What Flooring Colors for Formica Multicolored Countertops?

Existing Colors

• The color of your flooring needs to coordinate with any other colors you have in the room, as well as with the colors in the countertop. Look at the colors in the room that you cannot easily change. These include the colors of the cabinet doors, the wall color, the blinds or curtains, and even the color or metallic tone of your appliances and cabinet door hardware. Consider also how the flooring in the room relates to the flooring in the rest of your house, and how it looks when it touches the flooring in adjacent rooms. Contrasting, or different, floor coverings need something to place between them to form a transition

Style and Practicality

• The style of your room, and indeed the interior decor of the rest of your house, affect the color of flooring you choose. If your room is country-style, then a warm color, perhaps in a natural pattern such as wood or terra-cotta tile, fits in. If your room is contemporary or minimalist, a dark dramatic color may suit it, or perhaps a black and white pattern of tiles. Consider also the practicality of different colors. Dark colors easily reveal any lint or light-colored debris, while lighter colors show scuff marks.

Color Relationships

• Taking all this into account, select one or two colors from your multicolored Formica top. For a monotone effect, choose the main color, the one that you notice first, from the countertop. For a harmonious look, choose colors that are similar or next to each other on the color wheel. For a more dramatic appearance, choose a color that is different from the main color, or select two colors that are in contrast, and are opposite each other on the color wheel.

Warm and Cool Colors

• Color theorists advise keeping all your colors either in the warm or the cool family. Warm colors are red, yellow and orange, and cool colors include blue and green. However, warm colors can have cool undertones, such as a bluish red, and cool colors can have a warm appearance, such as a reddish purple. Browns usually have a warm appearance, as do natural woods, whatever their color. Natural stone, including slate and granite, may be in the cool blue-gray range but have warm tones of yellow or red. Be aware of the temperature family of your colors, but use this advice as a guideline and not as a rule.