How to Design Flooring Layout Plans

by Ann Hayward 12/12/2021

The flooring in your new home can have a significant impact on the way a room or area looks. When you’re having a home built, you can choose the type of flooring you want for it. Although this allows you to choose the material, such as hardwood or tile, you’ll also need to decide on the layout. The following tips can help you design your flooring layout in your home.

Decide Which Flooring Goes Where

You don’t need to have the same flooring in every part of your home. Some types of flooring, such as wood, don’t hold up well in certain rooms. Bathrooms, kitchens and other areas that get damp should have flooring that can handle these conditions, such as tile or laminate floors. When drawing up plans for your flooring layout, indicate where each type of floor goes. You might use the same flooring in your living room and dining room with an open concept house, for example. You might also use the same flooring for your upstairs hallway and bedrooms while using a different type for bathrooms.

Choose the Right Direction

Flooring layout plans should include the direction your floors will go in. Keep in mind that you don’t always have to install hardwood floors in a vertical direction. Instead, consider installing tile, wood or other flooring in a horizontal direction or even a diagonal direction. The shape of a room helps determine the ideal direction for flooring. In narrow areas, vertical flooring that runs the length of the room or area typically looks best. In wider areas or square rooms, though, you might prefer the expression of horizontal or diagonal flooring.

Consider Room Transitions

If you’ll be using different flooring in some areas, think about how the transition from one room to the next will look. You might keep the flow going from room to room by having flooring installed in the same direction. For example, wood floors in your living room might give way to a tile floor in your kitchen that goes in the same direction. To create more distinctive boundaries between rooms, consider having the flooring installed in different directions. You might have a hardwood floor in your main bedroom facing horizontally with a tile floor facing diagonally in the adjoining bathroom. This offers a more visually striking transition from room to room. When creating flooring layout plans, indicate the direction each floor will go in for these transitions.

Select Stair Flooring

When you’re working on your flooring layout plans, don’t forget about stairs. You’ll need to decide which type of flooring to use on steps in your home. You can use the same flooring as the areas that lead to the stairs to maintain the same look. For example, you can use hardwood stairs to match a hardwood floor in your upstairs hallway or foyer. If you have laminate flooring near a stairway, you can use this flooring material on the stairs. For a more distinctive look, you can use a different type of flooring on your stairs that contrasts with the floors nearby. Include the flooring you choose for your stairs on your layout plans.

About the Author

Ann Hayward

Born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs, Ann Hayward got her Pennsylvania real estate license at age 18 even before going to college. This second-generation real estate professional followed in the footsteps of her father and two uncles, inheriting their passion for the business. Licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Ann is accomplished in her career, with numerous designations including SFR, SRES, PSA, WHC, and multiunit Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council. She specializes in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, all jurisdictions where Ann has lived and knows very well. In addition to her professional expertise, she owns and manages personal investment property, understands and has been involved in the renovation/remodeling process, and has great resources which she shares with clients. When you hire Ann to represent you, she will make your buying or selling experience an enjoyable, rewarding one. Her compassion, sensitivity to her clients’ needs, eye for detail, and ability to see the big picture when guiding you through a purchase or sale are unique assets that will ensure your success. A diverse and relevant background also gives Ann a distinct edge. For 30 years, she worked in fast-paced, high-pressure television and theatrical production, attaining the highest achievement – DGA membership as a Director, and as an award-winning staff and freelance writer. Her keen audio visual skills and design sense benefit sellers in marketing their properties, and are invaluable in helping buyers see the potential of space. A true renaissance woman, Ann was also an income tax professional and office manager for H&R Block, so she thoroughly understands the tax and financial implications of acquiring and selling real estate. Her superior organizational skills are further evidenced as owner of a downsizing/professional organizing business, Managed For You, which allows her to connect with everyone from millennials to boomers and seniors, whether for small space planning or assisting with major decluttering and transitioning. Ann holds an AB in American History from Simmons College, Boston, plus attended Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration where she was a candidate for Doctorate. She additionally studied Film Direction at the American Film Institute in LA, and was a Stanford University post-graduate Professional Journalism Fellow. Personally, Ann is an avid if not very good golfer, and the co-founder of a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering educational guidance, tutoring and counseling for youngsters from elementary school through college admission. She sits on the board of trustees of a nonprofit educational film production corporation as well. (202) 494-6252 [email protected]