How to use leftover laminate flooring after renovation? Most people have to solve this problem after replacing the floor covering. Of course, you can simply store them or throw them away, but there are much more interesting ways to use excess finishing materials. They make excellent kitchen aprons and window trims, shelves and drawers, decorative screens and clocks. And some even manage to decorate the ceiling using laminate. The most interesting ideas on where to use leftover laminate flooring with photo examples and detailed descriptions are collected in this article.
Kitchen apron
When deciding what to do with the remains of the laminate, it is worth paying attention to the fact that this coating was originally used in the cladding of kitchen countertops. It has sufficient wear resistance, looks attractive, and is easy to install. An apron made of laminate or its remnants is suitable for functional areas located outside the work triangle. They can be used to decorate the wall under cabinets, corner areas between furniture pieces.
The idea of a kitchen apron made of laminate covered with glass looks interesting. This will protect it from excess moisture and make cleaning the surface easier. Such a detail in the interior can be mosaic or classic, in the form of tightly fitted planks that form a solid canvas. An apron made of laminate or its remnants goes well with cutting boards and coasters made of the same material.
Mosaic
Often, after repairs, there are pieces of different floor coverings that differ in appearance, color, and texture. They are used to make a mosaic, which is suitable for creating a picture, a functional area or finishing an entire wall. Various interior items are also decorated with mosaics. It is important that all materials have approximately the same thickness and similar technical parameters. Lay out the mosaic in any order on a sheet of plywood, starting from the border. This decor looks very beautiful if its outline is dark and the center is light.
Laminate furniture
Not all home craftsmen consider the opportunity to make furniture with their own hands from leftover laminate flooring. But this material lives up to expectations. Having 1-2 whole packages of lamellas at your disposal, you can make the following from the leftover laminate:
- Wardrobe for the nursery. A lightweight storage system suitable for toys, small books, and clothes. Such a piece of furniture, made in the same color as the floor, looks especially interesting. Drawers, shelves, and lintels are made from the remains of the floor boards. It is better to choose an all-wood frame.
- Coffee table. It also looks impressive in the same color as the floor. To make the entire structure from scraps, you will need a machine that can cut the elements without chipping. It is better to make the legs from solid wood, covering them with lamellas.
- Shoe rack in the hallway. It uses a solid frame, complemented by laminated lintels and a top panel. The shoe rack can be multi-tiered - this will give it additional functionality.
- Wardrobe on the balcony for storing various household utensils.
Beautiful and practical furnishings made from laminate remnants can look no worse than factory ones if you take care of giving them the right shine. All cuts must be as neat as possible. It is better to protect the ends by painting or applying special sealants.
Shelves and drawers
Original shelves and drawers, racks made with your own hands from leftover laminate flooring can fit quite harmoniously into the interior of a house or apartment. They are collected taking into account the low load-bearing capacity of the material. Such designs are suitable for storing household small items - boxes, figurines, souvenirs. When attached directly to the wall, they are mounted on corners or brackets. The fixation of shelves in a rack made of laminate and its remains will be more reliable when installed in a groove cut into the edge of the base.
Boxes and drawers are popular elements in living spaces and storage rooms. They can easily be assembled from the lamellas remaining after repair, obtaining complete storage systems for household chemicals and tools, books and stationery, and toys. The frame for attaching light planks is made of chipboard, MDF or solid wood. You can literally assemble a box from 2-3 planks and scraps, fasten the lid on hinges, and make internal jumpers. In addition to the connection, the locks use self-tapping screws and glue in tubes, squeezed out through a gun. In the garage, such a “chest” can be used to store tools. Drawers on guides are combined with shelving to create a complete storage system.
Countertop finishing
When thinking about what can be made from pieces of laminate and where to put its scraps, you should pay attention to the work surfaces in the kitchen, dining area or office. The tables here are often used for decades, but over time they lose their former presentability. A new coating, assembled into a lock from the remains of the laminate, will allow you to easily and quickly update this piece of furniture without much expense. First, the number of planks and their laying scheme are calculated. The excess will have to be carefully sawed off with a jigsaw and the edges processed, protecting them from moisture.
The finishing of the countertop from the remnants of the laminate can be contrasting or to match the floor. Typesetting options with color transitions or contrasting inserts look interesting. They give the table covering a special originality and go well with glass coverings and transparent tablecloths.
