When planning to remodel the interior of a home, it’s essential to have a clear picture as to how you want the finished home to look.
As a contractor, sometimes you get lucky and work with a family that already has this crystal clear image. Often, clients are overwhelmed with choices and they may look to you for guidance!
You can help them make the right decisions to match their doors and floors by following some simple design tips.
Whether you are a DIYEr, contractor or designer, it is easy to overlook an essential design component…the interior doors! Doors are an essential home product that can become a feature, with the right eye for design.
Doors should go well with everything in the home, from floor to ceiling for a beautiful and balanced final product.
Floors are easily one of the most impactful components of a home design, but flooring can change from room to room. How do you ensure that you have harmony between both floors and doors?
Same door, different color
Many people prefer one style of interior door for their entire home, which creates a sense of cohesion and balance throughout the space.
If this is the look your client is going for, you will need to make sure that the door will match the flooring in every room. One great way to accomplish this is to help your client select a door that can be easily customized.
A door like the Retro 2P comes pre-primed in white, which means it can be easily painted to match the color palette of each room in your client’s home. This allows for variation with the same theme.
Consider how the color door will influence the rest of the space if it stays open. Does the color that matches the carpet of the bedroom also look good with the wood floor in the hallway?
Too matchy-matchy
Keep in mind that two items that almost look the same, but aren’t quite identical, may distract the eye more than two completely distinct pieces.
There needs to be enough contrast to show that it was intentional, otherwise it may look like a near-miss.
If the floor in the bathroom is brown, finding a color of paint for the door that matches exactly might prove difficult. Aim for complementary color as opposed to trying to make an exact match.
A color palette can be a great inspiration to help create depth to each room.
Grey is still trending
Grey shows no sign of abandoning it’s post as the go-to color choice for interior design. Doors and floors are no exception!
The minimalist Washington would look striking in a cool grey. Grey is a great choice if you want to blend a diversity of colors and style.
If this is going to be the color for all of the doors in the home you are remodeling, make sure it is a shade of grey that will match the variety of floors in the home. Grey comes in a wide range of tones, from green to blue to brown.
Not all shades will be able to flow from that beautiful red terracotta floor to the white carpet of your bedroom. Help your client select a variety of paint swatches to do comparisons in each room.
Natural wood or painted?
Some people may prefer the raw and rustic look of natural wood, where others may prefer the uniformity of painted wood. It is definitely a matter of personal taste, but as the one holding the big picture vision, you will need to keep a few things in mind.
- Too many different shades of natural wood in the home might clash. An oak floor might not look great with a door in the shade of maple. Select and test stains that complement the natural beauty of the floor.
- A smooth, painted door might not be the best fit for your rustic, hand painted kitchen floor tiles.
Provide your client with options. For example, Eightdoors’ trendy barn door is available both in it’s rustic natural wood grain and an elegant white paint.
Different doors throughout the home
Some people prefer to choose different styles of doors throughout their home for a more individualistic look. Some rooms might call for a different type of door all together.
For example, a bifold door like the Flat Louver Shaker might be appropriate for a laundry closet, but not as a bedroom door in a family home.
If you will be installing different doors throughout the house, follow the same design tips as laid out above.
Make sure the color matches the flooring, and that the alternative doors are complementary to the other doors in the home. Remember, they do not have to be an exact match with the floor, but they do have to harmonize.
How to make sure doors coordinate with floors
Having an imagine in your mind is great, but it is always a good idea to make sure things line up in the physical world.
Adquire a couple flooring samples and bring them along as you look at doors in the showroom. Seeing the textures in person will help you make an informed decision.
When it’s not possible to go to the showroom, online door retailers can help you visualize what their products may look like in various rooms. Make sure that the dimensions and all other specs are listed, so you know what you are getting!
Check out Eightdoors’ products online at, Wayfair, Lowes and Home Depot.
