The floor must be the starting point to choose the colours of the other structural parts of the house, the walls and ceiling, as well as the furnishings. Here is some advice from colour designer Francesca Valan.

During the renovation works in a house or when buying a new home, the first thing to choose to define the style of the interiors is the floor. As colour designer Francesca Valan had already told us in an interview (link to previous post), the floor is the most important choice, because it is an almost permanent one.

1. The floor
I spoke of “your own style” because following our own personal taste is the starting point to create a home that truly reflects us and where we feel at ease right from the start. As well as considering your own taste, you should also bear in mind the place where you live: maintaining continuity with the characteristic colours of a region – colours dictated by nature as well as by traditional architecture – may seem an excessive concern, however Valan explains that this is a way of laying some sort of “foundations” for the harmonious colour scheme of a house. My third and last piece of advice to decide on the flooring: it is best to opt for muted shades. Indeed, bright floor colours have too much bearing on subsequent choices, from the colour of the walls to the door and window frames and furniture.

2. The walls
“The first rule – says Francesca Valan – is to avoid wall colours that clash with the floor colours, because this might interfere with the final effect”. Moreover, ”if you have chosen a marble base agglomerate floor (such as Sm Marble New York in the photo above), take one of the colours in the mix, preferably the lightest one, and use it on the walls.”
In general, the walls and ceiling must be lighter than the floor in the whole house, except for the sleeping area, where the concept can be reversed. This is a rule dictated by nature: during the day, the sky is lighter than the earth and it is darker at night. The important thing is for the floor and ceiling not to be the exact same colour, as this creates an unpleasant ‘sandwich’ effect.

3. The furnishings
The closer we get to mobile items, the more daring we can be with the colours and décor. However, be careful if the floor is already textured. The furniture, especially the key pieces such as the kitchen, sofas, bookcase and wardrobes, should be in plain colour (see examples in the photos below). Perhaps even in contrasting colours, as Valan explains that “it is easier to match colours than textures,” adding that, ”once the basics have been chosen and there is a general order, you can start to create a bit of visual disorder”. Then it’s a matter of playing around with the details, with the decorative elements: cushions, linens, towels, tablecloths, which can be selected in the colours and patterns of your choice, as they will certainly last less than the rest.

Marble base agglomerate floor by Santamargherita, Sm Marble New York®.

Elena Cattaneo