For a kitchen set, a new covering of the work area from leftover laminate will help give greater functionality. Laying is carried out using liquid nails, on top of a well-degreased and cleaned old base. The edges are protected with silicone sealant, which prevents the penetration of moisture. This way you can significantly update a set that has lost its original appearance. The only thing worth considering is that the material is not suitable for placement next to a sink or other sources of high humidity. Constantly in contact with water, the lamellas will swell, lose strength, and the locking connections will become unreliable.
Read more about making a countertop in the article “How to make a countertop from leftover laminate flooring with your own hands.”
What will you need?
The work of finishing walls with laminate is not complicated, but may still require certain equipment. The required set, which may vary depending on the type of installation chosen, includes:
- perforator;
- mallet;
- jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- spatulas;
- measuring devices;
- building level.
You will also need the laminate itself and glue if the adhesive fixation method is chosen. In some cases, the need for spatulas can be avoided if liquid nails are used. They are usually packaged in a special tube, from which they are squeezed directly onto the underside of the lamellas.
Wall finishing with laminate - photo
On a note! To increase adhesion when using the adhesive method, it is best to first clean the surface of the walls from dust and prime them.
Design of window or door slopes
What interesting things can you make from leftover laminate flooring with your own hands? If large format planks are available, you can use them when lining window and door openings. Laminate slopes look quite attractive and go well with other wood-look elements in the interior.
You can also use this material for finishing arched elements and window sills. Here, laminate cladding will allow you to create a complete design solution. If you just want to slightly update the interior, you can decorate the door with the remaining slats, and not just the elements framing it. This laminate coating is fixed with liquid nails.
Types of locks for installation
The plates are equipped with locks so that they can be fastened when stacked together. There are three types of locks:
- Lock. The protrusion on one plate connects to a recess on the other, which matches the shape of the protrusion. The main disadvantage is that the mount wears out quickly. It cannot be disassembled and reassembled in another place.
- Click. The design of the lock allows you to “snap” it by connecting the plates at an angle. Over time, the lock does not come apart. The coating can be disassembled, moved to another place and reassembled.
- Uniclic. Assembly is faster and easier than with other types of locks. Quick step laminate produced using this technology looks very decent in the interior of any room. The coating is absolutely flat, suitable for disassembly and installation in a new location.
Laminate is also distinguished by the presence or absence of a chamfer - a beveled edge along the plate. Bevels are used when installing wooden floors to make cracks less noticeable and protect the wood from chipping. Laminate with a chamfer in the interior looks more like natural wood.
Decorative screen for heating radiator
By assembling a box from an old laminate or its remains on a frame, you can create a product that simultaneously has an important functional and decorative purpose. When making such a design - a screen, it is enough to fasten the remaining pieces of material together with a locking connection, and then close the ends with strips or self-adhesive tape. The assembled shield is attached to the corner of the window sill.
Laminate screen for decorating heating radiators. The master's mistake was that he did not leave side holes for air.
Using a decorative screen, you can hide any communication elements that do not fit into the design of the room - pipes, radiators, wiring.
Be sure to leave holes for heat to escape. It is better to do this from above and from the side.
How to choose
When choosing a laminate, you first need to decide on the appropriate quality and technical characteristics: product class, its geometric parameters, thickness, base material, type of locking connection, environmental friendliness, moisture resistance. In this case, the nature of the room, operating features and expected loads on its finishing floor covering are taken into account.
Color examples
It is also very important to decide on the manufacturer of the purchased products. Now that you are confident that the selected laminate model is guaranteed to be suitable for a particular room in terms of quality indicators, it’s time to decide on the decor of the products.
It is the spectacular appearance, a certain texture and color scheme that make it possible to break out of the usual monotony, to combine all the elements of the decor into a single ensemble that corresponds to a certain style and creates a certain mood. It is not necessary to have impeccable artistic taste and understand the intricacies of design art.
It is enough to embody your concepts of coziness and comfort in the created interior, taking into account the options for playing colors, favorable combinations of shades, some rules of interior design and, of course, advice from professionals. Next, we will consider and study some recommendations from practicing masters.
Laminate flooring
Using scraps of laminate or its remnants, you can cover the floor in a small room. The material is not suitable for wet areas in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet. But laminate makes a very stylish covering on the balcony, in the hallway, and in the closet.
Small fragments or 1-2 packages of material are mounted according to the general scheme:
- Drawing and planning the layout.
- Leveling the base.
- Installation of an insulating layer.
