What floors are best with wood walls!

Question

I just purchased my first hope, and it has wood everywhere. Instead of going away from the wood, I have embraced it. I just don't know what type of floors to put in the living room and how to make it feel fresh. Any Ideas please help. I have thought about dark wood floors, and painting the fireplace white. No decorating skills..Need Ideas!!!

Marti K · Answer

I think you can go with just about any color, even a light wood floor. I wouldn't get too 'busy' though in the design. Doing a soft faux to the floor might work as well. It looks like there's not a lot of light in these rooms, maybe it's just the photos, but go with bright & bold! Have fun.

Elizabeth Sagarminaga · Answer

Why don't you let the floors remain as it is and instead concentrate on different types of rugs. That way, you will have a different theme in every room. You have some wonderful wood furniture. You can team up a lot of colors with that.

Connie · Answer

@marti k There actually are 2 skylights in there so there is plenty of natural lighting. I like bright and bold.

Connie · Answer

Thanks @Elizabeth Sagarminaga you maybe right and it would actually save me more money by not replacing the floors.

Donna Martinez · Answer

We have a home with redwood paneling in our living room and will be doing an update. Our architect and decorator suggested we put in a slate flooring and then use area carpets to anchor the furniture - http://searanchabalonebay.com/

White Oak Studio Designs · Answer

If this was mine, I'd paint the walls a light color to brighten and lighten the rooms. Then you can do anything you want with the flooring. personally I would not do wood flooring if you left the walls as is. Too much wood-too bland for me at least. This home has a LOT of potential for a person willing to do the work. Lovely fireplace stone too!

Jean Adams · Answer

No dark floors, please. Keep everything light. The floor looks good. white furniture is what I used in a flip house and everyone went WOW when they walked in. Also paint out that ugly dark grout in the fireplace with soft beige. Keep us posted.

Dee · Answer

I think i would put a white wash on the walls,and then go with what you like for the floors. Nice room though i like it just as it is.Its all in what you want.

Dee · Answer

Iron railings would be nice. And for sure change the fan,it is not right for that room.

Dee · Answer

maybe take the carpet off the stairs. Live with it for awhile. Make your small updates for now and see how it feels.Also depends on your decor.

DLynne · Answer

Do you know what's under the carpet? Stained or painted concrete in cola colors is a big thing now. That's what I have and I love them. So easy to clean! Then you could choose a nice area rug to brighten things up. Don't paint the door. I wouldn't paint the fireplace either, but if it is faux stone rather than real stone, I might consider taking the surface material off and replacing with a smooth surface to give your eye a place to rest from all the lines going on in the wood.

Connie · Answer

Thanks for all the ideas!!!! I am in the military and won't be home to start the work for 2 more months, but I will definitely keep you all posted on my decisions.

Melissa · Answer

LOVE your new place!! If you go with iron on the loft rails, you will end up changing bits of everything...and end up with too many different styles. I love that you are embracing the wood. I would soften the look by painting the ceilings a fawn/light beige type color and do the same with the flooring. THEN, I would go white slip covers, white curtains/shades, etc. Use Corner can lights to pull in more light, sneek them behind plants or tables, etc....makes a huge difference. At this point you can add mirrors along with artwork but keep the colors neutral and whites. OR you can Select a couple of modern colors and make pillows, add a couple of modern rugs in those colors, but keep it confined to a couple of colors with one as the main and an accent. As to the fireplace. A large piece of art in the style you decide on will totally distract the grout, IMHO, and hang other items or set tall items on the hearth side areas. I think larger distinct pieces on the walls are your ticket to making it work. PLEASE show us what you end up doing!!

White Oak Studio Designs · Answer

I can understand that as it would be a lot of work. It will be interesting to see what you can find in flooring that will help to lighten the room. It's going to be a dark one with all that wood. I looked at dark wood and my house looked like a funeral home...not for me so I ended up with light floors. It's a lot of work to keep those light floors vacuumed everyday but a dark house would have seriously depressed me.

GranArt · Answer

Wow, what a beautiful place, congrats! I love a room with different textures so I think a beautiful tile floor with a great area rug, and yes, paint the door to brighten up a bit and the iron railing would be perfect. After all that I would then decide if the stone on the fireplace needed a lighter color.

Lori J · Answer

Flagstone would be awesome, would hold the heat from the fireplace and be very natural.

Dana · Answer

Have you thought of putting a white wash over the wood to lighten it up? Just enough tint to lighten, not cover the beautiful wood grain. A natural slate, ceramic, or travertine tile would be pretty with nice area rugs for a pop of colors. Blues or greens would look good to balance out the yellow tones in the wood.

Sheree Hughes-Irwin · Answer

Heated tile floor......always want tile but not the coldness.....now there is heating elements you can put underneath ! 
I love the wood!

Mary · Answer

Congratulations on your new home. Light color on the floor is the best idea to keep the room bright. I like Sheree's idea about a heated tile floor, but if you need softness an easy to clean wall to wall carpet would be a good choice too. Personally, my carpenter grandpa would haunt me if I painted that wood.

