Many contemporary designers find the darker shades of flooring more traditional. Light laminate in the interior is much less common in comparison with other coatings. However, if you properly organize the entire design, then such a coating will fit perfectly there. Let us consider in more detail all the pros and cons of a light laminate in the interior.
What kind of material
Externally, the laminate is like a wooden parquet. However, it cannot be fully attributed to wood products. The top layer is made of resin, acrylic or melamine. This protective coating preserves the beauty of the decorative finish. After the first layer comes a decorative film that mimics a tree. Then - a plate from fiberboard or particleboard. Thanks to this plate, the laminate becomes stronger and tougher.
Laminate has a wide range of different consumer properties. Therefore, you can choose the most suitable for a particular room.
How to choose the right one?
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 resistance;
- sensitivity indicator for wet cleaning;
- moisture resistance.
Of course, the external characteristics are of great importance. It is important to choose a laminate for the style of the interior. Otherwise, the light shade of the laminate will simply not fit the design of the room and look alien.
Pay attention to the types of surfaces. During the production of 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. “Naturalness” and expressiveness depend on it. Consider the types of surfaces:
- Wood is a smooth surface with small bulges and hollows that mimic the pores of natural wood.
- Aged tree - bumps are applied to the surface of the laminate, which are characteristic of "old" boards.
- Oil - imitates a tree that has been treated with drying oil, a smooth and even surface.
- Gloss - this material is similar to lacquered floors.
- Wax - a dull surface of a tree, which is as if waxed and then polished.
- Natural texture - on the surface, a natural imitated texture is reproduced (leather, wood, stone).
- Under the oak - this species is considered one of the most popular. It creates a unique background for the embodiment of the ideas of the designer. The contrasting bright furniture looks spectacular on it.
We will discuss further in which interior 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 “passage” area of the apartment. The main rule is to choose its optimal appearance.
Laminate "light oak" in the interior looks spectacular in such rooms:
- In the living room. The main purpose of the laminate in this room is decorative. The flooring should emphasize the overall chosen style of interior design. It is possible with the help of a light laminate to distinguish separate zones (for reading, relaxing, working).
- In the bedroom and children's room. Laminate here should be an aesthetically attractive appearance, while the operational properties here are secondary. In living rooms it is recommended to use environmentally friendly materials. When buying, 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 floor covering material is sound absorbing. This indicator is especially necessary for a bedroom.
- In the hallway, the laminate should be wear-resistant and withstand a large load, since this is the most passage in the apartment, house.
- In the kitchen, the laminate should be resistant to moisture, high temperature, the action of acids and other aggressive substances. Appearance should match the design of the kitchen.
- In the bathroom. Experts do not recommend the use of laminate flooring in this room. The best option for the bathroom is stone or tile. If you are considering only the option of a laminate, 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 copes with moisture and condensate. The conditions in this room are quite specific.
Thanks to the above tips, you can avoid mistakes in the design of the room.
Benefits
A light laminate in the interior of the apartment is the best option for flooring. Moreover, it goes well with other colors of the design of the room and fills the room with light, while hiding the flaws of the room.
The main thing is to choose the right combination with other shades and textures. If you do not observe accuracy in combination, then you can get an absurd surreal interior.
Consider the main advantages of a light laminate as a floor covering:
- Visually increases the space. Feel free to use a light shade 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 illuminated.
- It gets less dirty compared to the dark range of 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.
disadvantages
Light laminate in the interior, like any other product, has its drawbacks. They must be considered when buying. So, a number of disadvantages of this coating:
- Under certain lighting conditions, an “unnatural” effect may occur. Many people want this laminate to look as natural as possible. However, achieving this effect will be difficult.
- It will take a lot of 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, such a coating is not suitable for every style of interior.
A 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 coincides with the floor, visually the ceilings will seem higher. However, the room itself will become a bit narrow.
If you do not think through the design in detail, then the result may be a hospital ward.
The correct finish is the baseboard. It should be a few tones darker than the floor covering.
The ideal option if the baseboard 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.
Choose a shade for the style of the interior
If you don’t know which shade of the laminate to choose, then there is one rule: choose the tone of the floor covering several shades lighter than furniture. If you ignore this rule, then all the elements of the interior will merge into one bright spot. In this case, the chosen design style of the room 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.
Laminate “light oak” 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 wallpaper pattern.
A light laminate in the interior (see the photo below) is perfect for such styles:
- Scandinavian style involves the use of white to the maximum. Dark oak is not suitable for flooring. Bright contrasting elements will help to avoid the effect of a hospital room: a picture, a carpet, pillows, vases.
- Provence style is characterized by pastel soft colors. A floral print must be present on the details.
- The styles of minimalism, country, loft involve connecting the room with a white palette and open space. Minimum furniture and decor. Design in this style should be practical and functional.
- Hi-tech style is famous for 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 it is possible to achieve an accurate display of the chosen design direction. The doors between the rooms should slide apart, not open. Black, gray and white colors prevail in this style.
The right combination of color laminate with doors in the interior
It is logical to select 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 contrast effect, you need to choose one color temperature: either both shades are warm, or both are cold.
- Combination. The laminate should be a tone lighter or darker than the door. 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.
Consider the principles of color combination:
- The beige shade is neutral, so the door can be any shade from this spectrum.
- Gray shade of the laminate - choose the door from a milky shade to smoky. You can use the entire palette of gray.
- White color suggests that the door will be of the same tone. Prerequisite: the temperature of the shade must be uniform (either warm or cold).
Dark shades of laminate are combined with the same colors of the doors. It is important that the texture and pattern match.
Use of a border on a ceiling or stucco molding is allowed. Interestingly contrast the green plants in the room in which the same materials are present. A correctly selected interior under a light laminate and doors will look easy, airy and spacious.
But how to combine the material with the chosen direction? Let us consider in more detail certain styles of interior design with a light laminate.
Classical
This design direction involves the flooring of a noble shade (oak, beech, rosewood). Thanks to these colors, the room will acquire a solid rigor in appearance. The classic style is perfect for the living room or office space. Think of a light laminate in the interior of the apartment (photo is presented below).
The illustration shows an example of interior design in a classic style.
Retro
The optimal solution for flooring is a laminate that imitates the shade of cherry or light wood.
If the laminate will have a worn effect, 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, color, white colors are perfect.
The main rule: to correctly enter them into the interior of the room.
High tech
This style is characterized by white and gray shades. An excellent solution is a laminate with an imitation of concrete or gray wood. A fuzzy and small print is allowed. Think about the light laminate in the interior of the apartment (photo is presented below).
As you can see, there are many shades of light coverage. It is important to choose the one that is right for you.