- Docking and fastening elements together. In the case of a locking connection, even a difference of 1-2 mm can be critical. You should make sure that the base does not have pronounced differences in height.
- Laying decorative skirting boards around the perimeter of the walls.
Mosaic flooring can be made from laminate in pieces. In this case, it is better to combine several types of materials, as well as assemble the panel on a panel, so that later it can be laid in the selected area.
If you have a staircase in your house or apartment, then you can also use leftover laminate flooring to decorate it.
For more information on how to finish a staircase with laminate, read the article “Features of finishing a staircase with laminate: 3 methods with a step-by-step guide”
Bright shades
There are no restrictions for creating a floor finish in bright colors and using eye-catching designs. In this case, it is important not to disturb the overall atmosphere of the room and remember its main purpose. For example, all colorful and flashy solutions will distract attention and distract you when working in your personal office or in your home library.
You should also avoid visual tension from the resulting surface and the competition of its design with the rest of the surroundings. The resulting coating can be one color or stand out in original contrasting combinations. The design project of such a floor should take into account the size of the lamellas, the choice of successful partner colors, and the frequency of repetition of the pattern or accent.
Winning options: checkerboard laying of multi-colored laminated tiles, the use of sequential installation with the effect of a three-dimensional pattern, laying a monolithic coating of the selected color.
Photo background
Experienced decorators know well that it is possible to make not only practical things for the interior from pieces of laminate, but also elements necessary in the work of a photographer or artist. Photographs of their own work are regularly taken by handicraft lovers and chefs working on individual orders. Products for online stores of craft products are also usually photographed in a spectacular setting. This is where leftover laminate flooring can come in handy.
What is a photophone? This is a specially equipped area, a kind of decoration for the photographer, on which he places objects and objects. Laminated panels with a vintage or bleached effect, imitating noble wood, look especially good here. To create a photo backdrop, you only need a frame and trim strips.
What is the secret of popularity
Laminated multi-layer flooring is made mainly from sawdust, glue and tape. You may be disappointed to find out that the wood grain we see is just an image on top of the base layer underneath.
High quality – perfect appearance
Laminate is a decorative coating and it is laid in a “floating” way, which in turn allows us to install it without compromising quality.
Laying is very similar to the process of assembling a regular construction set
Building materials stores have a wide range of available finishing materials.
Attractive appearance
I suggest you familiarize yourself with the composition and main characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the material.
So, the components:
- protective layer, melamine, acrylic or other special coatings can be used;
- decorating paper film;
- paper layer impregnated with special resins;
- particle board or wood fiber block base;
- cardboard impregnated with paraffin or plastic.
Artificial wood material
The laminated coating is of artificial origin. The elements are connected by compression, so the laminate is a high-pressure product.
This flooring will create a warm, cozy atmosphere and feel additional comfort in the room.
Comfort in your home
In addition, by choosing laminate, you get a durable, space-saving and versatile material for your design project.
Installing laminate flooring is quite simple
Crafts
Hand-made lovers probably already know what can be made from old laminate. Even a coating that has already served its useful life, but is still completely intact, can be reused for its intended purpose.
Among the ideas that allow you to use old laminate in a new way, you can highlight the following options:
- Dollhouse. By replacing wooden planks with laminate, you can significantly lighten its design without giving up the traditional design. The house can have several floors, stairs, doors and windows, as well as many other elements necessary for the game. You can do creativity together with your child. For a boy, you can build a fire station from laminate or an entire race track for cars with jumps and pit stops.
- Bird feeder or birdhouse. The planks are environmentally friendly and quite durable; even a schoolchild can make a small house out of them for feathered guests. Don't forget to stock up on slats to connect the parts.
- A house or bed for a cat. There is a huge scope for imagination here. You can create interesting multi-tiered structures with an emphasis on the wall - cats love to move around, make a bed for a furry pet or a secluded refuge for a mother with babies.
- Caskets and boxes. In such structures, made from ordinary laminate, you can easily store sewing supplies or small items. Several products of different sizes can be placed inside each other, like a nesting doll, or placed on a rack or shelf.
- Garbage container. An interesting solution to make the waste storage area more presentable.
- Toy box. It can be hanging or floor-standing, look like a chest with a lid, or resemble a laundry basket. The main thing is that with such an addition to the room, children quickly and easily learn to put their toys back in their place.
- Holder for network extension cable.
This list of ideas for using leftover material for floor finishing does not end there. It is enough to use your imagination to get truly beautiful and functional things.
