Designing with Color: How to Choose Flooring That Complements Your Décor
By Levis4FloorsOH | April 30, 2025
When planning a home update or redesign, most homeowners focus on paint colors, furniture, and accent pieces—but your floors are just as critical to your interior design. Flooring serves as the foundation for every room, both literally and aesthetically, and the right color choice can either ground your design or completely transform its mood and style.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how to thoughtfully select flooring colors that complement your décor. Whether you’re coordinating with existing elements or starting from scratch, these design tips can help you create a cohesive, stylish look that truly feels like home.
Why Flooring Color Matters
The color of your flooring sets the tone for the entire space. It influences how light interacts with the room, how large or small a room feels, and how other colors—like walls and furniture—are perceived.
Making the right choice isn’t just about picking a color you like in a sample; it’s about ensuring your floors work harmoniously with all the other visual components of your home.
Start with Your Design Style
Before choosing flooring colors, take a moment to define or recognize your preferred style. Are you drawn to modern minimalism, rustic charm, traditional elegance, or boho chic? Each style has its own palette and mood, which can guide your color decisions:
- Modern: Light wood tones, grays, or high-contrast dark floors with clean lines
- Rustic/Farmhouse: Warm, medium wood tones with visible grain or distressed texture
- Traditional: Classic oak, cherry, or deep mahogany flooring
- Coastal/Boho: Bleached wood looks, natural tones, and lighter flooring to keep things airy
Knowing your design preference makes it easier to narrow down colors that enhance the overall aesthetic you’re after.
Light vs. Dark Flooring: What Works Where?
One of the most common decisions homeowners face is whether to go with light or dark flooring. Here’s how to evaluate your space and lifestyle to decide:
Light Flooring
Ideal for smaller rooms or homes where you want to create a sense of openness and airiness. Light floors reflect more natural light and can help make a room feel bigger.
- Pairs well with: Scandinavian, coastal, contemporary, or casual décor
- Best in: Rooms with less natural light, smaller spaces, or homes aiming for a minimalist look
- Consider: Light floors can show dirt less than dark floors but may reveal scratches or scuffs more easily depending on the material
Dark Flooring
Darker tones add richness and depth, often associated with luxury or dramatic flair. They work best in larger rooms or spaces with ample natural light.
- Pairs well with: Traditional, industrial, or modern designs with high contrast
- Best in: Open-concept homes or rooms with tall ceilings
- Consider: Dark floors can show dust, pet hair, and footprints more easily, so regular maintenance is key
Consider Your Wall Colors
Wall color is one of the strongest visual elements in a room—and the most common backdrop against your flooring. Use these tips to align the two:
Matching Tones vs. Contrasting Colors
- Matching tones (warm with warm, cool with cool) create a more unified and calming look.
- Contrasting tones (warm walls with cool floors, or vice versa) add visual interest and drama, but should be done thoughtfully to avoid clashing.
For example, a cool-toned gray floor might not pair well with a warm yellow wall unless you balance the tones with furniture or accents that pull both elements together.
Neutral Walls + Statement Flooring
If your walls are a neutral beige, white, or gray, you can opt for a bolder flooring choice—think espresso-stained hardwood or patterned LVP—without overwhelming the room.
Don’t Forget the Undertones
Every color has an undertone—even neutrals like gray, beige, and brown. Undertones are the subtle colors beneath the surface that influence how the main color is perceived.
- Cool undertones: Blues, grays, and silvers
- Warm undertones: Reds, yellows, and golds
Matching undertones across your floors, walls, and furniture ensures everything feels cohesive. If your walls have a blue-gray undertone, a gray floor with a similar hue will feel balanced. If your décor includes warm tones like terracotta or gold, opt for flooring with red or warm brown undertones.
Flooring and Furniture: Creating Harmony
Furniture is often more colorful or textural than flooring, which means your floors should complement—but not compete with—those larger pieces.
Wood-on-Wood Tips
If you’re pairing wood furniture with wood flooring, vary the shades or grain patterns slightly to avoid monotony. Matching them exactly can make the room feel flat, while subtle contrast adds dimension.
Area Rugs as Design Bridges
Rugs are a great tool for blending colors and adding softness. If your floors and furniture contrast strongly, a rug can help tie them together by incorporating both tones.
Open Concept Living: Creating Flow Between Rooms
In open-concept homes, flooring plays an even more important role in unifying the space. To maintain flow and visual consistency:
- Choose a single flooring material or color throughout the main living areas
- If switching materials (e.g., hardwood to tile), use a coordinated color palette to make the transition feel intentional
- Consider transitional pieces like tile borders or thresholds in coordinating tones
Consistency in color doesn’t mean all rooms must be identical—but shared hues or tones help the eye travel smoothly across open spaces.
Playing with Pattern and Texture
Color isn’t the only tool in your design kit—texture and pattern also affect how flooring complements your décor.
- Matte finishes lend a softer, more casual look
- Glossy finishes reflect light and feel more formal
- Wide planks make spaces feel modern and expansive
- Natural textures (hand-scraped wood, stone-look tile) add warmth and character
Be intentional: If your décor is sleek and modern, stick to minimal textures and clean lines. For eclectic or rustic styles, more variation in pattern and texture can enhance the lived-in feel.
Sample and Visualize Before You Decide
No matter how much research you do, nothing beats seeing the flooring in your space. Lighting, furniture, and even wall color can dramatically impact how flooring looks once installed.
- Order samples: Compare them with your wall colors, furniture, and cabinetry in the actual room
- Look at different times of day: Natural and artificial light will affect how the color reads
- Test large areas: Don’t rely on small samples—larger ones give a more accurate idea of how the floor will look in your space
Many flooring providers also offer visualizer tools that let you upload a photo of your room and swap out flooring colors virtually—an easy, low-risk way to try combinations.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right flooring color is as much an art as it is a science. By understanding your personal style, considering room size and light, and coordinating with the colors already in your home, you can select flooring that enhances your décor rather than competing with it.
Whether you lean toward bold contrasts or prefer soft harmony, the right flooring can elevate your entire design and create a space that feels balanced, intentional, and uniquely yours.
Ready to explore your options? Visit Levi’s 4 Floors today to browse flooring samples, schedule a design consultation, get a free estimate or test out our visualizer tools to see your ideas come to life.