Hardwood flooring color choice for modern condo
Hello! I am replacing the hardwood flooring in my modern condo and need some help choosing a color. The unit faces south and gets a good amount of light, but I'm afraid a darker color may make it feel too dark. The original flooring (10 years old) is light and has definitely faded over the years, and the original planks are about half the width of what the new ones will be. We will be repainting as well, most likely Repose Gray or a cream color. Another big consideration is the ceilings, they are raw concrete (shown in last photo, have some brown in them). No changes planned for the cabinets or counters.
In the attached photos, I marked my top two favorites with 1 (Salida) and 2 (Boulder); my only concern with 2 is that it may be too trendy a color for resale consideration, and that it may match the concrete ceiling too much; but perhaps with a light wall color to break it up, it could look great? Open to all suggestions, thanks in advance! :-)
Comments (19)
PROOak & Broad
5 years ago
Helen
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Hardwood Flooring color choices.
Comments (3)Your post resonates with me! We are replacing all the hardwood in our new build due to a water leak and the choices are overwhelming. I am soon-to-be 9 grandkids behind you. Mine are 4, 3, 2, 2 and newborn. Lots of activities, trucks, balls, little dirty feet and so much more. We chose to go back with oak for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, hardness and that it is enduring for years. I am unfamiliar with Mahogany, but wonder if it has red tones. We are going back to white oak and I want no red undertones. We have cherry wood on the lower cabinets in the kitchen and they have so much red and it gets more pronounced with exposure to eastern/southern sun. Congratulations on the new grandbabies! We tell our kids they are why we had them!...See MoreDark hardwood vs lighter hardwood floors
Comments (61)When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time....See MoreEngineered hardwood color choice ,bamboo flooring?
Comments (9)I have a feeling your husband likes the COLOUR and the PRESENTATION of the bamboo rather than the material itself. That means I would purchase a sample of the bamboo that he likes and then go shopping for a wood floor in the same colour/presentation. Happily the trend for gloss levels is matte or satin. That will automatically get you several factory finished options without having to special order anything. Remember: factory finished colours are perfect. You don't have to worry about the staining process because all of that is done for you. When it comes to 'healthy' flooring, it is easy to stick with something that is CARB II compliant. And stay away from bamboo. Yep. I said it. Bamboo (regardless of how it is made or by whom) is made up of (roughly) 30% glue. And it is the GLUE in a product that is unhealthy...not the wood/grass itself. The more glue you have in a product the more chances you have for unhealthy. An engineered hardwood will naturally have less glue than a bamboo floor. Not to mention that bamboo is picky. And when it isn't being picky...it is finicky. And when it isn't being finicky it is being SUPER fussy! Bamboo CRAVES climate control. As in PIN-POINT accurate humidity and temperature. The lower the cost of the bamboo (I would look at anything that is $9/sf and over) the more upset it becomes with poor climate control. That means you MUST HAVE whole home humidity control (whatever that means for your location). And engineered hardwood still requires climate control but it has a slightly wider range of 'happy'. Bamboo needs TIGHT control between 35% and 50% humidity whereas many engineered woods have a range of 35% - 65%. That doesn't sound like much but it is HUGE in the flooring world. Before you choose ANYTHING please check your budget (engineered worth $6/sf and over; or bamboo $9/sf or more). And then check your climate control. Make your choices based on that information....See Moredesign choice - what hardwood floor will look good?
Comments (4)For bright and cheery, you'll want to replace the heavy, dark furniture. Upgrade all the lighting to 3500-4000K LEDs and paint the walls white. If you can get new countertops, then paint the cabinets white and install new hardware. Do the floors as I suggested above and then invest in a large, colorful area rug to ground the seating. One final option might be to paint the beam installation white if the overhead area still feels heavy to you....See Morepalimpsest
5 years ago- PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago nosoccermom
5 years ago
Claire Pope
5 years ago
PROAnglophilia
5 years agonosoccermom
5 years agoI'd actually use a creamy white or depending on your light, BM Simply White.
Info on Repose Gray: https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/all-about-sherwin-williams-repose-gray/laurensing
5 years agoUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolaurensing
5 years agoI found a photo of another unit in my building that did distressed floors, and definitely do not like that look here.
I think white oak or European oak would be great options, any concerns with it being lighter than the cabinet color? (unfortunately refinishing is not an option, I wish I could)Helen
5 years agonosoccermom
5 years agolaurensing
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI’m back with more samples! Smooth finish, and I’ve labeled my top 3. They said the Euro Oak will have a lot of black grain in it , which I don’t want, and white oak was too pricey. 1st 2 pics (Tidewater Oak) are an option I’m iffy about
Sisira R
4 years agoSJ McCarthy
4 years agommilos
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
SJ McCarthy