The addition of wood floors in any home adds a homey, warm touch to the space's overall feel, but you may be at a loss when furnishing hardwood. Between the furniture, trim, and accents, you need to figure out what colors and styles will go best with your wood floors. We've searched high and low for design expertise for how to best coordinate wood floors and furniture.
Wood floors and furniture shouldn't match exactly. Contrast creates a more interesting and dimensional look, but not all colors look good with all wood floors. More important than the wood's value (or hue) is the undertone. So, pair woods that are either warm-toned or cool-toned with similarly toned furniture. To choose the right combinations, you'll need to understand the following:
- The undertone of your wood floors
- Use of bold versus subtle colors
- Coordinated theme
If you're searching for the perfect furniture to compliment your beautiful wood floors, you're in luck! We've showcased the most attractive ways to mix and match furniture pieces with wood floors – keep reading to learn more.
What Is The Undertone Of My Wood Floor?
Although we don't often think about them, undertones are all around us. An undertone is the underlying hue of a certain color – it's the difference between an ashy taupe-brown and a rich, nearly-orange terra cotta. The first step in deciding how to furnish a room to compliment your wood floors is understanding your undertones.
It may seem inconsequential, but understanding the importance of an undertone will ensure that you don't have to play any guessing games the next time you go furniture shopping. If you have warm-toned floors and want to spice things up with a bold colored couch, for example, knowing about undertones will tell you that warm colors such as orange or peach will look much better than blue or green.
Check out this article 'Should Wood Floors Match Throughout The House?'
Warm-Toned Wood
Warm-toned wood floors can range anywhere from deep, reddish-brown mahogany to a lighter shade that appears more yellow or orange. Think of all the colors in a sunset, like golden yellows and subtle peaches. If your floors contain these hues, then you have a wood floor with warm undertones.
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Cool-Toned Wood
The opposite of warm tones is cool tones. Rather than a sunset, think about a stormy day this time – what colors do you see swirling around the sky? Deep purples, blues, and grays are the hues that will be present in your cool-toned wood floors. If your floors read more ashy than bright and vibrant, chances are they're cool-toned.
Neutral-Toned Wood
If you don't see any cool or warm tones, then you may very well have neutral-toned floors. Neutral tones are exactly what they sound like – although your wood floors may subtly lean cool or warm, if they really seem to be somewhere in-between, then it's safe to say they're neutral.
Neutral tones are easy to furnish because they're versatile – both warm and cool tones are going to compliment them just fine. Just make sure the furniture you choose all follows a similar theme, and you'll be good to go.
Bold Vs. Subtle Colors
Now that we understand the importance of undertones, we can start to talk about value. Whether your wood floors are dark or light will determine whether your furniture should be bold and bright or more subtly neutral.
Looking to upgrade your carpet to wood floors? Read this article 'How To Remove Glued Down Carpet [8 Effective Ways]'
Pair Light Floors With Bold Colors
Wood floors that are light or medium in value are the perfect backdrop for statement pieces. Because the floors themselves lean more subtle, you have the perfect opportunity to try out a bold-colored accent piece. A mossy green couch will pair perfectly with your light, cool-toned floors.
Pair Dark Floors With Subtle Colors
Dark wooden floors are a statement in and of themselves. Because the floor should be the room's focus, decorate with simple colors such as white, black, and cream. If you really want to add a pop of color, opt for small accents such as a red throw pillow or some art with a touch of color – but keep everything else neutral.
Coordinated Theme
Following the tips above will allow you to mix and match furniture to your heart's content, but if you really want a room to come together as one cohesive look, it's important to have a theme in mind. Do you want rustic, retro, or minimalist? Keep reading for some stunning style ideas.
Rustic
Lots of dark, warm-toned wood and antique furniture will make your dreams of living in a cozy, rustic cottage come true. Look for distressed pieces anywhere from the thrift store to your favorite home decor outlet. Soft, warm lighting will amplify the already-cozy design, so opt for table lamps and accent lighting instead of harsh overhead fluorescent bulbs.
Check out these rustic wood shelves on Amazon.
Retro
A light, neutral-toned wood floor is the perfect canvas for retro furniture. A mid-century modern couch is a no-brainer if you're going for this look, and a color palette of mustard yellow or groovy teal will add a fun touch. Other retro pieces such as an old typewriter or records (pin them up for easy wall art!) will tie together the whole room.
Check out this retro mint green typewriter by Royal on Amazon.
Minimalist
To live a minimalist lifestyle, your home has to follow suit. Light wood floors and muted colors will give your living room a clean, airy quality that will calm your mind whenever you spend time in it. The key is not to go overboard – a simple couch, soft rug, and adequate lighting can be your centerpieces – only add things that will bring you joy.
Check out this minimalist Holden floor lamp on Amazon.
Matching Versus Contrasting
We think that adding a little contrast to your decorative style is always more fun than having a home where everything matches perfectly. Here are some of our favorite ways to mix and match:
Should All Your Wood Furniture Match?
If you're filling your space with lots of wood furniture, make sure it all doesn't match exactly. Having floors and multiple pieces of furniture that are all the same hue looks boring and uninventive.
Mix it up by choosing pieces with similar undertones that vary slightly in value. For example, warm-toned wood floors, tables, and chairs that range from light to medium in value will complement each other without being too matchy-matchy. Avoid pairing extremely light and dark pieces with each other as the contrast will be too jarring – the trick is a slight variation and a cohesive undertone.
Is It OK To Mix And Match Furniture?
Whether or not you're working with wood, mixing and matching your furniture is modern and fun. Too much coordination can look stuffy, so don't be afraid to choose pieces with contrasting colors and different styles. As long as you follow our tips about the undertone and value listed throughout this article, it can be easy to create a playful living area without too much hassle.
Should Furniture Match Area Rugs?
To find an area rug that will perfectly complement your space, think about balance. If you have bold furniture, choose a subtle, off-white rug. If your couch is a solid color, choose a rug with a fun pattern. Too much of the same thing is never good, so take this as an opportunity to offset whatever else you have going on.
Since an area rug will most likely take up more surface area than anything else, we think it's a good idea to choose one that contrasts your other furniture but still pulls the room together. To achieve this, find one with an element similar to your other decors, like a splash of color or a texture pulled from another part of the room.
Check out this Artistic Weavers area rug on Amazon.
Happy Decorating!
Enjoy furnishing your home to complement your beautiful wood floors. Remember to choose furniture that matches the undertone of your floors, and you can't go wrong. Get out there and decorate until you drop!