It’s summer and often the best time of the year to do updates to your home! One of my favorite things to do was get new flooring because it really gave the room a fresh look – and it was a lot easier to keep it clean because I tended to go with hardwood flooring. Today’s post is a guest post talking about how hardwood floors can illuminate your home and reveal the natural beauty of your home decor and furnishings. Flooring Expert, Martin O’Callaghan of Wood Flooring Ireland has created this guide to help you decide what kind of flooring and what color of flooring. I love working with flooring because it changes the mood of the room and the house!
Revealing the Natural Beauty of Your Home with the Colors of Hardwood Flooring
by Martin O’Callaghan, Wood Flooring Ireland
Walk into any home. What first strikes your eye? Is it the antique buffet and hutch, the brush-stroked wallpaper design, or the pink-copper table lamp? The correct answer is that not one of these items will make an impression if it does not blend with the décor. As attractive as any object may be in its own right, it won’t contribute to the design if it does not add balance.
An important element of décor in any room is its flooring. The type and style of floor that you choose synthesizes the rest of the elements of your home. Hardwood flooring today is very versatile and offers an awesome selection of colors, materials,and patterns.
Coloring your home with wood flooring
There are a number of reasons why you may choose to add hardwood flooring to your home. You inherited flooring that does not enhance your chosen color scheme, or you are pulling up carpeting or other types of flooring. Refinishing is an option that will allow you to completely replace an existing hardwood floor color. This is particularly easy with solid wood floors. Engineered wood floors can also be refinished if the top layer is thick enough to allow this.
Letting the light in!
The natural light coming into your home impacts many color decisions you make, especially the flooring. Your home may be beautiful, but if it does not get enough light, it can be rather gloomy. Larger rooms can handle this with electrical lighting, but a small space needs more work. If you select a light-colored hardwood floor, you’ll be surprised at the brighter look the floor will bring to your home.
Choosing a light-colored wood
Red or white wood is a popular floor choice. Interestingly enough, red oak is actually a lighter shade than white oak. It also sports a stronger grainy look. Both oaks grow prolifically, making them very affordable. Oak is also a popular choice because of its resistance to dents and scratches, and because of the variety of colors, you can choose from.
One thing to watch out for when you use oak hardwood flooring is that the colors of red and white oak are very difficult to match up, so try not to mix and match. Refinishing stains will not solve this issue, as the two oaks do not respond to stains in the same way. If you ever need to add more flooring, simply make sure that you are choosing the correct color oak. This way, the refinishing stains will unify your old and new flooring.
Selecting a darker wood
A dark hardwood floor works well with any type of décor but is better suited to larger spaces and well-lit homes. Dark colors blend well with traditional décor, especially when a glossy finish is used. If you’re looking for a more rustic look, choose a natural matte finish.
The warm browns of mahogany woods are beautiful but may stretch your budget somewhat. Hickory is very durable, but quite costly to install. However, hickory wood does not require staining. A natural finish is all it needs, as the wood itself comes in its own naturally varying colors and a strongly patterned grain.
What are the actual color tones in darker wood?
The range of tones in darker hardwood floors is limitless. You’ll find warmer tones with that touch of red in Brazilian cherry. Are you looking for cooler tones? Try the large variety of gray woods. Found more commonly in engineered wood than solid wood, grey wood planks are generally cut in widths of at least five inches, enlarging the perception of a room’s size. However, try not to use overly wide planks in a small room.
Having trouble deciding on a wood color? Here’s one tip
One element of your room may be particularly dominant. Does your living-room display a prominent painting, an impressive cabinet, or a piano? Let this distinct item help you choose your floor color. A contrasting color will work well. For example, a light-colored display cabinet blends beautifully with a floor built in varying shades of grey.
A colorful idea in a different floor style
One of the ways to inject some color into your flooring is to choose designs that can easily carry different plank shades. Chevron and herringbone are examples of floor styles that you can run with, and really express your own vision. Chevron and herringbone also work well in solid colors.
No matter what anyone says – do your own thing
You have chosen your home to live in. Make your wood flooring choices based on your own tastes, rather than on current fashions. The latest styles and colors come and go. Hardwood flooring is strong and long-lasting, so it will last through many fashion trends. The best tip anyone can give you is to make sure you choose the colors that you like.
Bio for Martin O’Callaghan, Wood Flooring Ireland
This article was written by Martin O’Callaghan of Wood Flooring Ireland. This company is a market leader in ‘”laminate flooring” in Ireland. Martin has over 40 years’ experience with bespoke wooden floors.
LA-Story.com thanks Martin O’Callaghan of Wood Flooring Ireland for his great article and the time he spent putting the article together plus all the photos he curated! His commentary has me wanting to get some new flooring.
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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