It’s a common question, what wall colors work best with my hardwood floors?
We’ll answer this by looking at popular flooring choices, including light and dark hardwood, white oak, and hickory.
Pro tip: Buy sample cans of several colors to paint various sections of your walls. Before you commit, notice how the color changes in hue or contrast depending on the light and time of day – the color may change significantly!

Featured Floor: Silvian “Luonto (Nature)”
Wall Colors for Light Hardwood
The traditional take on light hardwood is to go with a lighter color wall like white, cream or soft gray. For those of us who need and desire a bright space, then complementing the floor with a light tone makes a lot of sense.
However, the current trend is moving away from light walls, so you don’t have to feel constrained by the status quo. Pairing light hardwood with colors other than white or cream can certainly work well and provide a good deal of warmth. If your furniture and feeling is one of Scandinavian design, then a soft gray is a perfect choice.
When making wall color choices, you always want to take note of your floors’ undertones, and light hardwood flooring is no exception. For instance, if you choose a gray paint with brown or “greige,” then you will want to pair with a warmer floor. If you are drawn to gray paint with blue undertones, then you want to select a cooler floor.

Featured Floor: Killarney “O’Grady”
Paint Colors For Dark Hardwood
Dark flooring is a favorite choice today. Depending on the furniture and style of the room, it can achieve a traditional or a very contemporary look.
With dark hardwood flooring, you want to go lighter with wall color in order to complement the floor. Lighter shades will offer great contrast and really highlight your dynamic floor.
While some folks choose white and cream, earthy shades like green or blue go with a dark floor well. These soft colors will look great against the dark hardwood and serve to brighten up the space.

Featured Floor: Silvian “Luonto (Nature)”; Project By: Chandelier Development Inc., Nashville
White Oak and Wall Color
Given the lightness of white oak, you can go darker to deliver appropriate contrast. The typical choices are charcoal or pastel. We like charcoal for its warmth, but pastels (like light blue and mauve) also pair well with white oak. Pastels are a great option for rooms with little natural light since they will brighten the space.

Featured Floor: Yosemite “Yellowstone”
Colors that Look Best with Hickory
In addition to mid-century modern, green is also trending right now. We see it in living spaces and even on kitchen cabinets. Sage and other subtle greens go particularly well with hickory flooring. Pay attention to the undertones and choose grays or blues to avoid greens which could end up looking too dark when painted.
We’re Here to Help
We know how important it is to get your home’s design just right. Stop by one of our showrooms and we’ll help you find the perfect floor and refer you to an installer you can trust.