The floors and the wall color are the two parts of any room that act as the foundation for the overall color scheme. Wood flooring is one of the most traditional options. It comes in light, medium, and dark tones. Some wood floors are sleek and smooth with little colour variation while others are matte and textured with distressing that gives them a lot of variation. Picking the right wood tone to match wood flooring with wall color can seem like an overwhelming task unless you have a couple of tricks at your disposal.

Tips for Matching Wood Flooring with Wall Colors

When building or redecorating a space, you have the option of choosing the wood items in the space and the wall colors at the same time. If the flooring or wall color is already set, those become the starting parameters for the rest of your choices. Sometimes it can be easier to choose a favorite wood or wall color and then find a counterpart that brings out all the beauty of the item you initially fell in love with.

Light and Dark Contrast

When you are looking to make visual impact in a space, there’s no better way than to match wood flooring with wall tones in a light and dark contrast. Dark floors stand out against a light wall white light wood floors brighten up a room with a darker wall color. Walls and floors that are very different in tone have a tendency of highlighting both as separate features of the space. When walls are dark, it tends to make a room feel smaller and bring down the ceiling height for a cozy effect. When wall colors are light they seem more expansive and roomy. Keep in mind that very light and very dark flooring both tend to show dirt and dust easier than mid-tone wood floors.

Choosing Something Neutral

Neutral wall colors are not just a seamless backdrop for any type of decor, they are also a perfect pairing for virtually any flooring finish. Gray, taupe, cream, and white are just a few of the most popular neutral wall colors. Neutral colors with warm undertones look better with warm wood floors. Neutral colors with cool undertones look better with cool wood floors. Use natural walls as a backdrop to display artwork, home furnishings, and accessories with more flair.

Select Complementary Tones

The color wheel makes it easy to find a wall color and flooring color that will look fantastic with one another. When you look at the color wheel, colors arranged directly across from one another are considered complementary. Floors with an orange undertone look pleasing to the eye paired with wall colors in the blue family. Floors with a red undertone, such as cherry, look pleasing with green wall colors. Light floors with a yellow undertone are a great pairing for purples. This makes for a fun and modern way to match wood flooring with wall coverings.

Display Analogous Shades

Just as colors opposite one another on the color wheel are pleasing to the eye, so are colors next to each other on the color wheel. These colors are referred to as analogous colors. Reds, yellows, and oranges are considered warm color tones. Greens, blues, and purples are considered cool color tones. Choose wood and wall colors next to each other or close to each other on the color wheel. Pair a golden floor with a red wall or a floor with red undertones with a yellow wall.

Consider Existing Furniture

The artwork and furniture that is already in the space can be a great inspiration for choosing a color scheme. Look at the wood tones featured on the furniture. Choose similar wood tones for the floor. If you have a piece that combines wood tones with paint or upholstery you already know that they go together. Use the pieces you already love and pull colors out of those pieces to use as the foundation of the room design.

Try Wall Colors and Flooring Samples Together

Even when you know some tricks that make pairing wood and floor colors easier, there’s no substitute for seeing both in the same space. Select a few flooring samples and a few color samples for the wall. Paint some patches in various rooms near the baseboard. Lay your flooring samples up against the baseboard as well. Look at the wall colors and flooring samples together. The colors you might have initially chosen together may not be the ones you like the most when they are in the space.

Don’t be afraid to branch out with your samples and try out a couple that are initially outside of your comfort zone. Samples can look very different in natural light and artificial light. Look at them over the course of 24 hours in many different lighting combinations to make sure they always complement the space. While you have the samples in the space, don’t be afraid to test their durability to make sure they will hold up to everything life offers.

The floor and the walls are two of the biggest surface areas in the room. Make them an eye-catching addition to the space by choosing colors that look appealing against one another. Analogous colors, complementary colors, and neutral colors are all reliable approaches to creating an inviting space. With the right floor and wall colors in place, any room is ready to receive layers of texture and style with furniture, accessories, and area rugs. Hardwood flooring, though there are many great options ranging from the temperate chestnut to the tropical and exotic hardwoods like mahogany and  teak isn’t the only way to showcase wood tones in your space. Wood-look tile and luxury vinyl plank flooring and snap-together wood laminate flooring offer the same look at a fraction of the cost.

