Dark Flooring vs Light Flooring – The Pros and Cons of Each

Hardwood floors continue to grow in popularity and it’s easy to see why! With their versatile design and wide-range of styles, hardwood floors will complement any home. Although there are thousands of hardwood floor design choices, hardwood floors can essentially be grouped into two color groups: dark floors and light floors. Below we will dive into the pros and cons of each to make your decision a little bit easier!

Hiding Dents, Scratches and Imperfections

Let’s face facts, if you live in your house, your floors will get scratches, knicks and dents – no matter how well you take care of them! If you’re looking to hide these common imperfections, light-colored flooring will be your best bet. Dark hardwood floors tend to show scratches more than light-colored floors because more of the wood’s contract will be revealed when scratched. The contract will create a starker contrast on dark floors, making the scratches pop as opposed to blend in. If you have children or pets, lighter floors might be the best choice for your home.

Keeping Floors Clean

Similar to light-colored floors hiding imperfections better, they will also hide dust and dirt better. Although dark hardwood floors will hide large piles of dirt or spills better, light hardwood floors will hide the much more common everyday dust and dirt. If you plan on cleaning up large messes (which you should to preserve the life of your floors), light flooring will provide the best concealment.

Room Size

If you’re in a smaller room and want to maximize the look of the size, consider choosing a light-colored floor. Although paint color and furniture size will have a much larger impact on the look of the room than the flooring color will, if you’re desperate, light-colored floors might help the room look bigger.

Room Feel

Do you love a cozy space? If so, dark hardwood floors will give you that cozy look you’re going for. Like we mentioned above, darker color hardwood floors tend to make a room look smaller. Although you might not want to use dark hardwood floors in a small room, they will work well in larger rooms, or open-concept spaces that you want to look a little more home-like.

Personal Preference

We can’t compare dark and light floors without mentioning the most important point in choosing your home’s floor – personal preference! Both dark and light hardwood floors are beautiful choices, and your choice between the two should really be dependent on your preference and home’s design. Now that you understand the pros and cons of both dark and light hardwood floors, do you know which one you want to select for your home? Give us a call today for your complimentary home consultation to review our wide-variety flooring options.