Written by Mya Stolte March 24 2022

When you are shopping for new flooring, it may seem like a no brainer to take a sample of your choice home with you. But not everyone sees the value in it. Here’s why I think you should always take home flooring samples.

#1 You want to compare against your existing flooring in other adjoining areas

While this isn’t a relevant need in every home, such as new builds or complete renovations, it is helpful to put a possible flooring choice up against your existing flooring. If you are redoing your Kitchen floors, and your dining room runs right up to it, you’ll want the floors to be cohesive. Making sure that the colours, as well as the styles match, is a must.

#2 The stores lighting is not the same as yours

I can almost guarantee that the lighting in the store that you have borrowed a sample from, is different than the lighting in your own home. Lighting changes everything! What appears a shade too dark in the store, might be exactly what you’re looking for as soon as you put it in front of that big window in your dining room.

#3 Accessories make or break the space

When choosing a new floor, it’s important to match what you already own. A huge part of your home is taken up by cabinets, furniture, and window coverings. Now, it is fairly simple and inexpensive to replace a couple of these things, it would be incredibly unfortunate to have your new hardwood installed and find that it clashes with your kitchen cabinets and countertops. An easy fix is to bring home flooring or tile samples ahead of time to save yourself from disappointment and frustration down the road.

#4 PAINT!!

Unless you are already planning on repainting your home, your floors NEED to be put up against you walls to see if the colours match. Even if you have a paint chip to bring into the store, the same lighting situation applies. Bring it into your home and check.

#5 You can take it as a tag along to other contractors

Especially when building a new home, doing a large renovation, or putting up and addition, you are usually involved with many different trades. So take your flooring sample to the kitchen cabinet guys, to the painters, and even to the furniture/appliance store. You want every aspect to go together to complete your vision.

#6 Get other peoples opinions

Of course this isn’t true for everyone, but if you live with other people (especially if that other person is footing the bill) you should get their opinions on colour, style, size, and price. Some of our customers have even invited their girlfriends over to have a glass of wine and discuss flooring samples. It can be a fun group decision!

#7 Do your own research

If you have the sample home, it’s much easier to google the name and manufacturer of that particular product, which can ease your mind and give tips on installation.

BONUS: Bring home multiple samples, even the ones that you’re not sure about. You’ll have something to compare your first choice to, and you might be surprised that your second choice matches your space better. If you still decide against your alternate sample, then it’s no harm done and you’ve covered all of your bases just in case.