Decorating Tips For When You Have Dark Wood Floors
Avoid a too-heavy look or losing your furniture in a sea of darkness with these pairing ideas for flooring in deep tones
Dark wood floors can be incredibly chic and sophisticated, bringing richness and polish to a space. But when paired with the wrong furnishings and colours, those floors run the risk of making the space feel dark and heavy. If you’ve been wondering what to put with your dark floors to bring out their best features, try these ideas.
Match furniture legs to the floors
You don’t always need contrast where dark floors are concerned – matching wood furniture as closely as possible to the colour of your floors is a simple way to make your space feel elegant and put together. If you are choosing to match furniture to the floors, go with a lighter colour on the walls. It doesn’t need to be white, but the wall colour should be significantly lighter than the floors and furniture to keep the space from feeling heavy.
Wondering what wall colour goes with dark wood furniture?
You don’t always need contrast where dark floors are concerned – matching wood furniture as closely as possible to the colour of your floors is a simple way to make your space feel elegant and put together. If you are choosing to match furniture to the floors, go with a lighter colour on the walls. It doesn’t need to be white, but the wall colour should be significantly lighter than the floors and furniture to keep the space from feeling heavy.
Wondering what wall colour goes with dark wood furniture?
Mixed woods and white
Echo the natural variety of trees in a forest with an organic look like this one. A dark wood table almost disappears against the dark floors, while the light wood chairs and pendant light stand out. Crisp white walls and plenty of greenery complete the look.
Consult with an interior designer on your next home improvement project
Echo the natural variety of trees in a forest with an organic look like this one. A dark wood table almost disappears against the dark floors, while the light wood chairs and pendant light stand out. Crisp white walls and plenty of greenery complete the look.
Consult with an interior designer on your next home improvement project
Rich wall colour and kilim rug
If you crave colour, choose a hue you love in a rich, pigmented shade and paint the walls or the back of a bookcase with it. Echo the colour in a patterned kilim or other flat-weave rug. The combination of patterned textiles, rich colour and dark floors creates a cozy and welcoming feel.
Learn how to bring a bold, patterned rug into your home
If you crave colour, choose a hue you love in a rich, pigmented shade and paint the walls or the back of a bookcase with it. Echo the colour in a patterned kilim or other flat-weave rug. The combination of patterned textiles, rich colour and dark floors creates a cozy and welcoming feel.
Learn how to bring a bold, patterned rug into your home
Dark rug, light walls
A patterned rug in a dark pattern will make your room look richer and more interesting without calling too much attention to itself. Give all of those dark hues a lift by painting the walls and ceilings crisp, clean white. If you prefer a bit of colour, go with a whisper-light blue or lavender.
Find rugs at Houzz
A patterned rug in a dark pattern will make your room look richer and more interesting without calling too much attention to itself. Give all of those dark hues a lift by painting the walls and ceilings crisp, clean white. If you prefer a bit of colour, go with a whisper-light blue or lavender.
Find rugs at Houzz
Marble, white, bronze and wood
Dark wood floors in the kitchen can be very chic. Keep the overall effect elegant and light by balancing the dark floors with white cabinetry and walls, warm bronze metals and wood accents just a few shades lighter than the floors.
Dark wood floors in the kitchen can be very chic. Keep the overall effect elegant and light by balancing the dark floors with white cabinetry and walls, warm bronze metals and wood accents just a few shades lighter than the floors.
Bright hue plus white
Celery green was used here, but nearly any bright hue would work. The key is to balance a big splash of colour (like the accent wall and rug here) with plenty of white, and keep other colours to a minimum.
Celery green was used here, but nearly any bright hue would work. The key is to balance a big splash of colour (like the accent wall and rug here) with plenty of white, and keep other colours to a minimum.
“Muddied” hues and layered textures
For a sophisticated urban look, try mixing a range of textures like leather and velvet in soft, muddied hues – think grey, ‘greige,’ taupe and sage. For furniture go with dark woods and natural steel.
Check out where and how to use texture
For a sophisticated urban look, try mixing a range of textures like leather and velvet in soft, muddied hues – think grey, ‘greige,’ taupe and sage. For furniture go with dark woods and natural steel.
Check out where and how to use texture
Greige walls and Moroccan rug
Shaggy Moroccan rugs go with nearly everything but look especially great atop dark wood floors. Pair yours with warm greige walls and neutral furniture for a sumptuous look.
Shaggy Moroccan rugs go with nearly everything but look especially great atop dark wood floors. Pair yours with warm greige walls and neutral furniture for a sumptuous look.
Design dilemma: “My wood floors are too dark!”
Flooring too dark but you don’t want to redo it? One lovely option is to paint the walls pale blue with white trim, hang warm bamboo shades, and roll out area rugs in soft colours to define zones.
Another way to work around too-dark flooring is by covering up as much as possible, using room-size area rugs. This works best in low-traffic areas like the bedroom.
Read more:
What to Choose: Light Wood or Dark Wood?
Tell us:
Do you have dark wood floors? How do you decorate around them? Share your photos and tips in the Comments below.
Flooring too dark but you don’t want to redo it? One lovely option is to paint the walls pale blue with white trim, hang warm bamboo shades, and roll out area rugs in soft colours to define zones.
Another way to work around too-dark flooring is by covering up as much as possible, using room-size area rugs. This works best in low-traffic areas like the bedroom.
Read more:
What to Choose: Light Wood or Dark Wood?
Tell us:
Do you have dark wood floors? How do you decorate around them? Share your photos and tips in the Comments below.
For the most harmonious look, choose wood furniture that matches the warmth of your floors but is a few shades lighter. For instance, pair greyish or black wood floors with pale, weathered woods, and pair warm, rich floors (like the ones shown here) with warm medium- to light-toned woods like cherry or maple. The lighter wood furniture, fluffy white rugs, and crisp white walls here provide contrast to the dark wood floors without appearing stark.