Interior designer shares a clever flooring layout trick to make any room look bigger

When looking for ways to improve the size of a room, we wouldn't normally look to the floor- but according to an interior designer, we should be. 

Yes, the position of your tiles or floorboards has a lot to answer for when it comes to the overall appearance of a room. As an interior designer reveals, it's important to give careful thought to your floor when considering your next home decor project. 

'Choosing the right type of flooring in terms of the pattern it creates can go a long way to making a space appear larger. I like to use wood on a diagonal- the room will seem bigger than it is,' shared Irene Gunter, interior designer and founder of Gunter&Co Interiors.

Read more: Striking hallway floor ideas

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)

She continued, emphasizing the power of tiles in improving the appearance and size in a room:

'When it comes to tiling, I always prefer tiles where you don't obviously see where one starts or stops, making the floor appear seamless. Mosaics, large marble slabs, or quirky geometric shapes can all be used to achieve this- especially when using bright colors like a powder blue.'

'Whatever you do, try to avoid standard 60x60cm tiles as they usually divide the room into squares, accentuating that not too many of them fit,' Irene added. 

(Image credit: The Hairpin Leg Company)

If you've already found yourself thinking about flooring this week, it may be because it was also discussed by renowned interior designer Kelly Hoppen on ITV's This Morning.

In response to a caller on This Morning, Kelly emphasized the flooring's ability to make a room feel instantly larger. She began by urging the caller to 'use a beautiful wood' in her hallway before telling her to lay the wood lengthwise to make the room feel bigger.

(Image credit: Paul Raeside)

'It is going to make it look a lot longer and wider if you put the planks lengthwise,' she shared.

In a conversation with another caller, Kelly further highlighted her layout tip, suggesting this versatile hack will work in all rooms of your house, and is especially important as a kitchen flooring idea.

.'Have them going the same way as your kitchen is running,' Kelly instructed before reminding the viewers that the layout is 'really important.' 

For more advice on how to transform a space Little Greene's creative director shares her clever painting trick to make narrow hallways feel lighter.