Cardi B's bold flooring has invoked a mixed reaction among designers – but all agree it has its benefits

Interior designers are split on Cardi B's flooring choice

cardi b
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Best Rap Album Grammy winner Cardi B isn't afraid to be bold. The rapper's confident personality extends beyond her music to inform her interior design. A recent Instagram photo picturing Cardi B in her home's entryway reveals the lacquered, striped tan and black floors making a strong statement in the artist's foyer. While this choice is divisive, the benefits of her powerful flooring choice outweigh the potential drawbacks.

The first thing designers note about Cardi B's flooring idea is that it's a controversial choice. Rotem Eylor, flooring expert and founder of Republic Floor, states: 'Either you love it or you hate it. There is not really an in-between because of how drastic the design is.' As opposed to more traditional wood flooring, patterned floors are much more likely to evoke a strong reaction.

rotem eylor of republic flooring
Rotem Eylor

Rotem Eylor is the hands-on CEO and Founder of Republic Floor, a successful flooring company based in California and Texas. Republic Floor manufactures a huge range of waterproof engineered flooring options that are widely used across the US.

However, just because the look isn't for everyone doesn't mean decorating with stripes on the floor is not the perfect choice for some. Rotem Eylor says, 'This is a bold design statement. Walking through the door to Cardi's home, your eyes are immediately drawn to this dramatic flooring. It represents a modern and luxurious feel.' Whether created with floor tiles or a painted floor, choosing a patterned floor ensures that it becomes an intriguing focal point of the room.

'The bold choice is a perfect choice for an entryway,' adds Jennifer Ebert digital editor of Homes & Gardens. 'As the first point of contact with your home, the entryway is the first opportunity to make an impression on guests. More importantly, this is the first thing you'll see when you enter your own home, so it must spark joy. In Cardi's home, striped floors accomplish this effect.'

Jennifer Ebert
Jennifer Ebert

Jen is the Editor (Digital) of Homes & Gardens. Before starting this position, she had completed various interior design courses at KLC Design School, as well as working across Ideal Home, LivingEtc, 25 Beautiful Homes and Country Homes & Interiors as an interiors writer.

When choosing a bold flooring option such as stripes, it's important to pair them with neutral-painted walls for a balanced look. Rotem told H&G: 'Having neutral walls will allow the floor to be the main attraction, making a fashion statement. A neutral backdrop is needed for this design because of the intensity it brings.'


Entryways are the perfect place to be a bit bolder in your decor as they are pretty transitional spaces - they are high traffic but no one actually spends a lot of time in the space so you won't tire of bolder colors and patterns. Plus the floor is more unexpected than walls and less likely to overwhelm these usually smaller rooms too.

Sophie Edwards
News Editor

I am a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens. My interests lie at the intersection of design and popular culture with a particular focus on trends and celebrity homes. Before joining Future, I worked as a Content Writer and Communications Lead for Fig Linens and Home, a luxury linens and home interiors brand based in Fairfield County, CT. I have a BA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology.