Light or Dark Hardwood Floors
Light or dark hardwood floors… which one should you go for? Both have pros and cons. Light hardwood floors create an airy, open feel. Dark floors offer depth and drama. Either can work. And both are wildly popular. Which makes choosing between them even more difficult.
Here's 8 questions to ask before deciding to go dark or light with your hardwood floors:
But, if your wood floors have lots of stains, damage or imperfections, a darker color stain might make your floors look much better.
Which shows scratches more: light or dark hardwood floors?
All hardwood shows damage and scratches; however, dark hardwood definitely shows scratches more. The main factor for this is that if you scratch through the dark-colored stain, it shows more of a contrast with the light wood below vs. a light-colored floor.
Stain comes in many colors: ebony, dark walnut, red mahogany, golden Oak, provincial, and cherry. Some individuals will get two similar colors mixed for a custom look (e.g., ebony and dark walnut). If any of these get scratched, the lighter-colored wood below will show.
Is light or dark flooring best if you have pets?
Light floors are usually much better if you have pet dogs (and a busy home) because, as we said above, light hardwood floors reveal scratches less. However, consider including an additional coat of polyurethane so that they last longer if you are staining your floors dark. Also choose a finish with a lower sheen level, such as matte or satin so the scratches don't refract light and stand out as much.
Will dark floors make my house look too small?
Dark floors can tend to make your area more closed, especially if your walls are also dark. Light floors make the place look more open. Because of this, dark floors work much better in houses with bigger spaces, windows that let in lots of natural light, and an open layout. If you choose dark floors and are worried that your area will look too dark, consider painting the walls and ceiling lighter, and including more lighting.
Do dark floors make a room look darker?
Yes, dark floors can make a room look darker. Especially if the walls, window coverings, and furniture are dark as well. The dark mood is enhanced if there isn’t a lot of natural sunlight available to brighten up the room. If you’d like to have dark floors and not have the atmosphere of a dark, dim room, we suggest going with lighter paint on the walls and something bright for the ceiling. You can also brighten up a room with lighter window coverings, area rugs, furniture and of course, by adding additional lighting.
What color flooring makes a room look larger?
Light colored flooring generally makes a floor appear visually larger, airier and more spacious. Light colored wood like maple or white oak (especially if stained light or coated with a whitewashed type of finish) feel much brighter and open because they reflect natural light, rather than absorb it like darker flooring choices.
If I decide to go dark, what stain color should I choose?
This will depend on your taste. Some want a jet-black floor. Others want a dark shade, but still want to see the grain. The most popular stain we use is presently Jacobean (a mid-dark color). Ebony has a reputation for being the darkest stain color. But it's not as dark as you might think. True Black from Rubio Monocoat is a true deep, dark shade. Duraseal has a stain called True Black if you want to go super dark with your floors. It's much darker than ebony. It conceals all of the oak graining essentially.
This is Duraseal True Black below...
There's also an option to do water popping, which opens the pores and allows the stain to have a darker and deeper shade. You can also blend colors to come up with a custom shade. Many of our Boston and the South Shore Massachusetts clients choose a 50/50 mix of Ebony and Jacobean. It's a great look that isn't too dark, but still scratches that dark floor itch.
Dark Walnut is a touch lighter than Jacobean. If you feel Jacobean (in the image above) is a bit too dark for your tastes, maybe give this a shot. For a little lighter choice, consider Antique Brown and Coffee Brown.
Remember, the lighting in your rooms will significantly impact how dark the wood floors look. The same floor, with the same stain, can look quite dramatically different in other houses. Always test the color on your floors before committing to the exact stain color.
Can I make my light floor even lighter?
There are options to lighten up hardwood floors. One option is to use a water-borne poly to make the floors lighter. Bona Nordic Seal is one such product. Rubio Monocoat also have products like their Pre-Color Easy that can be put down prior to a white shade like Nordic White.
You can see an example of this in the photo showing light and dark hardwood floor stains below...
