Interior Design Q&A: Light or Dark Timber Flooring

Flooring can make or break your living space.  So when you’re thinking about timber flooring, should you go light or dark?  Let’s drop in on this Q&A with the Interior Design team at Tuckey Restoration, Inc.:

Q.

We are laying a vinyl timber-look floor in our kitchen/family and dining room/entry/hall. Is there a rule of thumb for choosing light or dark colors in timber flooring? We don’t want to close the space in, but we would like to achieve a warm feel from the floors. The kitchen and family room are all one area adjoining the dining. The entry and hall leads to the family room. Our ceilings are 8 ft high. Our walls will be a light shade of yellow. How closely should the floor color match timber furnishings?

A.

Generally, to achieve a “warm” feeling you would choose one of the darker colors, however, you should consider the fact that the yellow walls will “warm” the space, as well. Typically, the darker colors will make the space seem smaller; however, due to the fact that you are remaining consistent with the flooring in all adjoining areas, you could be okay. When trying to match your furnishings, you may want to either match them exactly (which is often hard to do) or choose something that is an obvious “mismatch.” Be sure to bring home all of your samples and compare your furnishings, paint color, etc. It’s difficult to give specific recommendations without viewing the space. Eclectic furnishings, materials, textures, etc can often add personality and character to a space, as well. Best of luck!

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(Picture By Laidler139 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)