The Cons of Dark Hardwood Floors
Smaller spaces: Darker floors can make a room feel smaller than it is, so it is important to have light-colored walls to offset this. No hidden debris: Dust, dirt, and debris are more visible on dark colored flooring, meaning you'll have to clean them more often.
If you are cramped for space in a tiny room, using the right colours can make all the difference. Try using lighter, natural floor colours like beiges or light oak. These shades have the ability to really open up a room, without you having to throw out half of your furniture.
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a great option for small spaces, offering a variety of plank widths in virtually any natural style and color you can imagine. LVT featuring a waterproof wood-plastic composite (WPC) core is an even better option for small spaces where water can be an issue, like kitchens and bathrooms.
Paler shades of wall and floor tiles reflect light which will visually open up a space, whereas darker tones absorb light which will make the room feel smaller.
Wide Planks
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
Choose Light Colored Flooring
What's beneath your feet can set the tone for the whole room, and having light-colored flooring will do wonders for the brightness level of your room. A light hardwood like pine or oak will add plenty of appeal to a darker room and expand the space to feel more open.
The overall feel of your room is vital to think about before deciding on a floor color. If cool-toned, darker flooring creates a formal feeling, while dark colors with warm tones can create a cozy atmosphere. Alternatively, pale, cool-toned floor colors will make your room feel airy and bright.
Hardwood Flooring
what's better than hardwood flooring? It's beautiful, it's durable, and it never goes out of style. Not to mention all of your friends, family, and neighbors aspire to have it, so you'll have your entire network envying your home's flooring design.
Classic medium-toned browns such as cherrywood, mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, birch wood, and hickory are all timeless colors that never go out of style. Cherrywood is a deep, rich color that has a deep mahogany shade with warm tones of red or brown, often mixed with hints of pink and even purple.
Finally, given the tone of light floors, they tend to appear cleaner longer. Light-colored flooring often shows less dust, debris than do dark floors and pesky, inevitable scratches and damage will be less obvious.
Contrast is one of the core rules of any style or decor, so the easiest way to match furniture and floors is to go with dark furniture on light floors or light furniture on dark floors.
The good thing about light floors is that they go with almost any aesthetic, bring airiness to a space, and match easily with other shades when choosing wall colors and furniture. Dark floors work with a more dramatic style, adding sophistication, coziness and contrast for other bright décor elements to pop.
Add reflective surfaces
Yes, you know that mirrors make a space appear larger. (“It's like doubling a room,” Curtis says.) But other reflective surfaces — high-gloss painted ceilings, lacquered furniture, shiny tile on a kitchen backsplash — have a similar effect, casting light and creating the illusion of volume.
So, what flooring looks cleanest? Typically, lighter color woods show less dirt and dust. Dark floors can easily show dust, while lighter floors mask it. Similarly, matte floors show less smudges, foot and paw prints than high gloss flooring.
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.
Floors with a white finish go with almost everything. A light burlap-like color is a great choice because you still get a light floor, without installing a truly “white” floor. You can use a variety of wood species to create a light floor.
Does this mean that your gray floors are “out of style” now? Not to worry. Gray flooring will always have its place in modern homes and buildings, and shouldn't be thrown out just yet. That being said, if you are in the market for new flooring, you may want to consider a few things before making your color selection.
As we mentioned above, hardwood is one of the most timeless materials available, which is why wood-look tile is a top choice for our timeless flooring list. Mimicking the look of natural wood, the graining on our wood-look tile floors will have you questioning whether this is natural wood or tile.
#4: Light Neutral Colors
Another top flooring trend in 2023? Light and neutral flooring. Modern grey wood flooring continues to be popular, as are light floor colors like blonde and beige. A great way to add these lighter flooring shades to your home or business is to use bamboo flooring.
Dark colored hardwood floors are highly sought after by home buyers because they match modern styles. Lighter hardwood floors don't have that same appeal to many buyers, but buying quality hardwood can help.
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. And, of course, it's the perfect complement to grey living rooms, which have become enduringly popular.
Using a dark floor with light walls and ceiling will instantly make a room look wider. This is a great combination if you need to open a space, but don't want to seem too large. Darker tones on both the floor and ceiling will make the room seem wider and the ceiling seem lower.
The best flooring for resale value: The ROI on wood floors
They're durable, versatile, and most buyers love them. According to real estate experts, the average ROI for installing hardwood floors is about 70% to 80%, and wood floors can boost the sales price of your home as much as 2.5%.