Light or dark floors: which one looks more modern?
This will depend on a lot of factors, but usually extremely dark floors are the most contemporary. Next are natural, lighter floors utilizing a low-sheen matte finish. Mid-toned brown floors look the most conventional and work well in country farmhouse and traditional settings.
Which costs more - light or dark hardwood floors?
This depends on whether you are installing pre-finished floors or are refinishing existing floors. Usually, it's less expensive to refinish natural and keep your floors natural, rather than use a stain, if you have existing hardwood. If you are installing new pre-finished floors, then you can choose either a dark or light wood and pricing should be comparable for similar products. However, prices can vary based on species and brand and line selected.
If you're refinishing existing hardwood floors, then generally going natural (light) is less expensive than staining your floor dark. With a stained floor, there's a lot more additional sanding and preparation needed. Additional labor to water-pop and apply the stain also has to be included. So, the price will be a higher compared to keeping your floor natural.
What is the difference between pre-finished vs. site-finished floors when it comes to light or dark hardwood floors?
Both can be had in a multitude of light and dark colors. But there is a significant difference between them. Site-finished floors are sanded smooth and have no bevels between the boards.
Below shows a site-finished floor being sanded, notice the lack of bevels...
Pre-finished wood (or factory finished) has bevels on the edges. This is not always obvious on the samples, as some only show one piece of wood. It's best to place two samples together and look at them closely to see if you like the look.
Once they're installed and you view them at a standing height, you will notice them even more. If you don't like the look of bevels throughout your floor, it's too late.
Will light or dark hardwood floors look best with my furnishings?
Generally, most furnishings go with dark and light wood floors. However, floors with vastly different tones may compete with your furniture. However, if you have dark furniture, you want to avoid floor colors with deep red tones because they will clash with your furniture. And vice versa. You want your hardwood floors and the color you choose to complement your furniture. You can add area rugs to help unify areas and make the colors blend in better.
Home design magazines are full of great photos with various furniture colors and styles showing how they work with either light or dark hardwood floors.
Which color floor will best suit your kitchen cabinets?
If you have a wood-colored kitchen, you'll want to select a floor color that contrasts with what you have. Or else it will blend in too much and look really blah and dull. Dark floors usually tend to look better with lighter cabinets. And lighter floors look better with darker cabinets. If you have any issues making this combination work, there's always the option to reface or paint your kitchen cabinets to any color you like.
Below shows a light hardwood floor with dark cabinets...
And here is a dark hardwood floor with light cabinets...
Do dark hardwood floors conceal damage better?
If your floor is old and has many flaws (e.g. splinters in the floor, water damage, knots, pet stains), staining your floors darker will cover this up and camouflage discolorations much better than keeping your flooring light. If your floor has large, damaged areas, and you want to keep your floors light, then brand-new wood can typically be woven in for repair work if needed.
Which has greater resale worth – light or dark hardwood floors?
Today's general trend/preference is leaning towards light colored flooring (natural), with dark floors a close second. In general, red shades are less popular, so best to keep away from them if you're looking to sell your home soon.
So, which do you prefer, dark or light hardwood floors? In the end both are great. The choice you make will be based on how you answer the questions above.
Dans Custom Hardwood Floors are more than happy to help you decide what would look best in your home, light or dark hardwood floors. We service Boston, Hingham, Cape Cod, Cohasset, Duxbury, and surrounding South Shore areas. Give us a call at (781) 380-0768 to arrange a free consultation and quote.
Here's 8 questions to ask before deciding to go dark or light with your hardwood floors:
- What is the design and architectural style of your home?
- What color and style are your decorations and furniture?
- How consistent are you with cleaning, mopping and vacuuming?
- How big are your rooms?
- How much natural light comes into the rooms?
- What are the wall colors, and will you be painting and changing the color?
- Do you have pets?
- What color are your kitchen cabinets?
