The Wood Floor Tone That'll Be On Trend Through 2023 Into The New Year

When we think about interior design, we usually think of wall colors, layout, furniture, and flow. But there's a way to make a major impact on your rooms, and that's with the tone of your floor. It's a nearly forgotten element until you see a floor that has a big wow factor.  For the remainder of 2023 and early 2024, warm-toned wood floors are a trend to try. Such tones are neutral and work well with cool colors such as off-whites, blues, and greens, which are gaining in popularity as collectively we move away from monotone gray environments. On its own, warm-toned wood will have a yellow or red cast, but when mixed with all the other elements in a room, the cast fades but the warmth remains.

Hardwoods such as cherry, hickory, and mahogany all have warm highlights. Alternatively, many flooring materials are designed to mimic the look of hardwood — such as laminate, engineered wood, and luxury vinyl tile — which also come in a wide variety of colors. An easy way to determine the undertone of floor material is to place a plain white piece of paper next to it and look for red (warm) or green (cool) undertones. These finishes and materials are sure to be eye-catching, adding texture and depth, and sophisticated style to your interior.

A hardwood floor in warm tones is a great way to add a solid base to your room. You can achieve the look of hardwood without the high costs by installing laminate or engineered wood. Note that all kinds of real and faux wood come in planks that can be narrow, wide, or extra-wide. For years the industry standard was strip planks — pieces of wood only two or three inches wide. These were narrow on purpose to hide blemishes in the wood itself. In general, a warm wood-tone floor in a large room calls for wider planks, while the thinner planks work better in smaller spaces and rooms aiming for a minimalist look.

Thinking about your layout, an innovative way to add a warm-toned wood floor to a room is to lay out the planks or tiles in a zigzag or herringbone. This interlocking pattern, sometimes called a chevron lends texture and rhythm to an area. This geometric layout also gives energy and a suggestion of movement to a room. Installing a wood floor in such a pattern often makes it look more luxurious than floors from the very same material laid out traditionally.

Medium tones are the most versatile hues since they work with both warm and cool palettes. Decorators suggest pairing your warm-toned floors with walls in cool colors to provide contrast, and to make a room look larger. With the warm tones anchoring the space, feel free to mix and match both traditional and contemporary styles of furniture and accessories while adding complimentary warm tones of yellow, vanilla, and terra cotta, or contrasting tones of blue and green.

Warm-colored hardwood floors, from honey oak to red-hued maple work especially well with natural fibers in the décor. Think slubby silks, nubby tweeds, jute or wicker tables and lamps, and woven or bamboo wallpaper. Mix up the texture and colors of the furniture to contrast and complement warm wood floors. Once you have the color you want, its ability to blend with a variety of styles will be evident, especially if you adjust the mood of your room seasonally.