Your home’s flooring is one of the most expensive investments you will make when redesigning your home. If you plan on installing hardwood floors in multiple rooms of your house, there are a few questions you want to ask yourself before you start.

    Read on to learn about different interior design principles that you can use to help determine the best type of wood flooring options for your home. 


    The Basics

    When choosing a type of wood flooring, consider your lifestyle, traffic flow, and how you want people to experience your home. Matching floors can provide a cohesive look and feel throughout the house. It makes spaces appear more expansive and connected. 

     In our experience, you can use the same flooring throughout your home while adding accents in some rooms. However, using the same flooring everywhere eliminates the chance to add visual interest through contrasting colors and textures. You should also factor in the furniture and cabinets in each room to find the ideal match.


    Color Scheme

    Be sure to consider the flooring when planning your home’s color scheme. Your floors should coordinate cohesively, just like your walls, furniture, and decor, and your color choices should depend on the room’s location and the number of levels in the house. Remember that interior design fundamentals also recommend color scheme continuity throughout your home. 

    Today’s Homeowner Tips

    I recommend using samples to see how potential flooring choices complement your existing palette. Keep in mind that neutral wood floors often work well as a base shade. From there, you can add pops of color through area rugs, but be thoughtful about overly matching or clashing hues. 


    Contrast

    It’s best to find a nice balance between similarity and contrast when selecting your wood flooring. Choosing specific wood species for your flooring can help you achieve this. For instance, if you want to install a darker wood in a room off the hallway, coordinate the color with a darker wood in the hallway itself. 

    It is important to avoid going overboard if you wish to use different wood species in your home. 

    Subtle variations in tone and grain can prevent a jarring clash. For example, pairing a medium brown oak floor with a darker walnut floor can be lovely. However, placing a pale birch floor next to a rich mahogany floor may be too much of a difference. Bold contrasts often suit larger rooms, while similar woods make smaller rooms feel cohesive. 


    Room Size

    It’s important to factor in room dimensions when choosing the proper flooring. For instance, a larger room receiving ample natural light will look best with a darker tone or other types of rich and dramatic woods like mahogany or walnut. However, using a cool color scheme for the walls can offset this effect. Smaller rooms may benefit from lighter woods like maple or hickory, as anything too dark and bold will feel overwhelming.  

    There are also several techniques that you can use to create spaciousness in your home. Consistent flooring creates the illusion of spaciousness in hallways. Highly polished woods that reflect light also help a space feel larger. 


    Transition

    Properly transitioning between two adjoining rooms is also important if you want to add hardwood floors to your home. 

    In general, it is best to use T-molding. Simply draw a straight line to mark the threshold of a space, then leave a gap between floors to insert molding. T-molds, reducers, or threshold strips can also bridge gaps between different flooring materials, as they help maintain clean lines and prevent uneven edges. 

    For matching flooring, transitions may not be required. However, it is best to avoid slight variations in color or texture between batches. Always plan for proper transitions during the design phase to ensure your floors have a flawless flow.


    Floorboard Direction

    Properly layering wood floorboards can noticeably impact how a space appears. Having boards run in the same directions in connecting rooms can also add flow between rooms. If you want to define rooms as completely separate areas, consider changing the directions of boards in-between spaces. 

    Avoid running boards parallel to the room’s length when installing flooring in a long, narrow area. Avoiding running boards will reinforce the sense of length and lack of width. Instead, run flooring perpendicular to the longest walls. This makes rooms appear wider by taking the emphasis off the length. If two adjoining rooms lack a door in between, maintain the same direction throughout both spaces. However, if a door separates the rooms, change directions to differentiate zones.

    Finally, consider sightlines and angles to decide how you want your boards to run. Keep in mind how you will enter and exit rooms while working on the design of each space. An experienced installer can recommend optimal board placement for each room’s proportions.


    Foot Traffic

    Areas that experience high foot traffic, such as kitchens and family rooms, require durable and low-maintenance floors. Consider darker finishes that disguise wear and scratches. Softer woods, like pine, will show more damage over time. 

    If you use a different flooring type in a high-wear area, you can use matching tones to create continuity. Consider other design elements as well to help protect your floors. For example, you can incorporate rugs to designate sitting areas while protecting from spills and furniture dings or use coasters and pads to prevent scuffing and stains.


    So, Is Matching Wood Floors Right for Your Home?

    Deciding if wood floors should match your home depends on your goals, lifestyle, and home architecture. Matching wood floors across your home can provide continuity. However, contrast adds visual interest through varied colors and textures. Choose a consistent base flooring and add unique accents to incorporate both design elements in your home.

    Evaluate each room independently and how they connect when deciding which flooring to use in your home. Remember that you can always speak with professionals to help create the interior look you want. They can also provide expert perspectives or additional knowledge that you may find helpful. 

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    FAQs About Matching Wood Floors

    Should all my floors match?

    It’s not essential, but uniform floors create consistency. Decide room-by-room if you prefer continuity or intentional contrasts.


    Should floors flow from room to room?

    Rooms feel more connected with continuous flooring. Use proper transitions between types. Consistent boards can run in the same direction except where doors separate areas.


    What flooring works best in high-traffic areas?

    Durable choices like tile, stone, cork, and resilient engineered wood are ideal for heavy-wear rooms like kitchens or bathrooms. I recommend picking darker tones in these areas to disguise scuffs.


    How do I transition between wood floors?

    Use T-molds, reducers, and thresholds to seamlessly bridge different materials. This method prevents uneven seams and edges. Plan transitions early in the design process for the best results.


    Should I avoid bold flooring contrasts?

    The subtle variation adds interest without clashing. However, too stark of a contrast can result in a color clash. In general, lighter floors in small rooms and darker floors in large rooms are good rules of thumb.


    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Nikki Stavile

    Nikki Stavile

    Nikki Stavile is a writer based in Tucson, Arizona. As an avid backpacker and passionate environmentalist, her work often focuses on sustainable movements at the personal and societal level.

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    Amy DeYoung

    Contributor

    Amy DeYoung has a passion for educating and motivating homeowners to improve their lives through home improvement projects and preventative measures. She is a content writer and editor specializing in pest control, moving, window, and lawn/gardening content for Today’s Homeowner. Amy utilizes her own experience within the pest control and real estate industry to educate readers. She studied business, communications, and writing at Arizona State University.

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