Test your floor in the showroom: why touching and trial-laying matter.
Every floor looks good on a screen. Whether it suits your room depends on light, surface and how it works with your walls and furniture – and you check that best with full planks in your hands.
A floor stays with you for many years. Yet the decision is often made from photos or a small sample. In the showroom you see what no photo shows: how the decor reacts to light, how the surface feels and how the floor looks across a whole area.
1 · Light: why the same floor looks three different ways
Colour only exists in light. The same oak tone can look cool in the morning, neutral at midday and golden in the evening.
- Orientation: North light is cool and even, so decors look greyer. South and west light is warmer and strengthens golden tones.
- Artificial light: Warm-white lamps (around 2,700–3,000 kelvin) boost yellow and red tones; neutral white (around 4,000 kelvin) shows the decor more plainly.
- Raking light: With floor-to-ceiling windows, light falls flat across the floor. Texture, joints and sheen then show very clearly.
How to test in the showroom: Take a plank to the window, then hold it under a spotlight. A decor you like in both usually works at home too.
2 · Touch: surface, warmth and sound
- Surface: Run your fingertips over the plank. With synchronised embossing, the texture follows the grain – knots and pores are where you see them.
- Sheen: Look across the surface at a low angle. Super-matt surfaces barely reflect and look like oiled wood.
- Warmth: Take your shoes off. An SPC floor with integrated underlay feels warmer and softer than tiles. COREPEL is 6 mm thick including a 1 mm IXPE underlay and suitable for underfloor heating.
- Sound: Walk a few steps. A hollow, clicking sound gets annoying in daily life. COREPEL reduces impact sound by 20 dB.
- Click: Join two planks yourself and see how easy the Välinge 2G click system is.
3 · Trial-lay: bigger than A4
A small sample shows colour, not the effect across a floor. Only several planks side by side show the joints, the flow of the grain and how calm or lively the floor looks.
- Lay out 4–5 full planks, staggered the way they will be installed.
- Look from standing height and from 2–3 metres away, not just from above.
- Take planks from two packs to see whether the decor repeats quickly – with COREPEL not before plank 10.
Ask your dealer whether you can borrow full planks or a trial area, so you can check the effect at home in daylight and in the evening.
4 · Three decors compared
More than three decors tends to confuse. Shortlist 2–3 favourites and compare them directly side by side. An example with three bestsellers from the Premium Wood collection:
Nature Oak
- Look
- A classic oak tone, knot-free, clear and well balanced.
- Light
- Stays natural in cool north light and under neutral-white lamps, with no yellow cast.
- Works with
- Modern architecture, light walls, grey and black accents.
- Check in the showroom
- Next to light furniture: is there enough contrast, or does it all blend?
Warm Oak
- Look
- A golden-brown oak that brings warmth, knot-free.
- Light
- Balances cool north light. In evening sun and under warm-white lamps the golden tone gets stronger.
- Works with
- Living rooms and bedrooms, natural tones, textiles, wooden furniture.
- Check in the showroom
- In the evening under your own lighting: still warm, or already yellow?
Brown Oak
- Look
- A deep brown with an elegant presence, no knots.
- Light
- Needs light: elegant in large, bright rooms; heavier in small, dark ones.
- Works with
- Clear, calm interiors with light walls for contrast.
- Check in the showroom
- How visible are light dust and marks on the dark surface?
5 · Checklist for your showroom visit
Bring:
- Photos of the room in daylight and in the evening
- A floor plan or room dimensions
- A sample of your wall colour, a cabinet front or a photo of your doors
- Details of the subfloor: tiles, screed or wood, with or without underfloor heating
Ask:
- Can I take full planks or a trial area home?
- Which direction should I lay the floor in?
- How much do I need including offcuts, and how long is delivery?
- Is there an installation service, and what does it cost per m²?
Read more about decor, sheen and laying direction in Flooring due diligence, part 2: the right design.
Matching floors
Find your floor in 5 clicks.
Floor Studio shows you the three COREPEL floors that suit your room – and your dealer prepares the quote.
START FLOOR STUDIOFrequently asked questions
Why does the floor look different at home than in the showroom?
Because the light, wall colours and furniture are different. Showrooms are often lit evenly and neutrally, while light at home changes through the day. So test full planks at home, in the morning and in the evening.
How many decors should I compare?
Two or three. More options do not make the decision better, just less certain. Compare your favourites side by side in the same light.
Does an SPC floor feel cold?
No, much less than tiles. COREPEL has an integrated 1 mm IXPE underlay and is suitable for underfloor heating.
Which decor suits a north-facing room?
North light is cool. Warmer tones such as Warm Oak balance it, neutral tones such as Nature Oak stay plain. Test both in your own room before you decide.