So you've got your floor, you've prepared your subfloor and you're ready to install it - now what? Well, just before we get those boards put down, you need to decide: what's the best angle for your floor?
Board direction is only really a concern for real wood or wood-effect boards. The shape of the plank and the direction of the grain are the main things that affect how your floor looks.
There are two main things to consider when picking a direction: where light enters the room, and where people enter the room. For example, if light enters the room from a big, main window on the South side of the room, the floor should be laid from North to South (and not East to West). Laying your floor like this will let the light scatter across the grain, highlighting the beautiful textures.It might be, however, that the light comes from many sides, leaving you without a clear direction to lay your floor. If this is the case, we recommend laying boards lengthways away from where most people will enter and view the room. For example, if you enter a kitchen from the West, then it makes sense to have the planks laid East to West. Laying your floor in this direction will make it seem particularly impressive, and hopefully give the illusion that your room is bigger than it is.
Of course, it's all personal preference, and really there's nothing stopping you from laying your boards at a jaunty angle just to make a statement, but these are the two main approaches recommended by designers and floor experts alike.
