This Is The Real Reason Gray Vinyl Flooring Is So Depressing

Gray vinyl flooring started as a simple design trend years ago, but it's somehow turned into a full-blown epidemic. Close your eyes and picture any home or apartment renovated in the past five to ten years. Does it send a wave of sadness over you? Yeah, same. Those gray faux-wood floors are everywhere, whether it's an Airbnb, condo, or renovated rental units. They're usually paired with those harsh LED spotlights and millennial gray walls, mimicking the vibe of a cold, gloomy day. Despite sucking all the warmth and life out of a room, these floors are absolutely everywhere. And once you start noticing them, too, you won't be able to stop.

Personally, these gray vinyl floors take me back to a half-basement rental unit I lived in during college. The place had been freshly renovated, with bright spotlights, crisp white walls, and those gray faux-wood vinyl floors. While the unit was undeniably modern and clean, I couldn't help but feel like I lived in a chilly, soulless home. I covered the floors with warm colored fuzzy rugs, added plaids to my bed, and tried several lighting tricks to boost the ambience and warm up the place (no big lights allowed). No matter what I did, the place felt cold, and no, it wasn't just because I went to college in Canada.

The issue is that gray vinyl floors are devoid of any warmth, associated with temporary (rather than forever) homes. Science shows that warm tones can make us feel happier, more energetic, and overall more comfortable. Oranges, yellows, and reds remind us of a sunny summer day or evening by the fire. Gray, as opposed to natural wood colors, doesn't have any of those hues. Even the warmest of grays are, at the end of the day, the product of mostly black and white.

Millennial gray repeatedly divides the internet, and for good reasons. Whether it's used for walls, floors, or furniture, it's as popular as it is hated. It's associated with millennials, who favored a clean and minimal aesthetic that contrasted with their parents' homes, which were typically full of carpets, hardwood, and upholstery. While there's nothing wrong with modern simplicity, it's possible we took it a bit too far with those sad gray floors. No judgment here: I'm a millennial, too, and I've overindulged in the minimalist home decor department before. The issue with following trends with flooring rather than decor is that it's a commitment that will last several years. As a result, you'll be stuck with something that feels dated, and not in a vintage, timeless way, but in an awkward 2019 way.

Oftentimes, these gray floors are used by house flippers, landlords of rental units, and Airbnb owners. The issue is that these aren't people who plan to ever live in the unit, so they're not projecting themselves waking up there every morning, surrounded by this cold and dated aesthetic. This is especially frustrating for renters, who don't have the ability to customize the home and make significant changes to the space.

Now, I'm not suggesting the only alternative to gray vinyl floors is hardwood floors. Whether you're using sheet or plank vinyl flooring, tons of warm brown options mimic the look of natural wood. On top of making the space feel cozier and happier, these warm brown finishes will stand the test of time. Warm wood tones aren't trendy like gray floors. Instead, they've been tried and tested over centuries and will likely never go out of style.