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Our Favorite Bedroom Flooring Options

Hardwood

Hardwood floors are a popular bedroom flooring option for a look that’s more sophisticated and requires less overall maintenance. The pros of having a hardwood floor begin with its renowned maintenance qualities. This harder material won’t require you to spend nearly as much time cleaning and caring for it. Spills or other types of moisture can quickly be wiped up without damage.

There’s also a lot of room for visual customization when it comes to a hardwood floor for the bedroom. For instance, the natural, consistent tone of wood can lead to ample opportunities to add stylish rugs or mats at the foot of your bed or near the entry door. Adding a rug anywhere on your hardwood floor also does wonders for boosting the comfort around your bedroom.

Hardwood floors are also recommended for those with allergies to dust, mites or pollens. These won’t get trapped on a hardwood surface and you can quickly wash them away. However, the primary drawbacks associated with hardwood floors tend to revolve around noise and insulation issues. Footsteps may produce creaking sounds as boards expand and contract. Warmth can be harder to trap within the surface during the colder times of the year.

Laminate

If you’re interested in the appearance of wood without spending more, consider laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is one of the best bedroom flooring options. It’s available in a wide variety of colors and tones. These produce a more natural looking surface. It’s also proven to be one of the most durable and long-lasting types of flooring material out there. You’ll essentially get all the pros of having a hardwood floor, like easy maintenance and water resistance, but at a more budget-friendly price. It’s ideal for homeowners mulling over new bedroom flooring.

Laminate also tends to be more abrasion resistant than hardwood flooring. This is excellent for pet owners who expect frequent excitement waking up every morning in the bedroom. The only major concern for laminate flooring is that it doesn’t boost the overall resale value of a home quite like hardwood. You can’t sand and refinish it if any significant damage occurs. For homeowners interested in premium floors that are exceptionally affordable, laminate flooring definitely provides plenty of bang for your buck.

Bamboo

Bamboo flooring is another material that emulates the appearance of wood without the installation process or maintenance hardwood floors need. You can find many styles of bamboo flooring that come in easy-to-install boards, so you won’t have to mentally prepare yourself for a tiring day of installation. It’s a popular option for bedrooms because of its eco-friendly properties. Bamboo is natural vegetation, which makes it a sustainable option. It’s also an extremely affordable surface that can come in a vast range of colors.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when it comes to choosing the right flooring for your bedroom. Once you’ve weighed all the options to see how each material matches your expectations, you’ll be the proud owner of a new bedroom floor in no time.

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Our Favorite Kitchen Flooring Options

Wood

Wood flooring provides good durability and an attractive look that won’t go out of style. Cleaning wood is easy too, though you’ll want to find specialized cleaning products that will help sustain the wood’s finish. There are many different types of wood you can choose, which gives you plenty of color options and textures. Stains and finishes can also affect the look of the floor, giving you even more options. Wood floors typically age well and can be refinished several times before any replacement is necessary. The main downside to wood is that it can be significantly damaged by water or changes in moisture and temperature. The types of finishes you use can have an effect on the floor’s durability and water resistance as well.

Another option for wood flooring is wood laminate. This is actually a synthetic material that is made to look like wood. In the past, many wood laminates weren’t convincing, but newer, more high-quality wood laminate can look just like the real thing. Wood laminate is less susceptible to water damage, and is often more affordable than natural wood, making it a great option for a kitchen floor.

Stone Tile

If you’re looking for something that lends your kitchen a classic feel, look no further than stone. Stone has been used on floors since people were first building homes, and the material can add elegance and beauty to your kitchen, according to HomeImprovementPages.com. There are many different types of stone tiles to choose from, each providing its own unique look and texture. Stone is beautiful, and the small variations in the tiles can create depth and color that is not found in any other type of flooring. Cleaning isn’t quite as easy as with wood, but isn’t difficult and you can use almost any cleaning supplies. Stone is very durable and stays nice and cool all summer long – a downside in the winter. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more expensive flooring options available, especially if you choose something like marble or slate.

Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

If you want stone, but don’t want to pay the stone price, consider ceramic or porcelain tile. While these two are not the same – porcelain is actually a subtype of ceramic tile – they do have similar attributes, with porcelain edging out ceramic in the durability department. Porcelain and ceramic floors are some of the easiest to clean and can handle anything in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket. Both offer a variety of styles, have good water resistance and look great. These two types of tile can be coated in almost any glaze, allowing for a large number of visual options. While not as durable as stone, ceramic or porcelain tiles are always a good choice for the kitchen.

Vinyl

Vinyl has a reputation as a cheap type of flooring. Home owners don’t typically approach vinyl flooring with much enthusiasm, but most haven’t seen all of the new styles that are available. Vinyl can come in basically any pattern or color and most of the new vinyl flooring options are both attractive and durable. Cleanup is a cinch too, but the best part of this option is the price. Although there are some expensive vinyl flooring options, most are reasonably priced and of good quality. While vinyl is a great option for a kitchen, it can dent, bubble, cup or tear over time. This depends on several factors including installation and use.

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Concrete tends to be a common flooring material in most basements, particularly because the area was either inherited that way or it was a temporary flooring solution. However, besides giving your basement an unfinished look, concrete floors also have a few setbacks of their own, such as susceptibleness to moisture and difficulty retaining heat. When boosting the look and quality of your basement, here are a few other types of flooring options every homeowner should consider:

Ceramic Tile

If you enjoy the hardness and durability of concrete but want a material that’s more resilient to water and visually alluring, then you might want to go with a variation of ceramic tile flooring. From ceramic to porcelain to travertine, these surfaces make a sophisticated statement to your basement while still serving your floor with a purpose of durability. If you already have concrete flooring, you can quickly install ceramic tile right above the concrete slabs, so you won’t have to rip out the entire floor beforehand.

Ceramic tile is also renowned for being water-resistant, which protects your basement from serious damage in the event of leakage or a flooding. In addition to being low maintenance and resilient to potential allergens, ceramic tile comes in a variety of patterns, colors and styles that can spruce the decor of any basement.

Vinyl

Homeowners who love the all-natural look of a wood floor but don’t want to risk the potential water damage of this surface if installed in the basement should consider using vinyl flooring. Whether it’s providing yourself with a vast variety of style and designs to choose from or taking comfort in knowing you’re investing in a surface that’s both low maintenance and highly durable, vinyl is always a safe bet when it comes to basement flooring.

Like ceramic tiles, vinyl is extremely water-resistant, so liquids will have a hard time penetrating this type of surface. Vinyl flooring is also great for high-traffic areas, so if you plan on kids or guests frequently visiting the basement, you can rest assured that scratches, dents or scuffs are never invited. Installation is also quicker and easier, and DIY homeowners can swiftly breeze through any initial installation steps.

Laminate

Another quality flooring option that evokes the natural feel of stone or wooden surfaces without all the extra maintenance are laminate floors. Unlike wood, laminate flooring is also recommended for areas of the house that are at risk for water exposure, as this material won’t fade or stain from exposure to moisture over time.

When it comes to installation, it’s hard to find an easier and more DIY-friendly flooring option than laminate surfaces, as most options come equipped with glueless drop lock installation systems. Laminate floors also have extremely tough surfaces, so they can easily resist stains and are generally easy to clean. Plus, they can give your basement that elegant look of natural materials without having to break the bank capturing their appearances.

Carpet Tiles

Having a carpet tile surface in your basement certainly gives you plenty of room to customize the type of style and look you want for this area of the house. Carpet tile also happens to be a great option when it comes to caring and cleaning your basement floor. Say someone spills a dark-colored drink all over the floor. Simply unlocking the stained tiles and replacing them with new carpet tiles will help you avoid breaking the bank on a professional carpet cleaning service. This also makes carpet tile arguably the quickest to install out of all the other possible basement flooring surfaces.

Rubber

Finally, if you’re trying to stylize your basement as a man cave, kids’ playroom or home gym, then rubber flooring might give you the versatility and durability you’re looking for. Rubber flooring is exceptional for all high-traffic areas of the house, so installing this material in your basement is a great idea for letting the kids run loose down there. This is also a quality surface for slip and impact resistance, so you won’t have to worry about people or your carpet getting harmed after frequent usage. Homeowners who are interested in making their basement a personal project catering a specific use or theme should consider putting rubber flooring in their basement.

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