How to Make Mixed Hardwood Flooring Look Amazing

October 1, 2021


While the typical wood floor install may use uniform wood planks of the same types of wood, a different wood flooring option is gaining in popularity among homeowners and business owners alike. The use of different types of wood creates a floor with a lot of character, depth, beauty and interest. You can achieve this look with both narrow and wide plank flooring, and maybe even a mixture of both! Different patterns, such as herringbone, may also be another way to make your design stand out. 

Natural wood contains many different undertones, colors, shades, wood grain patterns and markings. Some woods, like hickory, may be wild in their colors and patterns, while others like clear white oak may be more subtle. However, for those that love a mixture of color and depth in their floor, mixed hardwood flooring has begun to increase in popularity.

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Mixed hardwood flooring blends together different wood species, as well as woods that have a lot of grain, pattern and movement on their own. Many wood flooring types can be used to create a mixed wood flooring design that fits with your interior. Explore some of our favorite hardwood flooring design ideas to gain inspiration for your next remodel

Mixed Hardwood Flooring Design Ideas

Many people who love the way that a mixed hardwood floor looks in the showroom may wonder how to make it work in their own home. Thankfully, there are countless ways that mixed hardwood floors can be used. These 8 design ideas can give you a glimpse into how stunning these floors may look in your living room or entryway, while giving you additional ideas of how to use them.

1. Pair Them with Solid Woods

1. Pair Them with Solid Woods

With all the color, texture and movement in a mixed wood floor, you need to make sure that there aren’t a lot of patterns or other bold statements right next to them. That could overwhelm the space and make it look chaotic. This kitchen uses solid wood cabinets in a coordinating color that can be found in the flooring. It’s cohesive and lets the floor be the main focus. 

2. Highlight Lights and Darks

2. Highlight Lights and Darks

If there’s a lot of contrast in the floor you’ve chosen, consider highlighting that contrast to bring the room together. This floor has some very dark wood tones as well as very light beech. The banister nearby matches the dark wood tones perfectly, while the white trim picks up the lighter colors, unifying the entire space.

3. Keep Furnishings Quiet

3. Keep Furnishings Quiet

When you use a mixed wood floor, it really has to be the main focus of this dining room. Using furniture with a lot of loud patterns or adding a lot of throw rugs will compete too much with the color and wood grain texture of the floor. By keeping the furnishings simple and having their colors and tones pick up the colors in the floor, you can create a harmonious design.

4. Find the MidPoint

4. Find the MidPoint

It would be unrealistic to assume that a living room with mixed hardwood floors wouldn’t have other wood undertones. So, when incorporating different wood, whether in furniture, bannisters or woodwork, look for the mid-tones in the floor. By finding that halfway point between the lights and darks, you can create a more cohesive atmosphere that works with the floor, rather than creating something too dramatic.

5. Create Open Spaces

5. Create Open Spaces

Mixed wood floors look their best when you can see large expanses of them. This way, you can better appreciate all the many ways the wood changes color, texture or pattern. In the case of this floor, you can also better appreciate the patina that some of the reclaimed wood is bringing to the mixture. These dark wood areas are what give the floor its depth, so by letting them have the run of the whole level of the home, you can really see and appreciate them.

6. Try a Color Contrast

6. Try a Color Contrast

Just because you’ve chosen a flooring option with a lot of character doesn’t mean that you can’t introduce anything else into the design. The idea is to make sure that what you do introduce is solid and doesn’t contain competing patterns or textures. In this case, the dark blue and white cabinets add some contrast as well as a more dramatic look, but don’t compete with the wood floors

7. Light It Up

7. Light It Up

If your floor is made of polished wood, show it off with lots of natural light. The light from these windows is bringing out the rich tones of the floor brilliantly, giving them a subtle glow and shine. This helps keep floors that have a lot of deep colors and tones to them from getting too dark as well, so you can better appreciate the space.

8. Choose Analogous Colors

8. Choose Analogous Colors

If you want to add some color to your interior design in a more subtle way, take the overall tone of the floor and use a color that’s analogous to that, or that sits beside it on the color wheel. In this case, the floor has a lot of rich orange and yellow tones. Red sits beside orange on the color wheel, so the red stools add some color without contrast. This creates a more subtle palette for the space. 

Complement Your Mixed Hardwood Flooring

With the right interior design, your mixed hardwood floor will look amazing. Whether you want to do something subtle or dramatic, the key to your home improvement project will be in the details and how you complement or contrast the floor. With so many colors and patterns in a mixed hardwood floor, it’s important to wait until the installers have finished your floor, so you can see the exact mix and shades. From there, it’s simple to start choosing the colors and accents that will help bring it to life. Get more from your mixed hardwood flooring and make it look amazing with these tips. If you’re not sure how to get started or what kind of wood flooring to choose for your remodel project, we’d be happy to help! Our team of design experts has years of experience partnering with homeowners on their design choices. Contact the team at Elmwood today to get started!

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Your next project is just around the corner. Browse our product galleries for more inspiration.