Light Wood Vs. Dark Wood Cont’d

Star Woods: The Saga Continues

There is more to consider when choosing between light and dark wood floors besides which is easier to clean. The biggest thing to consider is the size of your home. Dark floors can make a small room feel smaller, but with a little effort (and a few design tricks) you can make dark wood floors work in any room.

Hardwood flooring tips for Colorado home and business owners
Instead of going all the way black or dark chocolate with your floors, choose a shade or two lighter to soften the drama of a dark floor.
Photo: North hardwood walnut floor

We already mentioned lighter furniture, but you also have your walls, window treatments, and lighting to play with to make sure that your contemporary ebony floors aren’t working against you. Often, walls take up more space than your floors and can easily counterbalance the dark floors with the light walls to open the room back up.

Instead of picking a team: light or dark, you can look for something in the middle. Instead of going full blown ebony, find something a few shades lighter. It could soften up your dark floors. Of course, you should always talk over your options with a professional because the stain you choose will act differently with different species of wood. Matching stains can also be difficult, so make sure you are sure about your choices and have your wood floors stained at the same time to allow for the most even coloring throughout your home.

Hardwood flooring tips for Colorado home and business owners
Going for a natural light wood, like this Balboa hardwood floor, is a great way to bring light to any room.

Dark wood can be tricky, talk to your hardwood floors craftsman about the best choices for woods and stains for the most delicious dark wood floors.

Of course, if you’re going with classic light wood floors, you’ll have a much easier time getting the color you want as you’ll most likely just pick the species of wood that matches the light tone you are looking for, unless you go for the whitewash look, which seems to be making a comeback in the hardwood fashion world.

If you want to modernize your home, going all the way black or all the way white is the way to go. If you want to green, go for a reclaimed wood and take your chances that the stain is going to react differently with each board, and you’ll get an eclectic blend of light and dark.

Choosing the right flooring for your Colorado home or business
Reclaimed wood is a great way to mix and match light with the dark as each board takes on a unique color and personality.
Photo: Reclaimed oak kitchen project

We’re not here to tell you that one is better than the other. We are here to guide you, inform you and inspire you. And when you’re ready to make a choice, we’re here to install and complete your vision with the skillful hands of a hardwood flooring Jedi Master.

Picture of Chris Keale

Chris Keale

Owner & Operator of Tongue & Groove Flooring
Wood Flooring 101 Course Creator

Chris Keale is the owner of Tongue & Groove and the creator of the Wood Floors 101 course, an educational resource that helps homeowners and design professionals make confident flooring decisions.

With a career that began in global technology and consulting, Chris traded boardrooms for floorboards, bringing his leadership skills and love of craftsmanship into the hardwood flooring industry. Since 2007, he has grown Tongue & Groove into one of Colorado’s most trusted flooring companies—built on a foundation of integrity, education and precision. 

Known for his sharp insight, dry humor and genuine commitment to his clients, Chris has helped homeowners, builders and designers through the complexities of choosing and installing hardwood floors. Whether teaching in the showroom, on a jobsite or through his Wood Floors 101, his mission remains the same: to simplify a complicated industry and deliver floors that stand the test of time.

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