When designing the interior of your twenty foot single shipping container using just two colours can enhance depth and space. When you have double the shipping container area, your colour choices will change.
As a general guide when decorating your shipping container home, interior designers will choose a lighter softer floor colour with darker furniture and cabinets. Giving the impression of greater depth and openness. This combo works well for single and multi shipping container rooms.
An adventurous action is to use a gloss white on the container floor and gloss black on cupboards to bring a sense of depth and space in a reflective dramatic environment.
Of course such glossy colours also brings the greatest downside. That being one lonely visible scratch and you lose the WOW factor. You can of course buff it out!
Soft Colour Flooring
Soft floor colour provides an opportunity to highlight the walls and ceiling of the room. This is advantageous when the room is small.
Cabinets and furniture are usually the most dominant feature of a room. However, room size, natural light and personal design preferences all play a part in creating a balanced feel.
These are factors to take into consideration when choosing colours.
Simplistic Design
Many interior designs will suggest a simple approach that will produce a pleasing design. Go for a softer floor colour with darker furniture or cabinets.
You can choose light and dark from the same colour range, as in gray shades. Or you can as an example, choose a light yellow floor colour and dark blue cabinets.
Walls can follow the floor colour, being interrupted by dark cabinets and dark furniture.
Furniture and Cabinet Colour
Typically, darker cabinets and furniture are coupled with a softer floor color to break up the space and to prevent the room from feeling too enclosed.
With soft cabinet colours, there’s often a greater diversity of flooring choices.
Flooring Durability
In selecting flooring options consider the quality of the various choices on offer. Consider their durability and slip-resistance as most important.
They are also crucial to the overall aesthetic, and color including how this complements cabinet and furniture ideas.
There are guides you can follow to find the best kitchen floor. Your choice will allow you to create the right aesthetic in the room.
Darker Cabinets and a Soft Floor Colour
Here are strategies you can adopt that promise to bring great results.
For example black furniture with exposed off-white painted wall and floor, and black cabinetry. A simple approach that will produce a pleasing design.
Simplistic soft floor colour and darker cabinet finish does produce pleasing results.
Softer Floor Colour to Focus on Cabinets
A softer floor colour is also recommended when you want the cabinets to be the stars of the show.
Often the floor is the largest surface area in the room, so it’s one of the biggest influences on the look and feel of the overall space.
If you want your cabinets to take center stage, interior designers will often advise on going softer colouring on the floors.
Ornate Cabinetry
If you have invested in serious cabinetry, or the cabinets are particularly ornate or detailed, then you don’t want to detract from them.
Consider toning the floor down to create a plain canvas that helps the cabinets appear prominent.
The Floor Colour Exception
There is an exception to the softer floor colour rule. It applies to bigger rooms. For example you marry two containers together creating a larger open space.
To make a larger room space feel more intimate, an interior designer will suggest darker flooring paired with mid-toned neutral cabinets and furniture.
This can add a feeling of comfort without minimizing the spacious feel of the room.
Windows and Lighting
If windows are dominant, adding darker features in a north-facing room will make the room seem smaller and colder.
A dark floor could, of course be necessary to create the aesthetic you’re hankering after.
A interior designer may suggest darker floors if you want to create a really dramatic effect. Opting for a dark floor is perfect as it’ll help to make the room feel really moody.
You can even pair dark furniture with a darker floor in similar tones to make a real statement.
Neutral Floor Colours
There’s a flooring choice that can look great whether cabinets are soft or dark.
Using a neutral wood floor or stone floor will generally work well with any style or color of cabinet.
As your container has wooden flooring, you may want to consider this option. Wood can be refurbished and stained to offer a neutrality to highlight furniture choices.
Wood or Stone Flooring
The texture of wood or stone will ensure bland isn’t an issue.
When keeping with light cabinets and soft colour flooring, an interior designer may recommend using different textured countertop ideas and floors to introduce depth and detail.
Don’t Use the Same Shade
The one recommendation to take seriously is don’t have both floor and cabinets in exactly the same shade.
Unless you can mix it up a bit.
A subtle two-tone effect over different cabinets will break up the shade. Even a pattern of some kind on the floor can provide separation. Even just in terms of how it is laid.
Should a Room Floor be Dark?
A room floor shouldn’t necessarily be dark. But it can be. Going for a dark room floor is practical.
Darker floors are generally more forgiving in terms of durability and maintenance.
Reflecting Light
A dark colour can also absorb the light rather than reflect it. If light is restricted, go for something paler and more neutral.
A soft colour floor will help to reflect light.
Where you have a more compact or darker room, then consider the floor as a surface that is there to assist in bouncing more light in and around the space.
Aesthetics and Light
The best color for floors depends on the aesthetic you want to create. Also how much light the room receives.
Always consider floor color as part of the overall palette for the room, which includes cabinets and countertops, and furniture too.
Three Options to Consider
As a general rule, you might choose from three options:
- the first of which is a neutral stone or wood floor, which will have enduring style and can be combined with your preferred shades for cabinets and countertops.
- Alternatively, select a decorative material such as floor tile or vinyl flooring. Choose complementary or tonal colors to create harmony.
- Don’t be afraid to try contrasting colors like a black and white monochromatic scheme to spice things up.
You might like our post Painting Your Inner Container Home for futher inspiration.
Conclusion
Your colour scheme is something you should control. Afterall, this is a room you will occupy. Your personal living space be it kitchen, dining, or even study room.
If you choose to consult an interior designer let them know the colours you prefer so that they can incorporate into their design for you.
The comfort of a room should reflect you. Not someone elses ideal. When you walk into the room, ask yourself… is it yours, or anothers?
The best you can do is have fun planning, creating, and enjoying your room.
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