet sensitivity index;
- moisture resistance.
Of course, external characteristics are of great importance. It is important to choose a laminate according to the style of the interior. Otherwise, a light-colored laminate will simply not fit the design of the room and look alien.
You should pay attention to the types of surfaces. During the production of the finishing material, you can give it any pattern, imitation of wood, stone, leather, metal.
When choosing, you should also focus on the surface of the plates. “Naturality” and expressiveness depend on it. Consider the types of surfaces:
Wood is a smooth surface with slight bulges and depressions that mimic the pores of natural wood
- Aged wood - irregularities are applied to the surface of the laminate, which are typical for "old" boards.
- Oil - imitates wood treated with linseed oil, smooth and even surface.
- Gloss - this material is similar to lacquered floors.
- Wax is the matte finish of wood that appears to have been waxed and then polished.
- Natural texture - reproduces natural simulated texture (leather, wood, stone) on the surface.
- Under oak - this speciesconsidered one of the most sought after. It creates a unique background for the realization of the designer's ideas. Contrasting bright furniture looks impressive on it.
We will talk further about the interior in which the white oak laminate will look the most advantageous.
Light laminate in the interior: in which rooms?
This finishing material can be used with confidence both in the bedroom, in the living room, and in the “walk-through” area of the apartment. The main rule is to choose its optimal appearance.
Light oak laminate in the interior looks spectacular in these rooms:
- In the living room. The main purpose of the laminate in this room is decorative. Flooring should emphasize the overall chosen style of interior design. It is possible to highlight separate zones with the help of a light laminate (for reading, rest, work).
- In the bedroom and children's room. The laminate here should be aesthetically attractive in appearance, while the performance properties are secondary here. In living rooms it is recommended to use environmentally friendly materials. When buying, you should pay attention to the marked symbol of environmental safety. For a nursery, it is better to choose a rough laminate surface, rather than a smooth one. It is important that the material of the floor covering is sound-absorbing. This indicator is especially necessary for the bedroom.
- In the hallway, the laminate must be wear-resistant and withstand heavy loads, since this is the most accessible place in the apartment, house.
- In the kitchen, the laminate must be resistant to moisture, high temperatures,action of acids and other aggressive substances. The appearance must match the design of the kitchen.
- In the bathroom. Experts do not recommend the use of laminate in this room. The best option for the bathroom is stone or tile. If you are considering only the laminate option, then when buying, give preference to the type that has high water resistance. Of course, its cost will be high, but the price is justified, since this type of laminate does an excellent job with moisture and condensation. Conditions in this room are quite specific.
Thanks to the above tips, you can avoid mistakes when decorating a room.
Benefits
Light laminate in the interior of the apartment is the best option for decorating the floor. Moreover, it goes well with other colors of the room's design and fills the room with light, while hiding the flaws of the room.
The main thing is to choose the right combinations with other shades and textures. If not carefully combined, you can get an absurd surreal interior.
Let's consider the main advantages of light laminate flooring:
- Visually enlarges the space. You can safely use a light-colored laminate in a small room.
- Filling with light. If the windows in the room are not on the sunny side, then there is no natural light in the room. Therefore, in this case, it is simply necessary to choose a light-colored laminate to make the space more spacious and lit.
- Less dirty compared todark scale laminate. Dust is almost invisible on a light laminate. This option is the most practical and less capricious.
- Thanks to the light shade of the laminate, you can create a complex original interior design. On a white background, the details look more expressive.
Therefore, when creating a room design that involves a combination of contrasting elements, you can safely use a light laminate.
Flaws
Light laminate in the interior, like any other product, has its drawbacks. They must be taken into account when buying. So, a number of disadvantages of this coverage:
- In certain lighting conditions, the effect of "unnatural" may occur. Many people want such a laminate to look as natural as possible. However, it will be difficult to achieve such an effect.
- It will take a long time to pick up skirting boards and window frames for a light-colored laminate. The difficulty is to achieve a winning optimal combination of shades.
- Looks rustic in some cases. Therefore, this coating is not suitable for every style of interior.
Light laminate will look spectacular, given all the advantages and disadvantages of it.
