I have hardwood in our hallway and family room and horrible dirty builders carpet in our living room and dining room. We would love to put hardwood in the living and dining room but not sure if we should try to match the hardwood or go with a different darker wood.
I broke the rules -- so sue me. Not only did I add a scrumptious looking blonde bamboo floor next to my light oak in the next room, but I didn't even have it running in the same direction (which to me is more important if you can do it). Both rooms look just fine, thank you. Don't sweat the smalls.
This is one of those questions that really can't be answered definitively. At best you will get to read other peoples experiences and make your own decision based on the information you have aquired.
My personal design philosophy is that architecture should be as tailored and cohesive as possible to serve as a comprehensive background to an eclectic mix of furniture and art.I would want the floors to match exactly or be of a totally different material compatable with the wood.
If you find your taste in furniture and art to be very focused, you may need an array of building materials to lend visual interest.
These opinions however,are based on my personal design preferences. I have seen many homes that could be described as "higgeldy-piggeldy" with a bold and brazen mix of everything, that have been quite charming.That is just something I wouldn't be comfortable doing.
Posts: 1494 | Location: Morristown | Registered: Jun 12, 2010
Welcome. Ideally, a consistency in hardwood on a main floor is encouraged. That being said, I have a less than open floor plan w/ doors dividing public spaces and therefore I have different stains and widths of oak flooring and a difference in direction divided by threshold pieces and it seems to work fine for us.
BTW, one way to unify the different hardwood planks is to create a border of the wood used in an adjoining space.
Posts: 16824 | Location: Right here, duh! ;) | Registered: Nov 03, 2005
