Use Light Sources to Your Advantage Dark floors can sometimes make a room feel a bit shadowy, so it's important to incorporate plenty of light sources. Use table lamps, floor lamps, and even string lights to brighten up the space and create a cosy atmosphere.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that a dark coloured floor will make your room look naturally darker than a light coloured floor. If you're planning a cosy lounge where you'll typically spend winter evenings by the fire, or a dining room where you plan to create an ambiance with candles, this won't be an issue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many home experts agree that the floor color should be darker than the walls. The rule generally applies because lighter walls and a dark floor make the room seem larger. Most homeowners prefer a spacious looking interior. However, the rule can change with low ceilings.
A dark floor combined with light walls and a light ceiling creates a contrasting effect. The human eye finds it easier to focus on contrasts, and this will make the room appear more interesting. It also makes the room feel wider.
Light-colored floors are ideal for dark rooms, rooms that don't see a lot of natural light, and small spaces. Many light hardwood floors tend to have a cool undertone to their color. Cool colors and tones tend to recede from the eye visually when you look at them.
The key to designing a room with dark floors is balance. You'll need a balance of bright walls to reflect enough light to make the room feel open. When you see rooms with dark floors online, you'll usually see grey and white decor themes and other light neutrals, like tan, creme, and light browns.
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.
Dark wood is less susceptible to fading because it absorbs light. This means you won't have to refinish it as frequently as you would a lighter floor. Dark wood shows the grain of the wood better than a lighter color. It can be a dramatic statement in any home, increasing the value of the home and the visual appeal.
Light wood furniture on a dark wood floor offers a striking look. The best choices usually are furniture that is just a few shades lighter in color than the floor. Too much of a contrast will leave the room feeling stark.
Accessorize. Accessorizing with light-colored items is a great way to brighten up a space with dark floors. Use white or light colored vases, lamps, art and sculptures to help reflect light and make the space feel more open and airy.
Light Walls
The best way to compliment your dark floors is with light colored walls. The color contrast will offset your flooring and give you a nice balance of light and dark. Not only that, but the lighter color will cause more light to bounce around your room making it naturally brighter, and feel larger.
Light colors go very well with dark flooring. Pale, cool blue walls work especially well in a dining room, if you're looking for a lively pop of color. Calming blue and blue gray shades can bring contrast to the dark wood to brighten your space.
We're huge fans of dark wood floors paired with white walls. It's not only a great way to help a small space look larger, but the white walls also help art and accent furniture stand out &mdash you can't beat a great pop of color.
Contrast Dark Floors With Light Walls
(Just think of the dark, cozy vibe of libraries or offices—usually, they have dark walls!) But interestingly enough, when light wall paint is paired with a dark floor, the contrast works to create an effect of openness and the feeling of a larger space.
Pair your dark floors with deep saturated paint tones to create a dramatic sultry effect. Carol Kurth, an architect and designer, suggests, “painting the walls and trim in the same color creates a feeling of added height and a modern look.”
Dark hardwood floors are timeless and classic, as long as you pair them with the right wall color. The best wall paint colors for dark wood floors are crisp whites and lighter neutral shades. Our favorite pick includes Sherwin's Agreeable Gray.
It's unsurprising to us that the most popular color for floors is grey, and in particular, grey wood, like that shown above. 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.
Brown Hardwood Flooring
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.
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.