Dark hardwood floors can range from medium, cherry colored wood to almost black colored wood and there are several colors that match with each of these shades.
Hardwood floors have always been a popular choice among homeowners who want a sophisticated look, and they will always be in style and are easy to take care of.
There are many benefits to having hardwood floors when compared to other floor types, and there are many different types of dark hardwood types to choose from if you want to add this type of flooring to your home.
Some of the most popular types of dark hardwood include walnut, mahogany, ebony and wenge.
All of these different types of flooring will have their own unique benefits and coloring, which can help you to create unique and beautiful designs in your home.
The benefits of hardwood floors
Whether you are installing hardwood floors into a newly built house or room, or you have simply decided that you will not be redoing the floors in a room where you are redecorating, hardwood floors are always a popular choice.
Many homeowners and designers install hardwood floors for the classic look that this style of flooring adds to a space.
Hardwood floors can certainly add a touch of elegance to any room, but these floors can offer benefits besides their aesthetic value.
One of the reasons why hardwood floors are associated with elegance and sophistication, is because these floors stay beautiful over time.
If your hardwood floors are well taken care of, most of the time a few dents and scratches will only add to the overall look of your floors.
Hardwood floors are also fairly easy to clean and keep clean, which is another reason why this type of flooring is so popular.
In most cases, if you have hardwood flooring, spills and dirt can simply be wiped or mopped away. This takes the burden of intensive cleaning off of the shoulder of homeowners.
Hardwood floors can also be a very hygienic choice, as dirt, dust and pet hair cannot get trapped on hardwood floors, like it would in carpet and other flooring types.
Types of dark hardwood floors
There are many different types of dark wood, but not all of these species are suited towards hardwood flooring.
Dark hardwood types are usually made up of harder wood and take longer to grow, which can also make this type of hardwood flooring more expensive, but the rich, deep color is usually what draws people to this type of hardwood flooring.
One of the most popular types of dark hardwood flooring is made from walnut wood.
This type of wood is very prevalent and easily accessible, especially in North America, which is why this type of flooring is found in so many homes and in larger construction projects.
In terms of coloring, walnut hardwood floors can range from a deep brown to a more orangey brown color, depending on the drying methods and the stain that was used.
Wenge is another popular hardwood floor type, although it is also commonly used for detail-focused pieces like furniture and doors. Wenge is popular because of its extremely dark, almost black appearance.
This makes it the perfect type of flooring for a modern design or when you want to make a statement, and the hint of caramel in the grain of this wood makes for truly interesting designs.
If you are looking for a dark hardwood type that is not so completely dark, Mahogany is a good option.
Mahogany wood has very warm undertones, and this cherry color will shift and change as it ages, depending on how it is exposed to the sun.
This means that mahogany wood floors will age with your home and become a feature that is truly unique to your home.
Ebony is one of the darkest hardwood flooring types. It is also very durable, which also makes it rare and expensive. Ebony wood has an extremely dark, ashy color, which creates a very striking look for your floor.
What colors match dark hardwood floors?
Colors that will match with walnut and mahogany hardwood floors
Walnut hardwood floors and mahogany hardwood floors are both on the lighter end of the dark hardwood floor spectrum. These woods often also have warmer, red undertones, which can make the room feel warmer and more inviting.
When you are developing a color scheme for a specific room in the house and you already have one set item that you need to work around, like dark hardwood floors in this case, it is always best to choose colors with the same undertones as that item.
This ensures that all of the colors in your color scheme go together and that the colors do not end up clashing with each other when you place them all together in the room.
Although there are several ways to add different colors to a room, wall paint will be one of the most noticeable color choices in any room, and it is important that this color goes with the color of your hardwood floors.
There are several paint colors with warmer undertones that will work well in a room with dark hardwood floors, including:
| Shade | Brand | Color Swatch |
| Milkyway | Benjamin Moore |  |
| Barely Beige | Benjamin Moore |  |
It is always a good idea to pick a paint color that is at least one or two shades lighter or darker than your floors in order to create differentiation between the color of the floors and the color of the walls.
In this case, since you will have darker floors, it can be a good idea to go a few shades lighter with the rest of the colors in your color scheme, so that your room does not end up feeling too dark or cavernous.
Colors that will match with wenge and ebony hardwood floors
Wenge and Ebony add truly deep and rich coloring to your dark hardwood flooring.
These almost black colors are often used to create a sleek and sophisticated look within any room design, and the darkness of this wood automatically creates a lot of contrast with the other colors in the room.
Wenge wood and ebony wood are easy to work with, because the colors are so dark and close to black in some cases and especially as part of the flooring, which often gets little to no light, that these colors almost become neutral, as they reflect so little light.
This means that they make just about any other color that is placed next to or on top of your dark hardwood floors stand out, and look even more vibrant, as a result.
However, knowing that these dark wood floors will match with almost any other color under the sun can make it very difficult to narrow down the exact color scheme for your room.
Designers suggest that when you are trying to create a scheme which places emphasis on natural elements like wooden floors, it is best to choose colors that also mimic those found in nature.
This includes colors like olive greens, yellows, oranges and reds with some beiges and tans to bring some brightness into your scheme.
These colors will automatically look good with your darker wooden floors and give your design some direction.
Other decorating tips for dark hardwood floors
Besides the colors that go with walnut, mahogany, ebony and wenge hardwood floors, there are several other decorating tips and tricks to keep in mind when you are decorating a room with darker hardwood floors.
The most important factor to keep in mind is that dark hardwood floors can quickly make your space feel small and dark if you pair this with too many other darker colors.
Keeping your wall colors light in a room with dark hardwood flooring is always a good idea, as this will help to bring some brightness into the room and also reflect some of the light from your windows and lighting fixtures around the room.
Although darker wood floors offer a lot of contrast just with their dark color, you can up the contrast in a room even more by pairing dark hardwood floors, with soft and light colors with blue undertones.
These cooler undertones will contrast with the warm tones in the wood and make for an edgy, contemporary design, overall.
Dark hardwood floors will always make a space feel elegant, but choosing furniture that echoes this wood color can help to create a harmonious design, which connects all your pieces to each other visually.
This can be done through matching the legs of chairs and tables to the color of your floors.
Final thoughts
Adding hardwood floors to any space can help to make your entire room feel more sophisticated. It can also be a good way to keep this room looking this way over time.
Dark hardwood floors are a popular choice, because these floors often add a dramatic wash of color to your space and are also very stable and durable for long term use.
There are several different colors that go with walnut, mahogany, ebony and wedge wood floors, to give you an elegant and pulled-together design that looks harmonious and beautiful.
