Why Floors are the Foundation of your Colour Palette- With Wendy Moore

As a designer, Wendy understands the powerful role of colour in interiors. It’s been transformative in her projects for many years. Her recent renovation, the Home Love project, featured colour selections that were intentional and considered.

“In the case of my Home Love project, I wanted a modern, calming palette that would feel instantly relaxing for a busy family, and I also wanted to bring light into the home. Older homes like this can often be quite dark, so the choice of a lovely light flooring was key.”

To create a relaxed palette, Wendy selected a beautiful oak engineered timber flooring and wool loop carpet for the project (Montauk Point in Malibu).

Some of the ways colour can impact a space include:

• Colour can impact mood. Calming or energising, for example
• Colour can manipulate space, creating a sense of expansiveness or cosiness
• Colour can be harmonious, or it can draw the eye. Create excitement or soothe
• Colour can highlight elements or hide them

“People always underestimate the importance of your flooring in informing your colour scheme. Our floors are up there with our walls in when it comes to the surface area of our home, so the right flooring colour can make or break a colour palette. A great floor colour sets the foundation for the entire colour scheme.”

Beginning with your flooring means you can build whatever palette you desire. A warm or cool palette, dark or light, distinct or subtle, for instance. It will impact the room’s appearance in terms of space, light and style. For example, if you were wanting to create a warm and inviting space, a warm timber flooring style (such as a mid-tone) with character-rich markings would be a great place to start, so too would a textured loop pile carpet.

Think about how you want your space to feel as well as appear. With flooring as the starting point, you can build the scheme from the ground up!

Inspiration can strike at any time, and it doesn’t have to begin on the screen. While Instagram and the internet can be a great place to gather ideas, you can seek inspiration anywhere from travel, nature or the home’s architecture. Wendy explains where she finds creativity.

“I take inspiration wherever I can get it! Often it is the home itself, the era and the history can really inform the design direction, it can also be the environment around the home, both natural and cultural. Then there is always a layer of either the homeowners or the potential buyers having an understanding of how they would like to live.”

How much or little natural light in your home should be considered when choosing flooring. It’s also a good idea to view samples of flooring in different parts of the home, at different times of the day. Light plays an important role in how the colours and even the size of the room will appear.

“Understanding how natural light moves through your home is vital when you’re renovating or decorating. We are so lucky in Australia to have beautiful light, and in winter it makes a home feel so much happier, in summer however, you need to understand how the light will reflect, a very light floor in a home with abundant light can often feel stifling and overwhelming, and a dark floor with little natural light can make a room feel closed in.”

Having seen so many of Wendy’s projects completed with Selling Houses Australia and now her well-documented renovation project, we were keen to hear how she begins when designing a colour and materials palette.

“Always, always, always make a moodboard! Start with saving and cutting out pictures of homes and rooms that you love. Collect them all together and start sorting them into groups of colours and styles, you’ll soon see what you keep coming back to. Pin your chosen style all onto a board or save them on your phone. I’m a huge fan of a physical moodboard and I actually often start with the flooring. It is easy to match a wall colour to a floor you’ve fallen in love with, but it’s not quite as simple doing it the other way around.”

Have you ever wondered how to mix carpet with hard flooring or even tiles? Wendy achieved a harmonious palette while still exploring different textures and material styles on the floor. Hint, it’s all to do with finding similar undertones that feel balanced and coordinated.

“It all comes down to the undertones. For my Home Love project, I wanted soft, creamy tones rather than grey, so I collected samples of all the flooring options and literally sat them next to each other in the home before I made the final selection. Make sure you do this in situ because natural light can really change the colours.”

“Texture in flooring is definitely a consideration for me. Think about how much time we spend barefoot in our own home and how lovely flooring can feel underfoot. It literally changes the way you feel in your home. Even the soft grain of timber is lovely to walk on, and I do love a nice thick loop pile carpet when I hop out of bed!”

Carpet and timber flooring colours and tones are crucial for the success of a space, but so too are other elements to consider. Resilient and easy to care for materials are great for busy family homes, stain-resistant perfect for homes with pets, and budget will also come into play. For some people natural fibre carpet and authentic engineered timber flooring is a priority.

So, how does the home feel now? Post-renovation and upon reflection, Wendy contemplates the transformation.

“The whole house feels lighter and airier with these new floors, and actually cleaner too, which is a bonus! The original floorboards were beautiful, but aside from some damage from years of use, to be honest, the floor wasn’t well insulated, and I would feel the cold air coming through my toes during winter. This winter was so much better!” 

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Head to Wendy’s Instagram to view the progress of Home Love and soak up all of her expert knowledge and home flooring renovation tips. Wendy’s blog, The Interiors Edit, is another way to learn about all things design and renovating.

Are timber floors high maintenance?

Timber floors sit higher on the maintenance scale in the hard flooring world. But while laminate flooring, vinyl and hybrid flooring might require less maintenance, all flooring requires some level of care to keep it looking like new for longer. The look and feel of real timber is also aspirational, authentic and full of genuine character which can last for years if cared for. It also has the ability to be repaired in many cases, that is why we see beautiful old homes with original (restored, often) flooring.

Why choose engineered timber oak flooring?

Engineered boards are beautiful to look at as they’re made from layers of real timber. The character, markings and personality of natural timber shine through and add something to the interior design that’s authentic (although there are lots of great timber-look alternatives!). They’re relatively easy to maintain and are quick to install.

Who installs engineered timber boards?

Installing flooring can be a complex task and should be left to the professionals. Flooring Xtra stores have their own installation teams, taking the stress off the customer. You can read more about the benefits of professional installers on our website.

How does carpet help with acoustic control?

Of all of the flooring materials on the market, carpet is the most successful at absorbing noise. Carpet with quality underlay is even better! If you have hard flooring, rugs are an excellent option. You can read more on our blog.