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X-Post: Different wood species for floors and trim?

8 years ago

kHi everyone! We are finally making finish decisions on the Scandi-modern/rustic new build- I can't believe we are finally getting so close! One thing left to decide (or maybe I should say, one thing left about which to doubt my vision) is whether or not to have different wood species for the floor and areas where we will have natural wood trim. The floors are wide white oak in a natural tone, the doors and most of the windows are black, and the minimal trim around doors and baseboards is white. We will have a handful of spots with natural wood trim- the handrail on our stairs and around the overlook into the stairwell is drywall with a wood cap for example. Also thinking of cladding the back of our island (where feet will be when people sit at island) in wood (rest is painted white). I had been planning to have such areas be walnut in a natural stain (kinds 60's-ish I guess), but the other day my GC (who isn't a designer or anything) looked at me weird for not having those areas be white oak like the floors.

Thoughts?

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Comments (6)

AnnKH
8 years ago
I don't mind mixing wood species. I would only suggest that you don't try to match colors between species - I'd want the walnut to be darker than the oak floor.
User
8 years ago
You were thinking about doing the back of the island in walnut/natural stain, but the three other sides will be painted? If so, I would not do that.
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I went out to the flooring stores today and came back more confused. First, I realized that I should only get a sample of the specific flooring I want (including thickness and company), not just the wood species. The same species looks a lot different from different manufacturers and even from different production methods (engineered vs solid, etc). When I got home I realized that I was probably going to fail at matching the natural cherry to something, because the cherry will darken with age! So even if I found something today that I liked, things will be different in a year. So I have decided to go back to the amendoim after all. It does have a reddish tone, without being dark and red like the Brazilian cherry. And I do not want all cherry anyway - I am going to use cherry cabinets (stained a dark color, but still cherry). So I expect it will all work out in the end. I have read posts where people have cherry furniture on amendoim flooring, and they love the combination. I always assumed they meant the "cherry" furniture that is really ash or birch stained the dark red color. But now I realize even a natural cherry will end up getting to the darker color over the years. Ah, how easy it is to drive myself crazy with all of the litte decisions (reminding myself that this is not life-or-death). Good luck, willienak.
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I would use the wood you want. It's like telling you that you shouldn't put maple or fir cabinets in a house with oak floors. I'm sure others will have lots of examples, but I have natural (unstained) wood everywhere: birch cabinets in the kitchen, fir cabinets in the bathroom, birch doors and fir trim. Oak floors in the whole house. It all works great.
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User
8 years ago
This kitchen mixes walnut and oak. Yours would be tempered by the white cabinetry.

I love natural walnut. Mixing the species is authentic, and would likely go with your Scandinavian design.

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Oaktown
8 years ago
If there is enough repetition of the walnut, I think it will look great. If it is only in 1 or 2 places, might it look a bit odd?

Disclaimer: we have natural white oak floors and natural doug fir windows and trim.
katieb2012
8 years ago
We have a log home. Our floor is reclaimed oak. The cabinets are quarter dawn oak. We used wood flooring on the back of our sland. We love it!
palimpsest
8 years ago
On a contemporary counter-height seating area, I ran flooring up the back of the peninsula (under the overhanging counter) in the same direction it was running on the floor. However, it was bracketed by some drywall on each end because of the design, not on an island where you could see it compared to the cabinet finish. The contractor did not want to do it because he said it was weird, but he liked the way it turned out. (But I am not sure I would like it in direct contact with the cabinet finishes at the corners).

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