A good rule of thumb is that more delicate pieces of furniture go well with lighter floors, while heavier pieces match better with dark woods. This will help you preserve balance in the room so that everything gets its chance to shine within the space.
Light color flooring tends to brighten up a space and make it feel larger. Bright and creamy floor tones can help modernize a small room, adding an element of airiness. Be sure to snag as much natural light as you can or install warm artificial lights to make your small space as attractive and inviting as possible.
There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to whether your floor should be lighter or darker than your cabinets, but as a general rule of thumb, use darker floors with light cabinetry and vice versa. When it comes to striking the right balance between your kitchen cabinets and your floor, contrast is a useful tool.
In a room that is very bright or light, the dark floor can actually make the lighter shades stand out, and even make the room seem bigger. The only time it definitely makes the room seem smaller is in small, dim rooms, particularly those without natural light.
Choose Light Colored Flooring
A light hardwood like pine or oak will add plenty of appeal to a darker room and expand the space to feel more open. Many homeowners feel that lighter hard surface flooring coordinates with a more contemporary design, but it can also work with a traditional look.
1) Light and dark flooring
Think cream carpets, natural and neutral toned tiles and whitewashed wood flooring. These attractive, light and neutral colours give a room an open and airy feel, making it appear larger, whilst also drawing in the natural sunlight from outside.
Flooring Looks Lighter When Installed
Often, the small sample of flooring on a board looks darker than when it is installed. Once the flooring has been installed, it opens up in the room and looks lighter than what was chosen.
The overall feel of your room is vital to think about before deciding on a floor color. If cool-toned, darker flooring creates a formal feeling, while dark colors with warm tones can create a cozy atmosphere. Alternatively, pale, cool-toned floor colors will make your room feel airy and bright.
Floors with a white finish go with almost everything. A light burlap-like color is a great choice because you still get a light floor, without installing a truly “white” floor. You can use a variety of wood species to create a light floor.
Classic dark hardwood has become more popular in the last few years. Dark hardwood is a great way to bring some interesting contrast and opulence to your home. Even when the dark hardwood trend ends, dark hardwood flooring never goes out of style and is considered a timeless classic.
Contrast Dark Floors With Light Walls
(Just think of the dark, cozy vibe of libraries or offices—usually, they have dark walls!) But interestingly enough, when light wall paint is paired with a dark floor, the contrast works to create an effect of openness and the feeling of a larger space.
When a space is in need of additional light, it's best to choose light-wood flooring to brighten up the room. “A lighter floor contrasted with a colorful wall can help to 'push the walls out' and make the space feel larger,” McBournie says.
Neutral shades such as light brown, gray, and black are timeless classics that will look good for years to come.
It's unsurprising to us that the most popular color for floors is grey, and in particular, grey wood, like that shown above. Grey flooring is the ultimate neutral – easy to co-ordinate and color scheme around, dark enough not to show the dirt, and yet pale enough to reflect light.
Some of the most popular colors for furnishing homes with dark wood floors include light shades such as white, light gray and light woods. These bright and airy hues will help to create a sense of openness in your space, while drawing attention to the natural beauty of your flooring.
Grey floors are easier to keep clean than dark brown hardwood floors because they show less dust. Lighter gray floors can make a room feel open and airy, while darker gray stains can visually reduce the space.
BROWN. Brown is of course among the most popular hardwood floor colors, and within the brown wood tones there are well over two hundred subtly different shades!
Neutral tones like honey, cream, and white will be top choices in 2023. These colors will work well with almost any decor style.
We often work with homeowners who feel the urge to pick a different flooring for every room of their home, but there is absolutely no need to do this. Your home will look best if you create one consistent look that travels from room to room. Avoid contrast.
Additionally, darker gray floors will show more dirt and pet hair than their lighter counterpart. Conversely, with a lighter gray floor, it can open up smaller spaces and create an illusion of the room being larger and works better to hide dirt and pet hair.
So, what flooring looks cleanest? Typically, lighter color woods show less dirt and dust. Dark floors can easily show dust, while lighter floors mask it.
You may have already guessed it, but the floor with the highest resale value is hardwood. Since hardwood is always in demand, it is an easy choice to up level your home.
According to color theory, white is the best floor color for small spaces as it reflects the light and makes the room brighter. However, the clean, crisp look of mirror-polished white tiles is a full-proof choice for tighter spaces. It's almost like placing a large mirror on the floor.
Choose clean and simple lines with an as less natural pattern as possible. It looks simple and very elegant and it gives the entire floor a more “luxurious” appearance. Such wood floor grade has one more advantage – it will visually make any room look bigger, more spacious.