When selecting flooring (if you’re lucky enough to possess creative control from the ground up), you lay a room’s foundation and set the tone for the design layers to follow. Beyond functional considerations such as traffic, noise, and safety, your choice can make or break the space. Sure, flooring can serve as a neutral backdrop that anchors your room, but it can also serve as the focal point. With these ten rooms, we’re celebrating the latter approach.
PLAYFUL HARDWOOD TILES
Courtesy of Redmond Aldrich Design
In her sunny California kitchen, designer (and Mix It Like A Pro veteran!) Chloe Warner chose ultra-stylish hardwood floor tiles. We can’t get enough of these patterned beauties from Mirth Studio. The sharp lines take this kitchen from simple and sleek to unconventional and chic.
STEADYING STRIPES
Courtesy of Cabana Magazine
The Paris apartment of textile talent Carolina Irving features a large area rug with steadying stripes. The blue and white lines elongate the room and draw the eye to the embellished back wall. The pop of blue is a perfect touch.
TASTEFUL TRIANGLES
Courtesy of David Cohn Architects
In addition to creating visual intrigue and serving as the artwork in this otherwise sparse Barcelona apartment, these triangular tiles express the careful consideration with which the space was designed. They echo the shape of both the room and the building.
A TIMELESS CLASSIC
Courtesy of G.P. Schafer Architect
In this charming Marin County bathroom, a checkerboard floor strikes the perfect chord. It honors the home’s structural integrity (the oldest parts salvaged from an 1870s cabin) while still feeling relevant and clean.
PATTERN ON PATTERN
Courtesy of Architectural Digest
The choices in this idyllic Moroccan villa illustrate the magic of pattern play. Layering storied rugs atop intricate tiles creates a casual elegance that’s especially welcoming.
ANIMAL PRINT PANACHE
Courtesy of Marie Claire Maison
Without a dash of animal print, this faded nook might start to feel like your grandmother’s guest room. The jolt of zebra keeps it sexy.
A FRESH COAT OF PAINT
Photo: William Waldron, Courtesy of Elle Decor
Designed by Miles Redd, this bedroom boasts a wooden floor with a thick (and glossy) coat of paint. We can’t look away! The floor, which matches the bed skirt, takes this room to the next level. According to the Elle Decor piece that initially featured the room, the paint used by Redd is the kind usually reserved for the hulls of yachts.
SOPHISTICATED TERRAZZO
Courtesy of Dezeen
You’ve probably already heard about our love affair with terrazzo. This application of the material—inside Milan’s Casa Salvatori—feels particularly special with its shifting shapes and varied shades of grey.
ICONIC CARPET
Courtesy of Architectural Digest
You may recall “The Logo” from our recent roundup of the very best David Hicks patterns. A refined classic, this geometric carpet adds a dash of pizzaz to this handsome study.
MODERN MARBLE
Photo: Ioanna Roufopoulou
Though historically regarded as opulent and impractical, marble is making a comeback with modern expressions like the floor pictured above. AREA, an Athens-based design firm, pieced together unlikely scraps to create this graceful arrangement.