If you’re buying furniture for your home, you want to buy things that go well with your floors. When redoing your house, the floor is more important than you might think.
With the proper combination of flooring, wall colors, and furniture, you will have room to impress all your guests. People with hardwood floors love them; they look nicer, are easier to clean, and have a certain air of elegance to them.
Hardwood floors are extremely versatile and will look great with any style of house, as long as you have the right furniture. So what is the right furniture? What furniture goes with dark wood floors?
What Color Furniture Goes With Dark Wood Floors?
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The quick answer is easy: any kind of furniture that’s not too dark will go very well with dark hardwood floors. Light or white furniture goes well with dark floors because dark furniture will make the entire room look dark and gloomy.
Except for specific styles of rooms, you will probably want lighter colors for your furniture. The color of furniture is what’s most important; shapes and styles are more up to you and the shapes of the room.
As long as you’ve picked a color that accents your hardwood floors well, you can get whatever you want. Once you’ve decided on the styles and colors, you’re ready to pick out some furniture!
The Long Answer: It’s A Bit More Complicated
Of course, the long answer is more complicated. You shouldn’t just go out and get white furniture and call it good. Instead, certain factors come into play. Think about the size of the room, the exact color of the walls and floors, and how much furniture you need.
Many people choose light, white, or neutral furniture because lighter colors are known to make a room look larger. The dark floors can make it seem warmer and more welcoming, but the light furniture will keep the house from feeling cramped.
However, dark furniture, walls, and ceilings can give a room the feeling of luxury, grace, and elegance (think an old library or a gentleman’s club). When it comes down to it, the choice of furniture depends on you and what you want the room to look like.
Whatever you choose, make the most of the gift of dark hardwood floors. Once you’ve decided how all of these affect your furniture choice, you can decide what style of room you want.
The rest of your house can affect this, but your furniture choice is really up to you! Here are some of the factors you should think about before you buy furniture for your renovated room.
Room Size
The most important aspect of decorating any room is the size of the room. The height of the ceiling, available wall space, windows, and square footage all greatly affect how large a room feels.
It’s all about perspective, and your floors and furniture are no exception to this. Ask any knowledgeable designer, and they will tell you that lighter colors tend to make a room feel bigger and brighter.
Because your hardwood floors are dark, your walls and furniture should be lighter. You don’t want a room to seem cramped or stuffy, and dark furniture on dark floors can have that effect sometimes.
Wall Color
As with the color of the floors, wall color makes a difference. Dark walls and dark floors can make a room seem smaller, but cozy, warm-colored furniture can change the perspective.
However, you might want more neutral and gray furniture with dark floors and light walls to make the room seem lighter.
You can also change the color of your walls. If you already have dark walls and want to paint them, consider what style of furniture you want. Look at furniture stores and model rooms and see what fits your house and your lifestyle well.
Ceiling Height
The higher a ceiling is, the larger a room looks (partly because the room is larger). A room with dark floors and a high ceiling can have a majestic yet grounded look, depending on the furniture you fill it with.
Taller furniture might be better in a room with a high ceiling, unless it’s a narrow space (then everything will look oddly stretched out).
Make sure that the furniture somehow ties the ceiling and the floor together. A great way to do this is to buy neutral colors and a matching rug.
Rug or Carpet
Hardwood floors are durable and long-lasting and can withstand several generations of feet. However, they don’t always retain heat well, and a rug might be an excellent addition to your hardwood room.
If you have hardwood floors, a small rug might be a great way to tie your light furniture into the room a little more. However, a rug will also make your room look smaller, so with darker walls or a lower ceiling, adding a rug might make the room too cramped.
Adding a rug or a carpet also depends on the color of the furniture. If you have several different furniture colors, a rug with hints of all the hues will tie the room together nicely.
Amount of Furniture
No matter how big your room is, you will run the risk of overcrowding. Most people don’t notice when a room is overcrowded, but they can’t stop talking about a room with just the right amount of furniture in it.