Light or Dark Hardwood Floors FAQs
Which hardwood floor colors are most in style in Boston and the South Shore of Massachusetts? In our local Boston and South Shore area, dark hardwood floors were trending for numerous years and continue to be popular. Light floors or natural unstained floors have gained in popularity the last few years. Is it easier to keep light or dark hardwood clean and tidy? Light hardwood floors tend to show much less dirt than dark hardwood floors. You're constantly cleaning up more with dark floors as dust and hair shows far more vs lighter floors. But at least cleaning them more often will help you in protecting your hardwood floors longer. How do you decide between light or dark hardwood flooring? First, look at the house's design to see what works best. Is your house conventional, traditional or modern? In a lot of older houses, dark hardwood floors tend to look best. In some modern homes, either very light or very dark looks fine. Traditional house designs look great with mid-toned colors. Lighter flooring makes your area appear bigger. Because of this, natural or light shades can be a terrific choice for smaller-sized condos/co-ops and townhouses. Especially those with fewer windows.
But, if your wood floors have lots of stains, damage or imperfections, a darker color stain might make your floors look much better.
Which shows scratches more: light or dark hardwood floors?
All hardwood shows damage and scratches; however, dark hardwood definitely shows scratches more. The main factor for this is that if you scratch through the dark-colored stain, it shows more of a contrast with the light wood below vs. a light-colored floor.
Stain comes in many colors: ebony, dark walnut, red mahogany, golden Oak, provincial, and cherry. Some individuals will get two similar colors mixed for a custom look (e.g., ebony and dark walnut). If any of these get scratched, the lighter-colored wood below will show.
Is light or dark flooring best if you have pets?
Light floors are usually much better if you have pet dogs (and a busy home) because, as we said above, light hardwood floors reveal scratches less. However, consider including an additional coat of polyurethane so that they last longer if you are staining your floors dark. Also choose a finish with a lower sheen level, such as matte or satin so the scratches don't refract light and stand out as much.
Will dark floors make my house look too small?
Dark floors can tend to make your area more closed, especially if your walls are also dark. Light floors make the place look more open. Because of this, dark floors work much better in houses with bigger spaces, windows that let in lots of natural light, and an open layout. If you choose dark floors and are worried that your area will look too dark, consider painting the walls and ceiling lighter, and including more lighting.
Do dark floors make a room look darker?
Yes, dark floors can make a room look darker. Especially if the walls, window coverings, and furniture are dark as well. The dark mood is enhanced if there isn’t a lot of natural sunlight available to brighten up the room. If you’d like to have dark floors and not have the atmosphere of a dark, dim room, we suggest going with lighter paint on the walls and something bright for the ceiling. You can also brighten up a room with lighter window coverings, area rugs, furniture and of course, by adding additional lighting.
What color flooring makes a room look larger?
Light colored flooring generally makes a floor appear visually larger, airier and more spacious. Light colored wood like maple or white oak (especially if stained light or coated with a whitewashed type of finish) feel much brighter and open because they reflect natural light, rather than absorb it like darker flooring choices.
If I decide to go dark, what stain color should I choose?
This will depend on your taste. Some want a jet-black floor. Others want a dark shade, but still want to see the grain. The most popular stain we use is presently Jacobean (a mid-dark color). Ebony has a reputation for being the darkest stain color. But it's not as dark as you might think. True Black from Rubio Monocoat is a true deep, dark shade. Duraseal has a stain called True Black if you want to go super dark with your floors. It's much darker than ebony. It conceals all of the oak graining essentially.
This is Duraseal True Black below...
There's also an option to do water popping, which opens the pores and allows the stain to have a darker and deeper shade. You can also blend colors to come up with a custom shade. Many of our Boston and the South Shore Massachusetts clients choose a 50/50 mix of Ebony and Jacobean. It's a great look that isn't too dark, but still scratches that dark floor itch.
Dark Walnut is a touch lighter than Jacobean. If you feel Jacobean (in the image above) is a bit too dark for your tastes, maybe give this a shot. For a little lighter choice, consider Antique Brown and Coffee Brown.