Recommendations
If you have already decided on the shade of the laminate, then carefully consider the color palette of the walls. If the tone matches the floor, the ceilings will visually appear higher. However, the room itself will become a bit narrow.
If you don't think through the design in detail, you might end up with a hospital room.
The correct final detail is the plinth. It should be a few shades darker than the flooring.
Ideal if the plinth repeats one of the shades of the interior design of the room. Or the second best option - if the color of the baseboard and the door will match.
Choosing a shade for the interior style
If you do not know which shade of laminate to choose, then there is one rule: choose the tone of the floor covering a few shades lighter than the furniture. If you ignore this rule, then all interior elements will merge into one bright spot. In this case, the chosen style of room design will not be so bright and expressive.
In order to avoid merging into one spot, a dark-colored carpet can be placed on the floor.
Light oak laminate in the interior (photo below) or bleached oak will fit perfectly into the Scandinavian style.
This coating looks spectacular in combination with snow-white walls. But the light gray laminate in the interior can act both in a neutral role and in the main (bright) one. For example, this can be achieved by combining a light gray floor with colored walls or a large pattern on the wallpaper.
Light laminate in the interior (photo below) is perfect for these styles:
Scandinavian style involves the use of white to the maximum. Dark oak is not suitable for flooring. And to avoid the effect of a hospital ward, bright contrasting elements will help: a picture, a carpet, pillows, vases
Provence style is characterized by soft pastel tones. Details must have a floral print
Minimalism, country, loft styles involve connecting a room with a white palette and open free space. Minimum furniture and decor. Design in this style should be practical and functional
Hi-tech style is famous for its strict clear lines. In this direction of interior design, you need to bet on naturalness and naturalness. Therefore, for high-tech, you can safely choose a light laminate with a glossy surface. Moreover, the stronger the “industrial” atmosphere is emphasized, the better you can achieve an accurate display of the chosen design direction. Doors between rooms should slide apart, not open. This style is dominated by black, gray and white colors
Correct color combination of laminate with doors in the interior
It is logical to choose interior doors to match the floor design. There are specific principles for a competent combination of colors:
In contrast: the use of radically different shades. Light laminate, dark doors (photo of the interior is presented below) or vice versa. To enhance the effect of contrast, you must choose one color temperature: either both shades are warm, or both are cold
Combination. The laminate must bethe tone is lighter or darker than the doors. However, the gamma temperature must be the same
Coincidence - the maximum approximation to the texture and palette. In this case, it is necessary to choose a door with the same imitation of naturalness as the laminate. Do not try to achieve identity. It is enough that the textures are approximately the same
Let's consider the principles of color combinations:
- Beige is a neutral shade, so the door can be any shade from this spectrum.
- Grey shade of laminate - choose doors from milky to smoky. You can use the entire gray palette.
- White color suggests that the door will be the same tone. Prerequisite: the temperature of the shade must be the same (either warm or cold).
Dark shades of laminate are combined with the same colors of doors. It is important that the texture and pattern match.
It is allowed to use a border on the ceiling or stucco molding. It is interesting to contrast green plants in a room in which the same materials are present. Properly selected interior under a light laminate and doors will look light, airy and spacious.
But how to combine the material with the chosen direction? Let's take a closer look at certain interior design styles with light laminate flooring.
Classic
This design direction involves flooring in a noble shade (oak, beech, rosewood). Thanks to these colors, the room will acquiresolid rigor in appearance. The classic style is perfect for a living room or office space. Think of a light laminate in the interior of the apartment (photo below).
The illustration shows an example of a classic living room interior design.
Retro
The best flooring solution is cherry or light wood effect laminate.
If there is a worn effect on the laminate, then the interior will give a special atmosphere of comfort, tranquility and charm.
Vanguard
This style involves the use of a wide range of shades. Black, colorful, white colors are great.
The main rule: correctly fit them into the interior of the room.
Hi-tech
This style is characterized by white and gray shades. An excellent solution is a laminate with imitation of concrete or gray wood. Fuzzy and small print is allowed. Think about the light laminate in the interior of the apartment (photo below).
As you can see, there are many shades of light coverage. It is important to choose the one that is right for you.
