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There is nothing better than some hardwood floors. They immediately uplift the vibe of the place and make it look much chicer. Hardwood floors fill the room with a warm timeless feel. But pairing walls with your hardwood floors can be pretty challenging. If the paint choice is not ideal for your setting, it can have the opposite effect on your space and make it look unfinished/incomplete or confused.
While there is nothing more refreshing than a fresh coat of paint on your walls; what’s even more refreshing is that you don’t have to break your head over what paint will suit your wall the best. No more sprawling over the hardwood floors you love with various paint samples worrying over what will suit them the best.
How to Choose the Best Paint Colors for Dark Hardwood Floors? Rules of Thumbs to Choose Dark Hardwood Floor Paint Colors
Some points to keep in mind while you’re choosing a wall color are:
- Darkwood floors are very elegant and dramatic. They make you appreciate the natural tones of the wood. And hence you need to choose a wall color that will not clash with your floors. There can’t be two statement pieces in a room. Therefore it is always advisable to pair your walls with light and medium tones to balance the effect.
- You might think that grey or white walls are boring but when paired with hardwood floors, they look rich and almost royal. But if you have a bold personality and want your walls to represent that, jewel tones also pair very well with dark wood floors. You could go for marigold yellow, emerald green, etc. They make the place look more cozy and intimate.
- You could paint the ceilings a color that is slightly lighter than the walls so that it makes the room more spacious. Dark Wood floors have a tendency to make the place look a little smaller and cozier and hence some light ceilings should balance that out.
- If your hardwood floors have a cherry tinted coating then look for colors that are relatively muted or on the opposite side of the color wheel. That should make sure the room doesn’t look too monotonous and red.
- Making sure that the woodwork is accentuated is key in places like these. You have to notice the finishing on the woodwork and style accordingly. It is always advisable to include architectural elements like these in your design plans.
- Always have a color scheme. Make sure you don’t choose too many colors that will clash with each other. As I mentioned above, hardwood floors are already a statement piece. Hence your best bet would be to do a contrasting color scheme and choosing white or beige for your walls and then including some dark-colored elements in the decoration to create a contrast.
I’ll explain more about wall colors further below.
Light Walls vs Dark Walls with Dark Floors
Generally, it is recommended that you don’t go for dark walls with dark floors. It makes the room seem tinier than it is and almost depressing. Hence it’s always better to go for lighter walls. Now when I say lighter walls I don’t only mean white. There are various other color options you can browse.
You could go for gray or beige which will make the room seem open and cozy at the same time. And your color palette will not be that monotonous and dark. As I had mentioned above as well, it is better to go for light and medium tones.
I will further elaborate on 6 colors that according to me look the best on walls with dark wood floors so you don’t have to worry.
A general rule while you’re looking for colors that will suit your dark floors the best is looking for the lightest colors on the paint fan you have. So look at the first few pages for the lighter colors. You can go deeper into the pages if you wish to have an accent wall.
If you’re someone who loves dark walls and want to incorporate them in your design then it is advisable to go for an accent wall. An accent wall is when you have a dark color on one wall and the rest of the three walls are painted a light grey or beige (any neutral color that is considerably lighter than your accent wall color.) An accent wall is always a good method to incorporate some dark colors in your room.
You also have to remember that your room is a cube and hence there are 6 surfaces instead of 4. So if you’re going for a dark floor (which is my personal favorite) then your other 4 walls and ceiling need to be adjusted accordingly. I had mentioned earlier that it is better to have a light ceiling (to keep it simple just paint it white) as it opens up your space a lot.
Cool Colors vs Warm Colors
The good news is that Darkwood floors work well with both cool colors and warm colors. Now while cool colors generally tend to trump warm colors when it comes to preference, warm colors also look stunning.
Cool colors include shades like gray, light blue, taupe, green, purple, etc. These are those colors which include cool undertones. Hence these create a good contrast with the dark woods. Colors from the opposite spectrum of the color wheel create contrast and marry well with each other. And that is exactly why you should consider using some cool-toned light neutrals for your walls.
Warm colors aren’t that far behind. If you are a fan of yellow, beige, tan, orange, etc, you can incorporate them with dark wood floors as well. The idea is to take a color that is a few tones lighter than your dark wood floors. Hence Beige or light yellow would be a great idea with dark wood floors.
You can also take a relatively neutral tone which includes a touch of warm tone as well as cool tone. Greige is a popular example. It is a mixture of Gray and Beige and is extensively used for interior design. It is a crowd favorite as it is incredibly versatile.
1. Grays
Gray is a very versatile color. You can pair almost anything and everything with gray. It will never disappoint you. You can also further choose a gray that goes the best with your hardwood floors.
