Eight tips to Choose the Right Color of Wood for your Floor

Installing hardwood flooring in your house is a complex task that requires precise attention to detail. Yet, it is one of the most significant investments you will make for your home. After all, decent wood flooring can uplift the entire look of a house by enhancing the interiors and enlivening the room.

However, wood flooring comes in a variety of types and sizes. And more importantly, a variety of colors! You need to make a choice, and you need to make it right. You can’t just replace the whole flooring once you install it. Having many options to choose from can often make you feel overwhelmed. But worry not! To make your task easier, we have highlighted a few tips to help you select a color that’s just PERFECT. Read on.

1. Choose the right wood type

Before you jump into selecting a color for your wooden floor, you must educate yourself about the different types of wood available. Naturally, your choice of wood will also determine the color.

Look into factors such as the hardness of wood before purchasing it. Strand-woven bamboo and eucalyptus take the lead in the level, followed by Red Oak. However, more hardness does not necessarily mean better. In fact, hardened woods usually have a higher installation cost and are more challenging to work with.

Other factors to consider are the finishing and the grain of the wood. These can significantly impact the overall look of your floor after being polished or stained. Also, the texture that the grain brings out can either make or break your home’s interior. You wouldn’t want it to be too ‘busy’ to overpower all of the other design elements, and nor would you want it to be too light to be noticed.

While hardwood flooring usually lasts for years if taken care of properly.It is essential to keep refinishing it after every few years to maintain its glory and color and avoid damage. The subtropical and humid climate of cities like Atlanta can be especially problematic as the air’s moisture can quickly ruin your flooring. Statistics show that most home-owners in Georgia and California lean towards refinishing their wooden floors more often than usual. So if you’re close by, you’re probably going to want to stay connected to a floor maintenance company like Atlanta floor refinishing keep that floor neat and shiny.

2. Don’t match your wood with your furniture

If you want your home to not look like an overdose of the wooden texture and color, then a top tip for you is not to choose the same shade of wood as your furniture’s. Instead, go for colors that contrast one another. For instance, if you have dark-colored furniture, go for a lighter shade for your flooring and vice versa.

3. The size of the room matters

Color influences space in a room. Dark colors make a space look small and compact, whereas light colors do the exact opposite. Similarly, light floor colors are airy, open, and appealing, especially when installed in small rooms. For this reason, lighter hues of hardwood are the two most popular choices for wood flooring. You can add darker colored decorations or paint your walls dark to create contrast as a balancing element. However, we’re not saying dark wood floors are bad, which brings us to the next point.

4. Darker colors for a modern look

Darker wood flooring creates a contemporary and modern look, especially when paired with lighter-toned walls and furnishings. They have become very trendy lately because of their elegance and exoticism. But like we said, dark colors are not suitable for every room; they can make a room seem much smaller and often cluttered. Consider using them in expansive spaces to avoid the optical illusion of diminished space.

5. Natural colors to avoid scratches

If you live in a big family or with your kids or pets or both, you should consider using natural-colored wooden flooring. At least for the rooms your kids and pets most often play in. This is because stains, scratches, and dents on your hardwood floor are likely to occur in these rooms. Choosing a natural color wood for your floor will camouflage them with its pattern. In short, they’ll seem like they belong there and save you the cost and hassle of frequent maintenance.

6. Be cautious of the sunlight

Your wooden floor can be at risk of significant damage if the sunlight directly reflects over it. The sun’s UV rays can disfigure and discolor the wood by darkening or bleaching it. Besides, suppose you are installing wood flooring in a room where the sunlight reflects directly. In that case, you need to keep in mind that your flooring can look very different during the day than at night.  You might want to choose a color that works in both settings. As a countermeasure to sunlight, you can consider using different window types and add-ons to minimize sunlight exposure.

7. Always check samples first

Some woods will have a very different show in your home than they do in the store or on a website. Therefore, you should always ask for samples to bring home and check them within the rooms you will be placing them. Narrow down your color choices to a few, lay them together on the floor of your room and see which works best. Test each color in different lights, hold it up to your walls, and compare your furniture’s color. It will help you understand how the hardwood flooring will look in your room and avoid any surprises after the installation.

8. Painted wood

We mostly only see neutral-colored wood flooring in either lighter or darker shades because that’s what’s trending. However, sometimes painted floors can look quite elegant as well. Use the correct paint or deck paint to ensure that the wood is prepared to be walked on without getting damaged or scratched. If paired with contrasting furniture and striking decor, painted wooden floors can add a beautiful pop of color and life to your interior. Besides, painted would is a nice change from the usual browns and mahoganies.

Conclusion

Installing hardwood flooring can cost you a lot of money. Hence, you need to make sure you choose the right material and the perfect color, to begin with. If you’re in a dilemma, get a second opinion from a friend or an expert. Remember to not rush through the process. Take your time and commit once you are sure of your decision.