Interior decor
When thinking about what kind of decor can be made from leftover laminate flooring, do not forget about the versatility of this material. It’s easy to add originality with it:
- old fireplace;
- headboard;
- table;
- closet;
- children's furniture;
- fill the void on the wall.
A practical and inexpensive laminate can be used to decorate the podium on which furniture is installed, as well as any other architectural structures in the interior of a house or apartment.
Wall or ceiling finishing
Communication elements often disrupt the overall harmony in the interior. But they can be easily hidden behind decorative cladding by making a laminate box on the ceiling. This design can be the same color as the floor or contrasting, as well as the color of the ceiling beams. Sometimes false boxes are even built, especially when it comes to country or eco style.
It is very convenient to use leftover laminate flooring to decorate the ceiling, walls and floor on the balcony. There is a whole article on how to do this on our website: .
The material remaining after the repair is easily collected by connecting it into a groove. In addition, if you cover part of a wall or ceiling with it, you can get a fashionable space zoning effect. This design solution is well suited for a kitchen-dining room or bedroom with a boudoir area. The space above a makeup table, dressing room or rest area looks good in a contrasting design.
Hanger
If there are few boards left, you can use a piece of laminated fabric as the base for a hanger in the dressing room or hallway. It can be given a curly shape, and then hooks for clothes can be attached to the surface. Traditional wood colors go well with brass and bronze fittings.
Watch
An original idea for decorating a room - a clock made from leftover laminate flooring with your own hands. Here you can use the mechanism from any old alarm clocks, including battery-powered ones. The main block is mounted on the back wall of the dial; a hole is drilled in the center to fix the hands. Clocks from the remnants of the laminate can be made into hanging or floor-standing ones, or given a round or square shape. The options that use strips of 2 colors look interesting. You can also make a new frame for an old watch from the remnants of the laminate, giving it originality.
Housekeeper
A handmade key holder made from leftover laminate flooring is suitable for use in the hallway. It is cut out from a single piece of material, attached to the wall along with hooks, or on hanging corners. To ensure that the material is not afraid of moisture, the ends of the key holder are painted or varnished.
The presented examples show how great a laminate key holder, decorated using the decoupage technique, can look.
Panels and mosaics
An unusual laminated panel can become a central element in the design of a wall or partition in a room. The decor from laminate scraps here can be abstract or have a clear pattern. Laying with herringbone, diamonds, and checkerboard patterns is often used, and having several colors of material at your disposal, you can get a really interesting result.
When very small scraps of laminate flooring remain: what can you do with them? From pieces, including irregular shapes and different colors, you can assemble an original decorative element. Mosaic design is suitable for the central part of the floor or a niche in the wall; it can be used when decorating individual areas. A motley insert of pieces of irregular geometric shapes will diversify the traditional design and give it originality.
Directions for board placement
Is the direction of laying laminate important or not? Similar to a natural board, this material can influence our perception of a room.
Not only the height of the walls and the square footage of the room, this can be significantly changed.
Diagonal arrangement
This approach allows you to lay laminate flooring in any room. This is a tedious and uneconomical method as it requires precise calculations and cutting the material at an angle.
Only a master with sufficient experience can lay laminate flooring beautifully. This method is rarely used in decoration.
Horizontal and vertical installation
Horizontal method. The joints form a single line, which should be covered with a plinth and secured to the wall with a dowel. Skirting boards should be located at a distance of no more than 1.5 m from each other. To make the floor durable and distribute the load evenly, cut the laminate into strips before starting work.
When laying slabs horizontally in the interior (as in the photo), the room will appear wider, and when installed vertically, it will appear taller.
Vertical method. Laminate flooring on the wall is laid vertically on a flat surface using glue; there are many layout options; you can combine leftovers from different batches and colors to create a unique interior design.
Let's sum it up
You can do a lot of interesting and useful things with leftover laminate flooring. This material has been appreciated by professional decorators, and today it is increasingly becoming an object of interest for home craftsmen. All you need is to use your imagination. Then even the material remaining after the repair will easily become the basis for new design masterpieces.
The more competently you make calculations before purchasing flooring material, the fewer leftovers you will have. On the page, our experts have posted a detailed guide on how to calculate the required amount of laminate so that you can then use it with minimal waste. However, now you know where to put the excess material. Otherwise, you are limited only by your own imagination, which will certainly suggest other ideas for using such a popular, interesting and practical material.
