Here are four things you might consider when selecting the color of your new hardwood floor.
The Color of Large Furniture and Statement Pieces
Use your cabinets, dressers, tables, or other large pieces of furniture as a guide. You don’t need to necessarily “match” your floor with the furniture, but the floor colors should cooperate with the furniture that you have in the room. Many combinations of floors and furniture look great, but it depends on your personal preference. One popular choice is to get dark colored wood flooring for light color furniture, and light-colored wood for dark colored furniture.
The Color of Walls
You can also use the wall colors as a guide for what color the floor should be. If you have white walls, this will widen your options to many types of wood floor colors such as reds, grays or browns. Some colors will be bold against the wall, while others will be subtle. If you are doing a full renovation that involves painting the walls and choosing the hardwood floor, make sure your new colors and the wood floor will be a good match. If you also have wooden cabinets and other wooden furniture, cool-colored walls would be a good choice. Bright paint colors may also work, but it will take more color coordinating to find the right shade of wood that will look good along with the bright paint.
Dark Wood Vs. Light Wood
Dark wood is often seen as more traditional, while light wood is more of a modern trend. Depending on where you live, there may be more of a preference for one or the other. As far as keeping the wood colors clean, dark flooring tends to show more dirt and dust. If you choose a dark wood, your clean regimen might be slightly more frequent. Because scratches show more on dark wood, light wood might be a better option for children and pets. Light wood colors tend to give the floor a more spacey feel, while dark colors can restrict the focus and make the room a bit smaller. However, there are always exceptions when it comes to how big the room feels. Keep in mind you can always arrange your furniture in a way that makes your space larger, should you choose dark wood.
How A Finish or a Stain Alters the Color of Wood
Changing the finish can alter the color of the wood. The same wood sample may look natural with a water-based finish, yet much darker with an oil based finish. Staining the wood is another option. Staining is a finishing technique that brings out the monochromatic qualities of the wood. If you would like to see more of the wood’s natural variation of color, you may want to stick with a water-based finish that will bring out those qualities.
The best way to decide your wood color is to look at samples, match your interior surroundings, and learn about what you’ll need to do to keep the wood as beautiful as the day you installed it.