Question:

Is it acceptable to use several different flooring types in a home or should all of the carpet match and all the tile match, etc? I have found several different tiles I like and am hoping that it is ok to use them in different areas.

Answer:

Absolutely it is acceptable to use several different flooring types in a home. In fact, I encourage it! For example, if you have an elegant master bath with natural stone floors, you don’t need to spend the money putting a product like natural stone in your child’s bath. Another reason would be the style of the room. A master bath can have a completely different feel, such as an elegant one, where a child’s bath might have a whimsical feel that calls for a fun ceramic tile. Each room can have its own personality expressed through the type of floor covering you choose.

Another design point to keep in mind is how much of what type of product such as tile you are using. If you are using a decorative or extremely colorful tile, you don’t want to use it in too many places. One reason is that it can lose its uniqueness. My aunt (and fellow designer) always says, “You don’t want it to look like they had a fire sale and you bought everything they had!” If your plan is to keep your floors neutral so that you can incorporate color in other areas such as the walls and you want to use  a neutral product in your home in every room, you may want to use the same product for better buying power.

If you are looking for continuity, there is certainly nothing wrong with using the same flooring throughout your home. Just be sure to use the right product type for the type of room the flooring will be installed in. Just because carpet is in the living room that is adjacent to the kitchen doesn’t mean that the kitchen should have carpet, too.

Using the same type of flooring product can help some open areas look larger by not changing color, pattern or texture. However, changing flooring products in an open area can help define each area such as seperating a dining area from a kitchen and living area.

A good idea in the planning phase is to color code your blue prints with different colors for each type of flooring. This can give you an idea of how things will flow when the floors are installed. Keep in mind that when you have an area that can be completely closed off with a door, it can have a standalone look and feel.