Always get a piece less than you think you need, and make sure there’s space between all your furniture. To achieve a clean but welcoming look, you want fewer pieces of furniture (especially pieces like side tables and floor lamps) and more room to walk around.
Get rid of the old recliner chair and see what a difference it makes to the room’s space. If you need help, contact an interior designer or look around for inspiration.
Types of Furniture
No matter what kind of room you want, it’s essential to keep this rule in mind: darker floors don’t match more delicate pieces of furniture.
This concept isn’t about colors; smaller and more delicate furniture makes a room with darker floors or walls look unbalanced. To keep the room balanced, you’ll have to match the furniture to the floors.
The style of furniture is probably the most important thing to remember when choosing furniture for rooms with dark hardwood floors. Otherwise, you can choose the style, color, and type of furniture you want to make the space your own.
Style of Furniture
Last but not least, it’s time to think about the type of furniture you want in your room. The beauty of hardwood is that it can go with any furniture style—whether you want a rustic, homey, chic, clean, or modern feel, you can do that.
Medium- to dark-colored furniture might be a better choice for a more rustic look. If you want the log cabin or western feel, you can buy other wooden furniture (it doesn’t have to match the floor, as long as the pieces match each other) and decorate with accents of your style.
If you prefer a cozier, homey look, you can also go for medium neutrals. The centerpiece should be where you sit; make sure the couch is cozy and has blankets and pillows galore.
Neutrals, blues, or light browns are great options for a welcoming sitting room. An artsy room is also possible with hardwood floors. Brightly colored, mismatched furniture looks amazing with neutral walls, dark floors, and a rug to bring it all together.
Pick a color scheme (salmon or teal are personal favorites) and get as creative as possible! For a more modern and clean room, buy light or white furniture.
It will make everything look aesthetically pleasing, especially when contrasted with the dark wood floors. You can tie things together with a rug in the center, or you can choose to leave the wood bare.
Of course, these are just a few of the many different styles any room can have. With hardwood floors, the opportunities to style and decorate your room are nearly endless. Do it the way you want to!
Things to Consider
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If you have a dark wood floor and are looking for furniture, here is a list of factors to consider before you decide on the color or style of furniture:
- How spacious is your floor plan?
- What color are your walls?
- How many windows are in the room?
- How high is your ceiling?
- What is the color scheme of the rest of your house?
- Do you have a rug or carpet in the room?
- How many pieces of furniture do you need?
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course, you might have a few more questions about the combination of dark hardwood floors and furniture.
After all, it’s difficult to answer a question that’s so unique to every individual’s household. Here are some commonly asked questions about furniture and hardwood floors:
Should the furniture be darker or lighter than the floors?
In general, furniture doesn’t have to be a specific color for the floors. However, the more delicate a piece of furniture is, the better it will look with light flooring. Dark floors need sturdier pieces of furniture, so the room looks balanced.
Should I have dark furniture with dark hardwood floors?
You can have dark furniture with dark hardwood floors, but the overall effect might dampen or crowd the room. If you want a room to seem more spacious, find lighter furniture and more natural light.
Does white furniture go with dark hardwood floors?
White furniture can go well with dark hardwood floors if the space and wall color works well with it. However, delicate furniture in a hardwood room will make the space seem unbalanced. It’s best to have thicker, sturdier furniture in a room with dark floors.
Should I put a rug on my dark hardwood floors?
You can put a rug on hardwood floors – sometimes, it helps pull the room together. However, make sure that the carpet contains some accent colors from the rest of the room, whether it’s the walls, the furniture, or the floor itself. A covering can also help keep the floor a little warmer in winter.
Are dark wood floors out of style?
Dark wood floors are a classic example of timeless architecture and design – no matter the era, you can style them to suit your home.
What we’re saying is that dark wood floors are not out of style and probably never will be. Even when they’re covered with a rug, dark hardwood floors are a lovely stylish flooring option.
So, What Furniture Goes With Dark Wood Floors?
Whether you want a boho-chic, country western, or modern look, you can find a kind of furniture that works well for your home.
A dark hardwood floor is a beautiful addition to any home and will make your room a beautiful creation.