Laminate floors gave homeowners a less expensive way to achieve the look of traditional hardwood floors. However, there is a rich quality that hardwood offers that cannot be matched with laminate. It's not necessary to make a choice between one type or the other. Both types of flooring can complement each other and really shine. With a sensible pairing, homeowners can achieve a uniform look throughout their home with only two different flooring materials.

Styling Matches

By utilizing a laminate floor’s variety in styles and the different species of hardwood floors, finding a set that matches in style and grain is very easy. Both hardwoods and laminates come in the entire range of wood colors from dark and elegant to light and casual. You wouldn’t want to find a perfect match since different floor types will weather differently, but picking complementary colors will work perfectly. Entire areas of a home can be matched together, including wooden parts of furniture, china closets, and dining room suites.

Open Floor Plans

One of the emerging trends for home remodeling and new construction is the use of open floor plans. By removing walls and combining spaces, many rooms are no longer separated by distinct transitions such as a door or walkway. This means the floors in both rooms share a much larger common space and can both be seen at once, which requires a harmonious design and complementary styles.

This can create a problem when the dining room, living room, and kitchen all meet. Normally, hardwood floors do not do well with moisture, making them a less than ideal candidate for use in the kitchen. However, laminate materials do withstand moisture better than their hardwood counterparts do and can be used in the kitchen. This pairing keeps a home’s design intact through multiple rooms without having to compromise by putting a floor type in a harsh environment.

Similar scenarios can occur between other combinations of rooms. A laminate floor that is made to look like tile can also make a pleasing transition when considering a bathroom, mudroom, or utility room.

Value Additions

Many homeowners and builders strive to increase the value of homes with renovations and upgrades. Since laminate flooring is less expensive than hardwoods, their use can reduce the cost of re-doing the floors in a house. By using a less expensive material for highlights, transitions, and smaller spaces, a home can keep the hardwood look at a budget price. Especially in an older home with gloriously aged hardwood floors, one would be loathe to remove them. An economical solution is to design around them during a remodeling project by supplementing with laminate floors.

Often seen at odds, laminate and hardwood floors can be used to achieve a great synergy in a home. Some sales personnel might try to make the case that laminate is superior to hardwood at a lower price. The reality is that both floors have their uses and they can be paired together to bring out the best aspects of both hardwood and laminate. By keeping an open mind, more design choices become available.