One way to style your dark wood furniture is to contrast it with light colours. This doesn't have to be a stark black-and-white contrast, but making use of lighter-coloured neutrals is a good way to go. Warm neutrals such as soft greys, stone and beige variants will pair very nicely with dark wood.
Light colors go very well with dark flooring. Pale, cool blue walls work especially well in a dining room, if you're looking for a lively pop of color. Calming blue and blue gray shades can bring contrast to the dark wood to brighten your space.
Pick a Warm Gray
“Warm grays are my go-to neutral to pair with rich brown furnishings," says designer Allison Knizek, who is particularly drawn to Benjamin Moore London Fog. "It's like a soft blanket of gray haze, but rather than having a black base, it possesses a subtle, warm undertone," she adds.
Brighten up a dark brown couch.
First, paint walls a pale neutral, then choose artwork, accessories, and accent furniture in lighter or colorful hues to balance the darkness of the furniture. Light gray walls, white trim, and cream-colored accents keep the couch from feeling too heavy.
Neutral Dark Brown Combined With Black and White
Black and brown work great together as textile patterns. Keep brown complementary colors such as green or orange (depending on the undertone of brown) in mind when using these three colors as a base, as they can work great as pops of color in the form of décor.
Greens, grays, whites and beiges are no-brainers. Warmer colors, like orange, brown, rust and red, work too, but the deeper tones of these colors work best.
It's a combination that looks sophisticated, sensual and more than a little Scandi – dark grey and wood make a stylish team.
An amazing thing about grey wall paint, the hue can change when paired with light or dark wooden flooring. Grey brings an elegant and timeless charm to any room, and since it leans more toward cool than warm hues, it goes with most wooden floor colors.
My first tip for working with dark wood furniture is to use tones (paint, bedding, pillows, artwork, curtains, etc.) that compliment the wood tone – usually warm, neutral colors. In this design, I painted the walls BM Revere Pewter – a warm gray.
Earthy tones on both the red and green part of the spectrum can work really well with both light and dark oak furniture. Greens like sage or olive help to create a calm feel, perfect for a living room or study.
Dark wood floors in the kitchen can be very chic. Keep the overall effect elegant and light by balancing the dark floors with white cabinetry and walls, warm bronze metals and wood accents just a few shades lighter than the floors.
Lay a brightly patterned runner across a wood dresser or table. Opt for bold bedding or wall art in a bedroom outfitted with wood furniture. Table lamps, vases, and planters in a rainbow of colors can also help cheer up dark wood furniture.
Popular Gray and Greige Paint Colors for Dark Wood Floors
My two personal favorites are Sherwin Williams Repose Gray and Sherwin William Agreeable Gray, but Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter has been a popular choice in the past, too.
To bring out the beauty in dark stained hardwood, try a white, off-white or beige area rug. The lighter color creates a stark contrast with the dark wood, balancing out the feel of the room and bringing attention to each element.
Dark hardwood floors go really well with Agreeable Gray. Whether it's dark brown or almost black they will contrast really nicely with the lighter paint color and look amazing. Gray hardwoods and gray carpeting also look really good.
Do grey and brown go together? Of course, they do! It's one of the classic combos. Grey is neutral, steady, elegant, and sophisticated.
The key to mixing woods is keeping the undertones consistent. Woods with warm undertones will look yellow or red - think Cherry, Mahogany, and Hickory. These woods will work well together, even if they vary in darkness and grain. Cool-toned woods will look a little bit grey, like Ash, Maple, Poplar, or Pine.
With dark wood cabinets, white and light paint colours look fantastic. Choose countertops in white, brown, black, or grey. Dark oak cabinets look great with off-white walls, maple or oak floors, and stainless steel hardware. Choose a dark oak kitchen table and stainless steel appliances as a finishing touch.
Watch the undertones.
While wood finishes don't need to match, they should complement each other, Goerg says. Look at the color bias of each wood to see if it is warm or cool, then make sure their undertones match, regardless of finish.
The opposite of brown, also known as the complement of brown, is the color that has maximum contrast with brown. Generally speaking, the opposite of brown is blue or bluish-grey. The complements of brown differ greatly based on the exact color as it is common for browns to be tinted with red, yellow and greens.
'The rule of thumb being match cool greys with other "chill" colours such as blue, pale greens and cool white. And match darker grey tones with warm tones such as burnt orange, mustard, and teal.