Dark Hardwood vs. Light Hardwood

A lot of people wonder whether or not to choose a dark hardwood (mahogany wood floors, walnut) or a light hardwood (birch, maple) for their homes.  There are many factors to choosing the colour of your basement floor, such as the décor in your room, the amount of dust/pet hair, and a few others I will discuss below.

Dark Hardwood		Light Hardwood
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
Adds warm feeling to a room	Scratches easily seen	Low-maintenance	Doesn’t match as many colours
Very stylish	Dust is more visible	Room feels more spacious	More expensive
Luxurious appearance	Can look gloomy	Better for high-traffic	Scuffs are easily seen

© Licensed under Creative Commons: Jessica Hickman (October 16 2012)

If you want a nice contrast in your basement, light (almost white) walls and very dark hardwood floors create a very sophisticated look. If you want a fun, bright, open feeling to your basement room, you should choose light hardwood. If your basement is very dusty or you have pets then you should go with a light hardwood so that the dust and fur does not show up as much. If you are really unsure of what would go best in your basement room, go with a nice medium tone as it incorporates all of the pros of light hardwood and dark hardwood, with minimized cons.