Light hardwood floors will open up the room and lend a more spacious appeal; therefore, they are more suitable for smaller spaces. On the other hand, dark hardwood flooring will anchor a large space and provide a warmer tone; hence it's suitable for open floor plans.
Darker floors are better suited for larger rooms and open floor plans. Another seemingly unrelated factor to consider is how often you clean your floors. Light hardwood flooring can hide small flaws, dirt, and debris, but anything larger will be very noticeable.
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 may be surprised to learn that dark wood flooring can help to make your room look bigger too. Darker flooring offers an inviting feel and opens up a space. Whether you choose rich colours or softer dark colours, they both have their advantages when it comes to expanding the appearance of a room.
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.
Are Light Wood Floors in Style? The truth is that light hardwood floors will never go out of style. However, some shades are more popular than others. One reason is that they are neutral, offering decorators more options when finishing a room.
Neutral shades such as light brown, gray, and black are timeless classics that will look good for years to come.
Just like hard flooring, light colors can create a sense of space with carpet. The right patterns and textures can also help expand a room before your eyes. Color: as with hard flooring, white carpet or a light color like beige or light gray can add brightness and a sense of space.
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.
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.
Neutral tones like honey, cream, and white will be top choices in 2023. These colors will work well with almost any decor style.
Best known as the traditional color of hardwood flooring, shades of brown are still as popular as ever. Much like tan-toned hardwood, brown flooring is suited for any aesthetic. Lighter tones can set the basis of a neutral design, while deeper tones have the power to convey depth and luxury.
Greige and white oak are two of the most popular choices for hardwood flooring when it comes to house resale. They provide timeless elegance and neutrality, making them ideal for any home. Greige is a mixture of gray and beige, creating a subtle tone that can fit into any color palette or design style.
"But when in doubt, go for contrast. Mixing a dark wood (like ebony) with a light wood (like lime) will always look chic and intentional.” If you're starting with a wood floor and are adding new wood tones (a table, chairs, etc.), consider using a rug to act as a buffer.
White. Choosing white furniture with a light wood floor provides one of the lightest feelings you can achieve in a home. It's a breezy, relaxed feel, especially if you “anchor” the room with rugs of a neutral tone (such as sandy brown or cream) and add a splash of decorative color.
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.
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.
If you'd like a relaxing, peaceful environment, try light gray or light-toned wood. To emulate class and elegance, black or red are great options. These colors can also give the room a powerful or dramatic edge. An interior using brown colors can give the room a cozy, natural and rustic feel.
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
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.
This flooring color truly never goes out of style. It's not going to be the trendiest color on the color wheel, but it's timeless and enduring. You'll find mid-toned brown floors installed in homes from the early 1900s, all the way through modern new builds.
Dark hardwood flooring is in style. It makes your home easier to sell and also boosts your home's resale value. Shows off the furniture in the room. Dark hardwood floors have a way of contrasting with lighter colored furnishings.
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.