Guess what? The era of wood paneling didn’t end in the 1970s. Many homeowners have wood-paneled walls that look modern, fresh and appealing. Banish the thought that you have to remove your wood walls. Instead, pick the right floors to go with them.
Choosing flooring to match wood paneling may seem like a big challenge. However, all it takes is some thoughtful consideration to get the result you want. Below are some of the best pairings when selecting floors that will enhance the appearance and ambiance of wood-paneled walls.
Go Toward the Dark Side
No matter what type of flooring you pick, from a hardwood laminate to a carpet, consider purchasing something darker than your walls. Why? Having a dark-colored floor will help draw the eye downward and make the wood paneling look less heavy and overwhelming.
Lay a Cement or Tile Floor
When your wood-paneled room is in a high-traffic area like a bathroom, kitchen or sunroom, you may want to pick a moisture-resistant hard floor. Both cement and tile can be perfect companions to a wood wall. Their streamlined texture and classic styling enable your walls to stand out. Additionally, they’re incredibly easy to keep clean.
Pick a Contrasting Texture
Are your wood walls made from knotty pine? Or are they a smooth, light-colored clapboard with uniformity from corner to corner? Whatever type they are, be on the lookout for a floor that will contrast with them. For instance, if your wood paneling has lots of graining and texture, opt for a smoother floor. If your wood walls have little variation, opt for something like Berber carpet to bring texture and drama into the space.
Pair Wood With Wood
Yes, you can install hardwood, engineered hardwood or wood-colored laminate flooring in a room that features at least one wood wall. Just know you’ll end up with a cabin-like atmosphere. To break up all the wood, lay down thoughtfully purchased throw rugs and decorate with comfortable furniture. Be sure the wood color you use for your floor doesn’t match the walls exactly. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble seeing where the floor ends and the walls begin.
Find the Right Flooring for Wood Walls
Every paneled wall has a personality. Some remind you of a dream vacation cottage at the beach. Others make you feel like you’re deep in the belly of a rustic ship at sea. Your job is to pair your floors and walls in a way that keeps your walls from looking dated or losing their character.
But there’s a snag. Though you can take an image or video of your room and bring it to a retail flooring showroom, you can’t quite get the full picture of what the floors will look like in your home. What do you do, then? You call us.
At 50Floor, we bring floors to you. Our method allows you to confidently match your floors and walls without leaving the comfort of your property. Schedule an appointment online with us today, and an expert flooring specialist will help you answer your pressing question of what flooring looks best with wood paneling.
