If you're looking for cool shades for your hardwood floors in 2023, look no further! Light tans, and browns with hints of grey or white will be popular as well as whitewashed finishes. Meanwhile, yellow-toned shades are moving out of favor.
Homeowners are gravitating toward more natural, neutral floor colors that are versatile enough to fit with a variety of living spaces, from dining rooms to bedrooms. Shades of white, cream and honey can be used in homes, luxury condos, and even commercial spaces.
Top 5 wood floor color categories:
Gray tones (light to dark) White-washes and tones. Honey & light brown tones. Walnut & dark brown tones.
Classic medium-toned browns such as cherrywood, mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, birch wood, and hickory are all timeless colors that never go out of style. Cherrywood is a deep, rich color that has a deep mahogany shade with warm tones of red or brown, often mixed with hints of pink and even purple.
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.
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.
While the current popular choice in flooring tends to be wide plank light wood floors like white oak, there is something timeless and traditional about the warmth and depth of darker hardwood floors. They are the perfect contrast to lighter colors elsewhere in your home.
Don't Fear Dark Wood Colors
It's a misconception that dark wood floors constrict our sense of space. Paired with the right combination of wall color, trim, and molding, darker species like walnut and exotic Brazilian cherry can, in fact, make a room look bigger.
Color: when we think about a spacious room, blonde wood often comes to mind. Floor color plays a major role in making your small space seem larger. We often recommend light colors to give the room an airy feel. For example, blonde, light brown, or whitewashed hardwood can make the room seem more open.
Even when the dark hardwood trend ends, dark hardwood flooring never goes out of style and is considered a timeless classic. Dark hardwood floors also hardly show dirt or scratches. This is ideal for families with children who might track in dirt from time to time or pets that might scratch up the floors.
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. And, of course, it's the perfect complement to grey living rooms, which have become enduringly popular.
Darker Wood Tones
This may be a surprise to many, but we are expecting more dark wood tones to pop up in homes in 2023! Last year we saw a lot of DIY bleached furniture and light wood floors. This year, as dark and moody interiors are rising in popularity, we believe darker wood tones will also become more admired.
The satin sheen is the most popular finish for hardwood floors. This hardwood floor sheen has about 40% luster and is easy to keep clean.
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.
Contrast Is Key
Darker wood floors can make lighter wood furniture pop and look extremely satisfying. Alternatively, lighter wood floors provide the perfect balance for darker furniture pieces. Without contrast, a room can appear monotonous, and smaller pieces easily become lost in the space.
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.
The best paint colors to match with medium wood flooring are dusty greens, cool blues, and neutrals or whites. An expert favorite includes Stargazer by Behr paint company. Skip wall colors that are too warm, especially if your medium hardwood flooring contains warmer clay or terracotta undertones.
Neutral colors, muted hues and warmer whites will help create a soothing color scheme in rooms with dark wood floors. Colors can work with dark hardwoods, too—just long as you don't go too dark. Too-dark colors can make rooms with dark floors look dark, uninviting and overly enclosed.
Typically, homeowners opt for the same flooring throughout their homes because it creates a cohesive, seamless look. However, some homeowners prefer to mix and match flooring to create a more unique and functional design for their space.
Oak is by far the most popular type of wood flooring because it provides a good balance of durability, color range and reasonable costs. It comes in both red and white oak variations and can be used in high-traffic areas as the wood grain hides scratches well.
Dark colored hardwood floors are highly sought after by home buyers because they match modern styles. Lighter hardwood floors don't have that same appeal to many buyers, but buying quality hardwood can help. Use a discerning eye when choosing your hardwood floor and stain type.
Naturally light species such as red or white oak, maple, birch, or ash can all be excellent choices for natural wood.
Dark and cool tones are gaining popularity for hardwood floors this year. Rich browns, graphite, and other shades create a sophisticated and elegant look that adds an extra dimension to any space.
A satin finish reflects more light than matte, making it easier to mask dirt, dust, and pet hair. Additionally, satin finishes tend to maintain their sheen for longer than other finishes.