What Furniture Goes With Dark Wood Floors?
When it comes to interior decorating or design, one of the most important things is creating a balance. This can be a balance of shapes, textures, or colours. One of the things that you will need to consider balancing is the colour of your furniture with the colour of your existing flooring or wall paint colours. For the purpose of this article, we will be discussing what to do when you have a space that has dark wood floors.
Read on for some tips on choosing the best furniture to accent your space when it has dark wood flooring.
Light Furniture
Whether you are planning to buy wooden furniture or are working with softer, upholstered furniture, the general rule of thumb when you have dark floors is that you need to choose furniture colours that are lighter than your floor colour. This serves to brighten up the space and create more contrast, balance and visual interest within the space. Here are a few reasons why this guideline is often suggested:
- Visual Contrast: By selecting lighter furniture colors, you create a contrast between the dark hardwood flooring and the furniture. This contrast can make each element stand out, enhancing the overall visual appeal of the room. It adds depth and dimension to the space, preventing the furniture from blending into the floor and creating a monotonous or heavy look.
- Brightness and Lightness: Light-colored furniture reflects more light than dark furniture, which can help brighten up the room. This is especially important if the room lacks natural light or has limited windows. Lighter color furniture can contribute to a sense of airiness and create a more open and spacious feel.
- Visual Balance: Dark wood floors tend to be visually dominant due to their rich and bold color. By selecting lighter shades of furniture, you create a sense of balance in the room. This balance prevents the space from feeling top-heavy or overwhelming, as it distributes visual weight across different elements.
- Highlighting Furniture: Choosing lighter furniture allows it to become a focal point within the room. It draws attention to the furniture pieces themselves, allowing them to shine and showcase their design, texture, or unique features.
It’s worth noting that these guidelines are not strict rules, but rather suggestions to achieve a particular aesthetic. Design is subjective, and personal preferences play a significant role. Feel free to experiment and find a balance that suits your style and preferences while considering the overall ambiance and atmosphere you wish to create.
Keep in mind, the exact colours that work with your dark wood flooring will depend upon the kind of wooden flooring that you have in your space. For instance, if you have extremely dark wood floors, then you have more lighter colour options to work with. An example of some light colours that would work with a dark driftwood grey floor are shades of cool creams and other shades of grey lighter than that of the floors themselves. You could also use light wood furniture so there is still contrast between your dark wood floor.
Subtle Shade Differences
Another design tip to keep in mind is that you can look at the colour of the floors themselves and pull from them with the colour choices you make for your furniture. This is more subtle than creating a big contrast between your floor and furniture, for instance. You want to stay away from using the exact same colour of the floors on your furniture, but instead, you can take that colour and find furniture that is a few shades lighter. This will add depth and dimension to the room, but will still tie the space together. When the floor and furniture share the same color, it can create a sense of flatness in the room. Having contrast between the floor and furniture adds depth and dimension to the space, making it visually more appealing and interesting. By introducing contrast through different colors, you can highlight specific furniture pieces or architectural features as focal points. By introducing complementary or contrasting colors, you can create a more visually dynamic and harmonious environment. This can be achieved by selecting furniture in lighter or darker shades, coordinating colors from a complementary color scheme, or incorporating patterns or textures that add visual interest to the space.
Partial Match
You can also work with a partial match when choosing or updating your furniture. What does this mean? This entails taking a look at the colour and wood tones and also the type of wood that you are using in your floors. You can then implement this same wood colour into part of the furniture you are placing in the room. This can help to make things appear more cohesive. An example of this is choosing a sofa with wooden legs that match the colour of the flooring in your space. However, you will want to be careful that you do not opt for all wood furniture pieces that matches your floors, because this can backfire. It will not provide enough contrast or visual interest to make your room look put together.
