An Updated Color Guide for 2023
Whether you are redecorating a room or building a brand new home, choosing wall paint colors to go with your hardwood flooring can be a daunting task. There are so many shades of every color to choose from, and you will want to make sure the colors you choose complement the wood floors in your home well.
Hardwood floors are still the premier flooring choice for homeowners, according to Hardwood Floors Magazine, with more than half of respondents saying they already have them in their homes and 66% saying they wanted them.
Wood floors today come in so many shades as well, including light stains, dark stains, red or cherry-toned shades, along with newer tones like beachy gray, bleached and limed wood.
According to the pros at ProRemodeler, big color trends in wood flooring for 2023 include light wood floors with white or natural undertones, dark hardwood floors in warm tones like walnut, along with smoky gray flooring and hardwood in whitewashed hues.
Out for 2023 are floor colors with heavy yellow undertones and richer reds like mahogany.
So how do you pick the right paint colors for your existing hardwoods, or find ones to go with a new wood floor finish?
Here are some suggestions for picking great paint colors that match each wood floor color best!
First, Decide on the Look You Want
An important first step on choosing a wall color to go with your floors is deciding what kind of feel you want the room to have.
Ask yourself: Are you going for a more modern look, or a historic or traditional color scheme? Or something that’s a bit of both, like the very on-trend modern farmhouse look?
Do you prefer a subtle palette of all neutral colors, or do you like the dramatic contrast that comes from pops of bright or dark colors?
Look through blogs and magazines to find looks you admire and bring them with you when you shop. Many home magazines and decorating websites will even include paint color information, and you can use color matching systems at the paint store to help you, as well.
Colors to Choose if You Have Light Hardwoods
Light hardwood floors can go with a range of wall color choices, from crisp white walls to deep shades like charcoal grey.
For a bright and airy look, choose light wall colors to go with blonde or light hardwood floors. Choose a classic white or for a modern twist, try a barely there pastel like blush, pale sage or smoky blue.
You can also choose a colorful hue for walls in rooms with light floors. Popular colors for 2023 that go well with light hardwoods include periwinkle, peaceful shades of blue and lively greens.
Whether you go light, dark or with a bright splash of color on the walls, be sure to consider the undertones of your flooring and choose a wall color that doesn’t clash with the color tones in your light floor.
A color wheel and color samples can help you figure out which tones go together best, or talk to a color expert at your favorite paint store for even more guidance.
Wall Colors for Dark Hardwoods
When painting your walls, you have to consider the amount of natural light coming into the room, especially with darker hardwood floors.
Dark floors already make spaces feel smaller, so in order to brighten up the room and provide a balance in color, you want to use lighter tones.
Neutral colors, muted hues and warmer whites will help create a soothing color scheme in rooms with dark wood floors.
Colors can work with dark hardwoods, too—just long as you don’t go too dark. Too-dark colors can make rooms with dark floors look dark, uninviting and overly enclosed.
If you want to go with a color, pick cooler shades such as a pale green, blue or grey to contrast with warm tones in dark wood flooring.
Hardwoods in tones like walnut, ebony and oak look extra rich next to cooler paint colors, but warm paint colors can also be used create a cozy feeling throughout.
Red or Cherry Hardwoods
Red hardwoods are very traditional and vibrant in color, and although light and dark woods in neutral hues have been trendy lately, they remain a popular choice.
Red-hued woods like cherry and red oak generally work better with earthy and warm tones, but you can also use muted blues and greens or a cool gray to create beautiful contrast.
White, off-white or other neutral tones can look very attractive in rooms with red-toned wood floors, too. Just be sure to choose a neutral or white with warmer tones, to bring out the rich color of the wood and avoid clashing undertones.
Darker or very warm colors like orange may overpower a room with red or cherry hardwoods, but you may be able to incorporate them as accent colors in the room. Consider painting decorative trim in one of these colors as a counterpoint, or go for bigger drama with a whole accent wall.
Rules for Choosing Wall Colors for Hardwoods
As with any home decor decision, pairing paint colors and wood stain colors is all about personal preference.
While there are some basic rules of thumb – like keeping an eye on the undertones of your hardwoods when choosing paint – there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to picking the right colors for your walls and floors.
If you want to go with a more modern and serene feel, choose a light wood with a neutral colored wall. If you want more a traditional look, pair a red wood with a warmer colored wall. Or go classic modern with dark floors and crisp white walls.
Complete Your Home with Hardwood Flooring
Flack’s Flooring and Rugs offers a wide selection of quality hardwoods and durable hardwood-look flooring products in a variety of finishes and colors.
Choose from solid wood hardwoods, engineered hardwood flooring or waterproof luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring, perfect for high-traffic and moisture-prone areas.
Our sales team can help you pick the right flooring for your needs, and you can bring your paint samples along to ensure a perfectly harmonious match!
Call us at (770) 889-9753 with any questions or to find out more about the types of hardwood flooring we stock.