Can natural maple floors work with modern decor?
nicole_ashley_townsend
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
This might seem like a silly question, but I have always imagined modern decor with darker floors. My husband and I bought an old house (built in 1914) this July, and we are working to do some renovating before we move in at the end of this month. We peeled up carpet that's been there for 50 years to find stunning floors!!
We have labored for 20+ hours on all the sanding to get them bare. Downstairs, we have maple, and upstairs, we have fir. My husband has convinced me to go with natural finish upstairs, which will give us a great light red-brown. Downstairs, though, we are also debating between going natural.
My decor taste is modern/pretty minimal. Think Ikea, but a little cozier. Do you think we should keep the natural color on our maple floors? Would it work with modern decor? Any pictures for reference would be greatly greatly appreciated.
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Can a dark hardwood floor work with contemporary decor?
Comments (13)cruzmsl - I really like the dark and light tones together; I think the walls and the light trim will work well with the dark wood floors. The tile appears to have a little taupe/tan in it which provides some of the 'warmth' lolauren was talking about; I think the tile will be fine against the wood. I'm just wondering if your sofa and chair might "disappear" a little against the dark floor? Maybe adding in a lighter area rug that the sofa/chair contrasts with? The dog will also like the carpeted area - especially on his joints as he ages, and especially for large breeds. I'm also planning to rip out carpet in a couple of years to install wood floors - easier to clean up after the dog. Good luck! :-)...See MoreWood experts--Unstained natural birch vs natural maple as far as color
Comments (9)All those cabinets JuneKnow posted look to me like they were originally stained. The color is close to a cherry look IMO. Were they natural colored originally? I know certain finishes do yellow throughout the years. An example, for floors anyway, is an oil based finish vs a water based finish. After sanding we refinished our 100 year old maple floors with oil-based finish knowing full well that the finish would cause them to yellow. In that situation our choice was based on longevity of the finish. I am just trying to get some guidance on what wood species to select if I want something that will remain a lighter color (this is a different home than the 100 year old one mentioned above)....See MoreWhite maple vs natural maple floors
Comments (8)If you are keeping the cabinets (yellow tones) then the white maple (for me) is out. The blueish tinge will clash with the cabinets (just like the tiles are doing right now). I know you want to replace 'like with like' (white carpet and tiles replaced with white wood) but it won't work very well with the yellow maple cabinets. When 'updating' I like to see some new colours in place of old white. The pale maple should do the trick without clashing with anything yellow in the home. Just remember: maple has a history of DARKENING. Yep. If it starts out PALE yellow it will eventually turn to the mid-level yellow you see in your kitchen. Which means if you start with a WHITE maple you will turn it to a muddy-yellow/burnt white colour. Maple is PHOTOSENSITIVE = the colour gets DARKER when exposed to UV light (sunlight or lamp light...doesn't matter). Before you choose the colour you want you really want to find out if the manufacturer spent money on a UV blocking agent (expensive) to ensure the maple does NOT turn yellow. If in doubt, buy a box of EACH colour. Pull out TWO planks from each box and leave it exposed to natural sunlight for a few months. Leave the rest of the planks in the boxes (closed and kept in a dark place). Once you have had the planks exposed for 2-3 months (longer is better but that might not work for you), go ahead and compare the exposed planks to the non-exposed planks. You should see the exposed will be a snick darker. That's when you know the planks have NOT been treated....See Morewhat color floors to go with natural maple cabinets?
Comments (12)Yes, I understand it is a weathered looked, but it has both warm and cool colors. I have not found a slate LVP that doesn’t look cheap. The non-weathered wood LVP are either too warm or gray. Would love ideas with brand and names, so I could find them in person. Thank you, Unique, that photo looks like my photo, in reality, mine has a lot less variation and is warmer. My iPhone changes the color a bunch....See More
nicole_ashley_townsend
6 years agoIt seems like natural wood is winning here!! Thank you so much, guys. If we go 100% natural, it looks like some yellow may come through with Rubio Monocoat finish. This is the "Pure" sample, which is the 100% natural. What are your thoughts about adding the most minimal tint, with Smoke 5%?
User
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
PROUnique Wood Floors
6 years agoI like the 5% smoke idea. Hope the picture will help to envision the installed floor:
PROCancork Floor Inc.
6 years ago
PRORosenhaus Design Group, Inc.
6 years agoNatural Maple is clean, smooth and definitely modern. See photo.
PROit'sALLart
6 years ago
cpartist
6 years ago
Embeth
last year- PRO
Embeth
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elcieg
last year- PRO
Unique Wood Floors
last year hbeing
last year- PRO
Unique Wood Floors
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