A good rug does so much to soften, warm up, and add texture to a space, so we persevere whenever possible. At the same time, bare floors can be a very good look if you're not up for investing in a rug just yet—the key is to add back the softness, warmth, and texture in other ways. The main thing you need, of course, is a floor you don't mind seeing all the time. (Also: many, many felt furniture pads, so your furniture doesn't scratch it!) Proof that we did not make this up: the very exposed floors yet totally cozy looking rooms in the following homes, plus how the designers kept the spaces from feeling cold.
With all the super-vibrant colors going on in photographer Annie Schlechter's Manhattan apartment, having more in a rug would just be redundant; the warm wood of the floor lends a grounding effect.
A variety of textures in the room—plush velvet upholstery, dark leather, antiqued glass—all help keep the bare floors in Thom Browne's living room from feeling stark.
When UK-based designer Mark Lewis revamped an unused single-car garage into a cozy bedroom, a bevy of rustic accents from exposed brick walls to well-worn wood floors ensured that the final room would be plenty inviting without carpet underfoot.
In fashion designer Francisco Costa's NYC apartment, perfectly gray-washed wood parquet is topped with black and white accents—and lots of warm neutrals, too, which warm up the super subtle finish on the floors.
Painted wood floors, like the crisp white ones in designer Patrick Mele's home, beg to be shown off in full (though a little fuzzy upholstery and__shelves full of books__ don't hurt).
In the Mexico City home of architect Francisco Pardo, cool gray walls and brass accents provide a counterweight to all the warm wood tones in the floor and furniture.
A brand-new roomful of chevron wood floors, as in this townhouse by architect Elizabeth Roberts, would be criminal to cover up. The flooring pattern itself is what keeps the room from feeling too sparse.