Momcat1211 · Answer

I just saw the HGTV home with some wood in the ceiling and they choose bright yellows and oranges to accent with in the decor. You really need to make the room cheerie with so much dark wood. Need color to make it pop. The beige carpet is fine, just find a great rug to place on top that has some great bright colors. Take a look at the HGTV home sight and see if you can get of ideas too.

Momcat1211 · Answer

Maybe paint the stone fireplace to make it an accent point for the room, but be real careful about the color you pick. I know you are on a budget being in the service, and by the way, thanks for your service, my hubby is retired Air Force. However, maybe you could spring for an interior decorator to come in and give you some ideas since you have soooo much wood to deal with. Even better, a student in the field might be willing to make your home a project or class project and help you out. Check out your local college. Just a thought.

Diane Sterling · Answer

Congratulations! DON'T paint the fireplace stone...regrout or stain the grout a lighter color! Clean the stone of course, but once you paint it is hard to go back. Embrace the natural appearance of the tones in the room, but don't put in heavy or dark furniture {good luck with lighter tones with kids or if you have pets}. I would balance the organic appearance of the walls with a very light floor in tile, laminate, or painted concrete. I also would paint the ceiling in a pale blue or brighter white. I do like the idea of whitewashing the walls, but without being able to tell the texture it might be more work than you want to tackle. But once you start filling in with furniture and other decor, the walls will start to fade into the background a bit. But...in the long run, if you choose to go dramatic, I would paint the wood in a brighter color. I think you can create a very dramatic room if you did that. Good Luck!

Cyndi Moore Tippett · Answer

I love this room,  I would clean all the wood that is there and see how really beautiful it will turn out.  If you are not crazy about the carpet, I would put in wood floors, not to dark and paint the door a warm red.  I would leave the fireplace stones and clean them up too.  Live in the house at least a year before you tackle this room, because if you go in there and make major changes like painting walls and fireplace you may regret it down the road and those changes are not easily undone.  Ask me how I know....been their done that. :)

Gwen · Answer

Do you know how absolutely grand your home is?! It reminds me of a ski chalet on Lake Tahoe. The wood is gorgeous. Paint rocks??? I don't think it would ever look right. Look around Houzz for ideas. At least your carpet is not shabby. Are all the other doors wooden in the house?? I can't imagine adding red to the door as it would still add visual weight. I'd go for as an open feel as possible. Think Yellowstone Lodge. The one at Yosemite. Since your home is of a grand scale play it up!!

Gwen · Answer

Oh I see that door is not the front door. I like it as is. It blends into the wall. Yes clean the rock fireplace. But I am in awe how much this looks like the hgtv dream home in Tahoe!! But you know what? Study cabin designs. Flooring for wooden walls. Research lobbies of mountain resorts. And then do what you feel is your style!!! But know that most of us are going, Wow! Gorgeous!

Judy Parkey · Answer

Agree with the suggestion to clean your wood walls. This alone may naturally lighten them. I would not use wood floors as they would be 'too noisy' and compete with the walls. With the current carpet you have a soothing or 'quiet' floor. I would go with a very neutral looking tile for flooring if you replace it. The carpet looks to be in good condition and replacing the flooring could then be a lower priority item. I would think about painting the fireplace stone. At least regrout it...no matter - the black grout has to go. 'Property Brothers' paint fireplaces in their remodels but those are probably brick and not stone. Again, a more neutral fireplace would bring subtle attention to it and not compete with the walls. I would spend my remodel dollars on lighting. It's hard to tell from the picture how much artificial lighting you have other than the ceiling fan/light. Lighting at different levels will draw attention to the beauty of the walls.

Judy Parkey · Answer

I definitely would not use wood floors. I think it would be impossible to match or make it look right. I learned this when I pulled up the carpet in my house. The 'original' house has oak floors underneath the carpet. The 'addition' was concrete slab. Matching the old with new would NOT have looked right. I think you will run into the same thing matching a new wood floor with your wood walls. While it isn't what you need, I used a laminate flooring that looks like tile and it looks beautiful against the 80 year old oak floors. That's why I am suggesting tile if you replace the carpet. I think it depends on your budget and prioritizing of your dollar.

RayRay · Answer

I love seeing all that wood and I'm thrilled you won't be hiding it under paint! I would go with a natural looking tile or wood. I also would have lots of area rugs

Connie · Answer

Thank you all for your suggestions you don't know how much this is helping me. So far I definitely will not be going with wood floors, and I will not be painting the wood. I haven't ruled out the idea of staining or whitewashing it though. You all are such a big help.

Kim 'Kiewatt' Waknitz · Answer

You are very lucky, the wood is gorgeous as is the stone fireplace. I would give them both a good cleaning. I think a heated tile/stone floor with a large rug would accent and define the sitting area. I like the idea of iron on the railings. Please post pictures when you're finished. I would love to see how it all comes together, whatever you decide.

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