Remember, the lighting in your rooms will significantly impact how dark the wood floors look. The same floor, with the same stain, can look quite dramatically different in other houses. Always test the color on your floors before committing to the exact stain color.
Can I make my light floor even lighter?
There are options to lighten up hardwood floors. One option is to use a water-borne poly to make the floors lighter. Bona Nordic Seal is one such product. Rubio Monocoat also have products like their Pre-Color Easy that can be put down prior to a white shade like Nordic White.
You can see an example of this in the photo showing light and dark hardwood floor stains below...
Light or dark floors: which one looks more modern?
This will depend on a lot of factors, but usually extremely dark floors are the most contemporary. Next are natural, lighter floors utilizing a low-sheen matte finish. Mid-toned brown floors look the most conventional and work well in country farmhouse and traditional settings.
Which costs more - light or dark hardwood floors?
This depends on whether you are installing pre-finished floors or are refinishing existing floors. Usually, it's less expensive to refinish natural and keep your floors natural, rather than use a stain, if you have existing hardwood. If you are installing new pre-finished floors, then you can choose either a dark or light wood and pricing should be comparable for similar products. However, prices can vary based on species and brand and line selected.
If you're refinishing existing hardwood floors, then generally going natural (light) is less expensive than staining your floor dark. With a stained floor, there's a lot more additional sanding and preparation needed. Additional labor to water-pop and apply the stain also has to be included. So, the price will be a higher compared to keeping your floor natural.
What is the difference between pre-finished vs. site-finished floors when it comes to light or dark hardwood floors?
Both can be had in a multitude of light and dark colors. But there is a significant difference between them. Site-finished floors are sanded smooth and have no bevels between the boards.
Below shows a site-finished floor being sanded, notice the lack of bevels...
Pre-finished wood (or factory finished) has bevels on the edges. This is not always obvious on the samples, as some only show one piece of wood. It's best to place two samples together and look at them closely to see if you like the look.
Once they're installed and you view them at a standing height, you will notice them even more. If you don't like the look of bevels throughout your floor, it's too late.
Will light or dark hardwood floors look best with my furnishings?
Generally, most furnishings go with dark and light wood floors. However, floors with vastly different tones may compete with your furniture. However, if you have dark furniture, you want to avoid floor colors with deep red tones because they will clash with your furniture. And vice versa. You want your hardwood floors and the color you choose to complement your furniture. You can add area rugs to help unify areas and make the colors blend in better.
Home design magazines are full of great photos with various furniture colors and styles showing how they work with either light or dark hardwood floors.
Which color floor will best suit your kitchen cabinets?
If you have a wood-colored kitchen, you'll want to select a floor color that contrasts with what you have. Or else it will blend in too much and look really blah and dull. Dark floors usually tend to look better with lighter cabinets. And lighter floors look better with darker cabinets. If you have any issues making this combination work, there's always the option to reface or paint your kitchen cabinets to any color you like.
Below shows a light hardwood floor with dark cabinets...
And here is a dark hardwood floor with light cabinets...
Do dark hardwood floors conceal damage better?
If your floor is old and has many flaws (e.g. splinters in the floor, water damage, knots, pet stains), staining your floors darker will cover this up and camouflage discolorations much better than keeping your flooring light. If your floor has large, damaged areas, and you want to keep your floors light, then brand-new wood can typically be woven in for repair work if needed.
Which has greater resale worth – light or dark hardwood floors?
Today's general trend/preference is leaning towards light colored flooring (natural), with dark floors a close second. In general, red shades are less popular, so best to keep away from them if you're looking to sell your home soon.
So, which do you prefer, dark or light hardwood floors? In the end both are great. The choice you make will be based on how you answer the questions above.
Dans Custom Hardwood Floors are more than happy to help you decide what would look best in your home, light or dark hardwood floors. We service Boston, Hingham, Cape Cod, Cohasset, Duxbury, and surrounding South Shore areas. Give us a call at (781) 380-0768 to arrange a free consultation and quote.