Painting your wood floors can be a great alternative to replacing or refinishing the wood. In historic homes especially, the wood has already been refinished too many times. This leaves the wood too thin to do hardly anything except paint it.
The following are the pros and cons of painting your wood floors, followed by stylistic suggestions.
The pros of painting your hardwood floors
- Infinite customization
- If you lack natural light - white paint can open up the room
- More affordable than other flooring alternatives
- Paint can hide the wood's imperfections
- It gives the wood a finished look
The cons of painting your hardwood floors
- It may need to be repainted often
- There is a long preparation process
- It can negatively affect your home value
- Removing the paint is difficult
If you choose to use paint anyway - great! We've got you covered with a list of 11 colors that would look great in your home.
1. White
This is an example of a very sleek, put-together room. The white floors bounce off natural light and reflect it into the space. While the interior designer took the liberty of matching the wall and floor color, it is unnecessary. The white floors pair incredibly well with pastel colors like the baby blue depicted.
The only con of using white paint is that it may show dirt more easily than darker flooring. This shouldn't stop you from experimenting with lighter colors, though! There are wood floor cleaners that can take care of this easily. For example, this Almond Scented Wood Floor Cleaner.
Click here to view this product on Amazon.
2. Light Gray
Here is another example of wood flooring that pairs well with pastels. These gray floorboards make for a beautiful base for a room. It would be interesting to experiment with different hues of gray as well! The different grays would compliment each other and give the floor a subtle pop even in the same room.
For a lighter gray, it is suggested to use pastel colors to accent the room. The complementary colors will change depending on how warm the gray is. Regardless, we think gray would be a good color for your next home project.
3. Light Brown
Sometimes, a home needs a slight shift, like going from one typical wood color to another. Don't underestimate the power of brown paint, though! The beauty is in the details of the shades.
Painting the wood floors a light brown color is a great way to introduce subtle warmth to the room. This room takes advantage of this fact. The pale yellow and white on top of the light brown look stunning.
One way to achieve this look is by using a liquid wood product. Plain old wood paint works just fine as well.
Find this Light Liquid Wood on Amazon here.
4. Charcoal
There is a common misconception that you cannot paint your wood floors too dark because it will make the room look smaller. This is not true! While you shouldn't overload the room with too many dark colors, there is nothing inherently wrong with charcoal-colored flooring.
The colors are balanced out with pale yellow and navy blue in this image. Those two colors create a nice contrast and work well with the floors. The grain of the wood is also still noticeable. It is important to note that painting wood floors do not mean you have to add layer upon layer to disguise the wood. A thin layer of paint can still dramatically change the room.
5. Different shades of blue
Blue is a great color to paint your wood floors, especially in a children's bedroom! It automatically draws your attention to the vibrant colors. What is special about this image is the use of different shades. This may be more costly as you need to purchase different shades of one color. The payoff is beautiful, though!
If the color block scheme is too rough, try starting with a base color and slowly add more white to it. This will create an ombre pallet of colors that can be repeated.
6. Brown
Many wood floors already come in brown. However, there are different shades, as we hope this article has conveyed thus far. Although, that shouldn't stray you from achieving your dream floors!
The brown in this image is very in the middle. It isn't too warm or cool, and it isn't too light or dark. This brown is not light enough to compare to Light Brown [number 3], but it also isn't close to a chestnut. Regardless of what you want to call this shade, we think it could perfectly fit your home.
7. Geometric Patterns
This pattern can be achieved using any two color combinations. We recommend doing this in a kitchen or children's room, or somewhere where there needs to be a pop. Those two colors will then influence the decor of the room. For example, the navy blue cabinet compliments the bright yellow diamonds.
We suggest taking even more creative liberty and experimenting with shapes as well. Swap it out for circles, hearts, stars, or a chevron pattern if this pattern doesn't suit you. There are so many possibilities!
8. Orange
These orange-tinted floors bring life to the room! The kitchen feels complete when paired with the orange cabinets and wooden chairs. The floor is not the centerpiece here, which could be good as the kitchen is a high-traffic room. What does bring attention to the floor is the beautiful rug. Once again, the designer uses quality accessories on top of a neutral base.
9. Purple
While these beautiful wood floors are naturally purple, you can also mimic the color with a wood stain. Purpleheart wood can appear dull or gray when first cut. The wood will turn a reddish-purple in a few days due to the light exposure. Since this kind of wood may in inaccessible, we recommend mimicking it with purple paint.
One way to achieve this glossy look is using a wood floor rejuvenator. The shine on top of the deep purple will be a show stopper! Below are two items that can help obtain the desired results.
Click here to view this All Floors Restorer Liquid.
Click here to view the item on Amazon.
10. Green
This is such a unique color. It isn't brown enough to be considered an earth tone, nor is it dark enough to be olive. We recommend pairing green wooden floors with white, brown, or navy blue.
If this shade of green isn't too much of your style, try opting for a more gray-green. That is a safer, more neutral color to choose. While it won't have the same wow effect as the color in this image, it can certainly spark a room to life.
11. Beige
To increase the room's warmth, paint your wood floors a lovely neutral beige. This is a common color for wood floors, and it's no surprise why. Its neutrality also creates more space for creative accent colors. In the image above, the designer stuck with the brown color scheme.
The image also depicts a great way to spice up the wooden floors - adding a rug. Rugs pair best with very simple floors. This prevents too many conflicting patterns from ruining the room's design.
Additional materials
Before tackling this home project, ensure you have all of your required materials. It is highly suggested to sand the wood floors before painting them. Sanding the wood can prevent splinters, level the ground, and smoothen it out. Here is one type of wood sander.
To view the Palm Sander on Amazon, click here.
Let's recap! Choosing to remodel your home is already stressful, so don't worry about replacing your floors. Instead, you can choose a more affordable option and paint the wood. Removing the paint is strenuous, but we encourage you to be confident in your decision. Whichever of the 11 style suggestions you decide to implement, we're sure you'll pick the perfect shade!
For more posts on wood floors, click below-
What Color Furniture Goes With Wood Floors [11 Options]