Which direction do you lay a wood floor?

[longerdays]

Choices choices. We want a floor leading from front door and narrow hallway through to a kitchen (rectangle) and a lounge (square) and off to one side a downstairs cloakroom. Which way do we lay the wood floor? I would do it north/south so it is away from you as you go through the door but we have been told if you lay across ways then it makes a narrow room seem wider? Are there any rules to this? Thanks

Lengthways down the hallway

I think it would look really odd laid widthwise.

Yes, lengthwise down the hallway.

Def lengthways down the hall.

In other rooms, the general idea is to lay it horizontally/widthways away from the fireplace.

From a practical point of view, if you did the planks width wise you'd probably find that the hallway width is less than or just over a single plank. So, while fitting the floor you might have to cut almost every plank down to size to be fitted. Going length-ways down the hall would probably be more efficient and pleasing to the eye?

Having the flooring lengthwise down the hall will emphasise the narrowness. That's why it's been suggested you have it laid across.