Classic and elegant yet incredibly versatile, decorative wooden flooring is one of the most impressive, stylish features for any home. While genuine hardwood flooring is a staple of historic American homes, it’s also being reintroduced into contemporary designs.
This means that you can style decorative wood flooring in virtually any way you want. Try it in different rooms and embellish it in different ways to bring out its unique, warm character.
If you’re curious about decorative wood flooring ideas or ways to style rooms with wooden floors, read this convenient guide to home design with hardwood.
Choose a Theme
It’s simple to work hardwood flooring into virtually any home design scheme. However, a simple way to approach design is to choose a theme. What is it about hardwood that is appealing to you? Do you enjoy its natural texture and want to work it into a contemporary, minimal design? Design your room 
in a way that brings out the textures and character of the building materials in the room. This could include patterned hardwood.
Do you like the warmth and classic appeal of wood? Design warm and comfortable rooms with traditional furnishings. Hardwood floors will emphasize the character in antique, wooden furniture. When the furnishings and decor in your room are focused around a single theme, your hardwood flooring will make more sense with the space. As a versatile building material, hardwood will fit comfortably into any room, from French Provincial to artistic, urban modern.
Balance Light and Dark
Every room should balance dark, bold, and heavy colors with light, bright, and inviting hues. This creates a sense of balance and comfort in a room. Too many dark colors will make a room feel smaller and less comfortable. Too many bright colors will make a room look inelegant and even bare. If you select a light color of hardwood, like white oak, contrast it for example with dark furnishings like a 
black dining room table and olive rug.
If you prefer darker decorative wooden flooring, like antique pine with a dark oil finish, balance it with a white living room sofa and a bright rug. If you prefer a neutral walnut hardwood floor, use it to anchor a variety of very dark and very light decor, like a navy blue bed with light blue wall paint.
You can use a color wheel to help you find a variety of dark and light colors that will work together in a room.
Seek Out Quality
Don’t skimp on hardwood flooring. The best decorative wood flooring will make any room look more elegant and refined from the get-go. Quality hardwood flooring will have beautifully deep textures, a subtle blend of colors, and a refined finish that makes the room look polished at its base. You can even get style tips from a good hardwood flooring installer. Ask for advice on matching your existing furniture and decor with the right type of hardwood if you’re just interested in upgrading your flooring. Different types of wood, stains, patterns, and finishes have different effects in a room.
Visit someone who truly knows hardwood flooring, like Wood & Co. We’d love to offer you advice on selecting the right decorative wood flooring for your design tastes, as well as other style choices you’ve made like curtains, wall paint, and large furnishings. Wood & Co. can help you create a cohesive design centered around elegant, classic hardwood floors.