Grays can work well with a number of undertones like pink, blue, green, etc. Hence they are a great way to introduce those colors in the room. You can also easily infuse gray with your furniture pieces and wall hangings and decor will eventually become a piece of cake for you. Grays instantly make your place look very modern and minimalistic. So if you’re working towards a similar vibe then gray will be the ideal choice.
If you think simple gray will be very boring you can add texture to your wall or you can go for a lime wash paint finish to keep things more modern and interesting.
A few gorgeous gray shades would be:
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray
- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
- Sherwin Williams Silverpointe
- Sherwin Williams Gray Screen
2. Greige
I’ve already raved about greige above. It is my personal favorite and I love to pair it with dark wood colors. There isn’t a color that is more versatile than greige. It allows you to dab into both warm tones and cool tones for your room. And hence your furniture can be very dynamic and decor will be a walk in the park.
You can use this color to determine the vibe of your room. You can make it modern and minimalistic but you can also make it cozy and intimate. It can be used in a bachelor pad but also in a country home.
It works well with the dark wood without overpowering it and is also a great base paint to counter your accent wall.
A few great greige options would be:
- Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
3. White
There is nothing wrong with going basic and just painting your walls white. It creates a beautiful contrast against dark wood colors. It opens up the space and makes it feel light and airy. While some might view white as boring, I think it acts as a perfect blank canvas and accentuates your accent pieces/walls.
Now I know what you must be thinking, there are a million shades of white, so how will you choose the right one? Well, that’s simple, just look for a cool-toned white. We want the white to be as white as possible as it balances the dark wood floors well. Especially the floors that are very dark.
A few wonderful white options are:
- Benjamin Moore: White Dove or Simply White
- Sherwin Williams: Alabaster (SW7008) or Pure White (SW7005)
4. Beige
This color truly allows you to tap into your warm side. If you want something that is warm toned and will make your place feel cozy and intimate, beige is your color.
Beige goes superbly with dark wood tones. In fact not just dark wood, beige will also give you the opportunity to introduce other wood tones in your room. You can create some contrast and break the monotony by adding pops of gray, blue, or black. But there is nothing wrong with maintaining a completely warm color palette.
If you’re not a fan of the modern and minimalist vibe and prefer bohemian, you should give beige a shot.
A few beautiful beige options are:
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
- Sherwin Williams Grecian Ivory
- Sherwin Williams Bungalow Beige
5. Very Light Blue
You can get away with painting your walls blue. But you have to remember that it has to be very light. As we discussed earlier, cool tones work well with dark wood floors. And if you want to spice things up a bit and step away from grays and whites, light blue should be a great option.
Blue is known to be a color that is very cool and soothing and really calms your mind. And hence it’ll be a great addition to your house. You can also paint a dark blue accent wall and use light blue for your base color for the other walls.
It’ll make your room feel airy and remind you of Mykonos, Greece.
A few blissfully beautiful blue options are:
- Sherwin Williams Icelandic
- Sherwin Williams Windy Blue
6. Subtle Green
Subtle green is yet another fun color that you can introduce in the room. While finding the perfect green can be a little challenging it is worth it. Any green that has blue undertones will work well with this space. You can also choose a green that has a gray undertone. Green gives you an opportunity to bring other colors in the room such as orange or red. Tasteful pops of color like this will make the room feel much more lively and fun.
A few good green options are:
- Sherwin Williams African Gray
- Sherwin Williams Stamped Concrete
- Benjamin Moore Fieldstone
Color for trim that goes well with dark hardwood floors
Any time of molding or trim work goes amazingly well with dark wood floors. They create a beautiful contrast and add a lot of character and depth to your room. Molding and other trim work look better when there is a noticeable contrast. And hence it’ll look much better when you either paint it white or a light blue or beige. The idea is to make sure the molding or the trim is lighter than your wall color. This creates a very subtle but noticeable contrast.
Some Design & Decorating Tips that goes well with dark hardwood floors
The basic rule of working with wood is that wood always works well with wood. And hence you can enhance your dark wood floors by adding some more wood tones. If you want to soften how dark your floors are you can add a nice area rug that is lighter and airier. Probably a light neutral rug or a jute rug. It depends on the tone of your hardwood floors. Marble is always a good option when it comes to dark wood floors. It adds an extra touch of elegance and sophistication
For furniture options, you can either keep your color scheme monochromatic by taking dark furniture with light accents. Or light colored furniture with some dark accents. Colors from the opposite spectrum of the color wheel work well together and create a good contrast. You can make the space livelier by adding some fun pops of color that flow well with your color scheme.
Now that you’ve basically done a Ph.D. on dark wood floors, you should have absolutely no problem in decorating your house/room anymore. There is a color for each and every vibe and you honestly can’t go wrong with your design. Go decorate your space now and thank me later!