What Flooring Patterns Make Small Rooms Look Bigger?

Whether you’re choosing tile, hardwood, laminate or luxury vinyl, the right flooring pattern can help make your room feel more open and welcoming. Here's how to make a small room look bigger without changing the layout.

Running Bond

A running bond pattern, also called a brick-joint layout, uses a staggered alignment to create a sense of motion. Since your eye is consistently traveling along the lines, rather than stopping at strong visual breaks between flooring materials, the floor can feel more continuous and less boxed in. You can enhance the basic effect even further by ensuring the pattern runs parallel to the room's longest wall. 

This approach works especially well for narrow rooms, where the staggered layout makes the space feel longer and more expansive. Narrow galley kitchens, hallways and entryways are best suited for this pattern. You can use this approach with tile, hardwood and possibly even vinyl, depending on your chosen design.

Diagonal Lines

Diagonal lines, commonly used for wood, vinyl and tile flooring options, can help make a room look bigger by introducing diagonal patterns instead of relying on a straight layout. This approach works because it keeps the eye moving across the room rather than stopping at the nearest wall. In almost any room, the diagonal axis is the longest, and making it the focus of the space creates the impression that the room is wider and more spacious.

Patterns like parquet, chevron and herringbone can be used effectively when oriented diagonally, but it's also important to choose appropriate colors and designs. If you choose dark colors or patterns for this laying style, it can have the opposite effect, making spaces look more compact.

Straight Lay

This approach relies on using perfect material alignment to create a grid effect. Installing the tiles, laminate flooring or hardwood boards in deliberate, uninterrupted lines makes the room's flooring look like a single expanse rather than a broken pattern. The effect is an impactful way to improve compact spaces that need to maintain an orderly look and feel.

With tiles, you can further enhance the effect by matching the grout color to the tile and using rectified-edge tile. Certain kinds of vinyl with a less defined edge deliver a similar result. The less noticeable the join lines are, the larger and more cohesive the space appears. This flooring pattern is the ideal complement for contemporary designs.

Additional Considerations

While the right flooring pattern is invaluable for making small rooms look larger, there are a few other design tricks you can use.

Color Selection

When choosing a floor color for a small room, you always want to avoid dark colors like blacks and grays. Instead, opt for light colors like whites, creams or light wood tones. Dark colors absorb light, making the space look more compact and possibly even cramped, while light colors reflect light, making a space look more spacious and airy.

Material Size

Similar to the coloration, tile width can significantly affect how large the room looks. While smaller tiles or boards used well can be an effective option, larger options make the room look more expansive. Especially if you pair something like a 24-inch floor tile with the right color and pattern, you can make the space look wider and airier.

Find Flooring Options for Your Space

Are you ready to find a flooring solution that provides both the design and durability you need? Visit a Carpet & Tile Mart store near you or contact us to discuss your next project.