Hardwood floors have a distinct and attractive look that continues to be stylish options for new homes. Hardwood floors come in a wide variety of colors, shades, and designs that can drastically alter and improve your home’s appearance.
Engineering hardwood flooring is very durable, doesn’t require much maintenance, and adds immense value to your home. Here are seven hardwood floor living room ideas to enhance your home’s appearance and atmosphere:
Idea #1: Contrast Dark Wood with Light Furniture
Contrast is an effective technique to create a memorable living space. After installing your hardwood flooring, you can use your walls, couches, and tables to add contrast to your living room. Hardwood floors with hints of red contrast extremely well with dark burgundy or wine-colored furniture.
To find the right color combination, simply look at your wood flooring’s undertone and pick an opposite shade. Light colored hardwood floors work exceptionally well with neutral tones such as taupe, beige, and grey. Finding areas to vary color shades in your living room is a great way to create a unique atmosphere.
Idea #2: Use a Stain to Revitalize Your Floors
Using a stain is a great hardwood floor living room idea. Finishing your hardwood floors with a stain will further enhance their beauty. A smooth finish can revitalize your floors and add some warmth to your living room.
Oils and stains also protect your hardwood floors from moisture damage and scratches. Adding a new stain is an excellent technique to refresh your home without spending tons of money on a new floor.
Idea #3: Use Colors That Complement Your Home
One of the best parts of installing hardwood floors is enjoying the rich and varied wood color options available. Lighter wood colors are perfect for creating a bright, inviting space, especially when accentuated with the right colors. Dark, heavy wood colors are perfect for creating a bold living space that contrasts with your furniture and other items in your home. One technique you can use to create a beautiful color balance is to vary color intensities across your living room.
If you have a dark wood floor, consider using light colors for your couch, tables, and accent pieces. The varying color intensity and contrast are examples of hardwood floor living room ideas that will create a unique look that most people haven’t seen before.
Idea #4: Use Area Rugs to Accentuate Hardwood Floors
Carpet is a great accessory to highlight the beauty of your hardwood floors. Area rugs are excellent ways to add a finishing touch to your living room as well as a variation in texture. Rugs are a great tool you can use to control brightness if you have light-colored hardwood floors and walls.
You can do the opposite and use a bright area rug to add light to dark hardwood floors. Area rugs also allow you to make specific areas of your living room more comfortable. As great as your hardwood floor looks, your guests are probably more comfortable resting their feet on a plush rug.
Idea #5: Choose a Floor Color That Compliments Your Walls
Carefully considering the colors of your floors and walls allows you to make an impression on two visual levels. Dark tones on your walls are great for highlighting the undertone in your hardwood flooring. Rich wall colors such as brown and red shades help create a deeply relaxing and cozy atmosphere.
On the other hand, using light colors for your walls makes it easier to allow your accessories and furniture to command attention. Tan or beige walls help bring attention to rugs, furniture, and lamps with deep and rich colors. Wood with a tan or golden shade goes excellent with walls that have a tan/beige shade, helping you create a bright, inviting atmosphere.
Idea #6: Consider a Parquet Design
Some people might balk at the idea of using such an old-school design, but parquet flooring is an excellent way to highlight the beauty of your wood floors. Modern parquet designs allow you to be bold without overdoing it.
Instead of tiny wood planks, modern parquet flooring uses longer, wider boards which again highlights the attractiveness of your wood floors. Designers looked down on old parquet flooring for its cheap materials, but modern designs are as durable as any other type of flooring.
Idea #7: Explore Different Patterns
In addition to parquet, there are many other geometric patterns you can use to enhance the appearance of your living room. A classic checkboard pattern works to enhance the deep, rich colors of a hardwood floor. Horizontal and vertical strip patterns are easy to install and help add an illusion of depth, making your living room appear bigger.
Chevron hardwood floor patterns are similar to parquet herringbone, but chevron stands out due to the 45-degree angle of the wood. It’s worth exploring different pattern options to add a unique feel to your living room.