Stark Contrast
Last, but not least, is one of the boldest design options for matching furniture to darker wood floors. This will not be the chosen option for everyone, as many homeowners may prefer one of the more subtle approaches. Lighter colours are key to brighten up rooms with dark floors or dark walls. You can also go very light with your furniture colour choices, as well as decor, which will be more of an intense contrast within the room. The easiest way to do this is to inject a lot of white into the space through white furniture, throw pillows and decor colours. Look at the undertones of your floors and match the undertones of your white furniture to these. Cool floors should have cool toned furniture, and warm toned floors need warm furniture.
Area rugs
Adding an area rug is a great way to add contrast between your dark hardwood floors and even dark coloured walls. If your room is already feeling like a dark space, try finding a lighter shade or neutral area rug to lighten up the space. An area rug can also help to define a space, especially in an open floor plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors go well with dark wood floors?
If you have dark wood flooring and are trying to paint your walls or choose furniture and decor to fill the space, you should opt for lighter colours to accent the darker tones of the wood. This can help to lighten and brighten the room, because otherwise, it can end up looking too dark. White and other light colours can be a great choice for contrast within the entire room or the home as a whole.
Should furniture be darker or lighter than the floor?
The colour of the furniture for your space can depend on the colour of the floor. For instance, if you have a light wood floor, you may want to opt for furniture in shades darker than the flooring, and then vice versa if you have dark wooden flooring. In general, the idea is to go with darker furniture on light flooring, and light furniture on dark flooring. The reason for this is to create contrast in your home so that the room does not look flat with the same shades of colour. Otherwise, they may fade into each other.
What color of couch goes best with dark wood floors?
If you have dark flooring in your living room, you should opt for a couch that is painted or upholstered in a colour that will create contrast. The general rule of thumb is to choose a light colour when you are working with dark colours on the walls or floors. A great colour option for your couch to contrast your dark wood flooring is the colour white. This can be a sharp contrast, depending upon how dark the floors are, though–another rule of thumb is that you should choose a colour that is a few shades lighter than your floor colour.
How do you brighten a room with dark wood floors?
When your room or home has dark wood flooring, this can be a very striking look. However, it can also be too much if you do not brighten or provide contrast within the space properly.
Brightening a room with dark wood floors can be achieved through various design elements and techniques. Here are some suggestions:
- Wall Colors: Choose light and neutral wall colors to create a contrast with the dark floors. Soft whites, creams, light grays, or pastel hues can help reflect light and make the room feel brighter.
- Natural Light: Maximize natural light by keeping windows clear of heavy drapes or using sheer curtains that allow light to filter through. Remove any obstructions that block sunlight from entering the room.
- Lighting Fixtures: Incorporate ample artificial lighting to brighten the space. Add ceiling fixtures, recessed lighting, or track lighting to illuminate the room evenly. Table and floor lamps can also provide additional light and create a cozy ambiance.
- Mirrors: Strategically place mirrors across from windows or in areas that reflect light. Mirrors can amplify natural light and make the room appear more spacious and brighter.
- Furniture and Accessories: Choose furniture, rugs, and accessories in lighter colors to contrast with the dark floors. Light-colored upholstery, cushions, and curtains can help create a sense of airiness and balance in the room.
- Reflective Surfaces: Incorporate reflective surfaces, such as glass or mirrored furniture, glossy finishes, or metallic accents. These surfaces can bounce light around the room and add a sense of brightness.
- Artwork and Decor: Hang vibrant artwork or use colorful decor elements strategically to draw attention away from the floor. Bright accents can create a focal point and add visual interest to the room.
Remember, each space is unique, and personal preferences play a significant role in designing a room. Experiment with different techniques and elements to find the combination that best suits your style and helps brighten your specific space with dark wood floors.
Are dark wood floors still on trend?
Dark wood floors have been a popular choice in interior design for many years. They can add a touch of elegance, warmth, and sophistication to a space. While design trends can evolve over time, dark wood floors tend to be timeless and versatile, complementing various design styles.
