There are a limitless number of color, tone, and combination choices when it comes to staining your hardwood floors. While the task can seem tricky, it doesn’t have to overwhelm you.
With a few simple tips on the right questions to ask yourself when choosing your hardwood stain color, you can embrace this exciting opportunity to add unique style to your space.
What Type Of Wood Are You Working With?
The first key step is to determine what type of wood your floors are.
Exotic Wood Floors
Exotic woods like cherry, walnut, maple, or mahogany are naturally stunning. In fact, the stains many people choose for their floors are attempting to imitate these types of wood.
Because these types of woods have tight grains and pores, it’s harder for them to absorb pigment, and they’re more difficult to stain. However, if you do have your heart set on staining, you can get the floors you want with a little extra sanding and prep work.
With exotic woods, our recommended route would be to choose a natural finish that doesn’t deposit color and allows the natural integrity of your beautiful wood to show through.
Oak Floors
The most common types of hardwood floors are red or white oak. They can be beautiful if left natural too but are more commonly stained. Oak floors take stain very well and give you the most color options because you can really go any route you’d like.
It is important to note that over time, oil-based finishes can turn oak floors into a warm, yellow or orange tone, while water-based finishes tend to stay cooler.
Put Together Your Design Board
Chances are, you’ve already been doing this for months. But put together photos of interiors you love from Pinterest or magazines.
It’s important to note that you might not want to choose the same color on your floors that was used in another home because the stain can cast a different color depending on the type of wood you have. Professional hardwood stain specialists will know how to replicate the color for your specific floors.
What Is Your Style?
This dream board will help you determine the overall style you’re drawn to, whether it be country, traditional, modern, or something else. This vision will help guide the rest of your decision-making process to select a color that will cohesively blend your style together.
Important things to consider are what color your furniture is, what other pieces you’ll have in that room, and what color your walls will be. This will help you see if you want floors that blend with what you have or provide more contrast.
Here are the main features of light, medium, and dark stained floors. Knowing your style will help you see which option fits you best.
Light Stains
It’s important to evaluate the size of your space. Light floors open up smaller rooms that don’t get much light and provide a bright, airy feel.
Light floors will show knots and character in your hardwoods. They also hide pet hair and crumbs better than darker floors.
Light floors are often seen in country style homes. However, even more, modern interiors are implementing light hardwoods in current trends. So the style is really up to you—but the size of your space is a key factor to consider.
Medium Stains
A medium stain is a classic choice seen often with traditional interiors. It adds richness and warmth and is also very versatile, as medium stains compliment many other types of wood furniture.
Dark Stains
Dark stains are the ideal choice if you’re looking for contrast in a larger space. Dark stain colors will camouflage imperfections in the wood. They also show hair and crumbs more easily, so it’s important to consider how often you’ll be willing to clean your floors.
Dark stains are often seen with modern interiors and light colored walls. They make other colors pop and draw attention to furniture or area rugs that contrast with the floors.
When selecting a dark or medium stain, it’s important to determine if you want a warm tone or a cool, neutral tone. Your hardwood flooring stain specialist will be able to help you choose the right stain for the tone you’re looking for.
Try Out Some Samples First
Before depositing a stain on your floors, try sampling your top three favorite color choices. You can either put the stain directly on your floors or on scraps of wood that are the same material as your flooring.
The key is to see the stains in different rooms, lighting, and at different times of the day so you’ll know to expect.
Your Flooring Dreams Brought To Life
The hardwood floor refinishing pro’s at N-Hance of Franklin, Tennessee can help bring new life to your hardwood floors. Schedule an estimate today and we’ll help make your dream hardwood floor color a reality.
See these incredible before and after photos from N-Hance projects completed in the Franklin area!