Do Wood Doors Have To Match Wood Floors?

Coordinating your doors with your floors is typically a top priority when designing your interior. They are two of the largest pieces that you'll see in a space, so it's important to maintain cohesiveness. So, do wood doors and wood floors have to match? How do you coordinate different-colored doors and floors? We have researched answers for you.

Technically, you can match wood doors to wood floors, but it isn't highly necessary. What's essential is that the wood colors complement one another. You can create a lovely contrast by making either the door or the floor darker, or you can incorporate light colors all throughout to make the room feel brighter and wider.

Creating a cohesive color palette can be challenging, but it can be easier if you allow your personal style to take the lead. If you're still not sure which colors to pick, keep reading below to learn about how to pair colors that complement one another.

A collage of a wood and and a wood floor, Do Wood Doors Have To Match Wood Floors?

Do Wood Doors and Wood Floors Need to Match?

Brown stained Front Door

Often when designing an interior, the doors are the last to be prioritized—which is a practice that needs to be amended. The door can make or break or interior, especially if it doesn't look cohesive with the rest of the room.

Wood doors and wood floors do not need to match exactly. The colors, grain, and even wood type do not have to match. However, if you want a monochromatic home where there is a singular design on all surfaces, of course, matching doors and floors would add to that.

Having a monochromatic home has its own aesthetic advantages, so matching every surface—including doors and floors—is worth considering. They give off an effortlessly elegant and polished appeal, which is good if that's your preference.

However, there is also a lot to be said about contrasting surfaces. They provide visual stimulation, and the colors make the interior feel more vibrant and welcoming. The key is knowing how to match the colors to create a harmonious and balanced interior.

How To Match Wood Colors

Couple choosing wall paint colors

Matching wood colors is essential to creating balance in the room. Wood has the ability to make the room feel warmer and more inviting, and they have a rustic appeal that can make the space look effortlessly chic. However, mismatched wood can be an eyesore, and it can make the room feel messy.

Here is how to properly match wood tones in your space.

Create Contrast

Creating contrast is a great way to inject visual interest into the room. For example, if the wooden floors have a dark stain, your door could be a light grey or beige color. Conversely, you can have a dark-stained door if you have a light-colored floor.

The play of colors will make the space look balanced, and it wouldn't look boring once it's all tied together with other furniture.

Consider the Space

You should also consider whether the space can accommodate either a dark wood floor or a dark-colored door. If you have a small space, it is best to stick with light-colored stains to avoid a visually narrow interior.

However, even if you stick with light-colored stains, there are a variety of shades of beige, white, and grey to explore--they still don't have to match exactly.

Look at the Undertones

Undertones play a great role in making or breaking your interior's color palette. When exploring the colors to match, make sure they have at least similar or complementing undertones.

Wood such as Hickory and Oak both have pink undertones. If the hickory has a lighter stain, you can pair it with dark-stained oak wood. They will easily blend together and create a balanced interior.

Cherry wood and Maple have similar pink and red undertones, although maple tends to have a deeper color. These two wood types are an ideal base when you're starting to create your interior's color palette.

If you want deeper undertones, you can look into different shades of Quartersawn White Oak which all have green undertones.

Examples of Matching Wood Doors with Wood Floors

Entrance porch in red and green color with hanging swing

Matching wood colors between doors and floors have their own unique appeal. Here are some examples you can look into.

Light Tones

If you have a small space, or simply want to keep your space looking consistently vibrant and bright, creating a light color palette is the key—starting with light-colored wooden floors and doors. 

Light-toned wood can make a space feel effortlessly chic and bright. They reflect natural light better, so your space can look bright even during gloomy days.

Light wooden floors also give the illusion of a wider space, so it is ideal to be installed in small rooms and apartments to make the space feel less cramped. 

Dark Tones

Matching darker wood tones are reminiscent of gothic-style interiors. It's your choice whether you want to lean into their gothic appeal and maintain a dark color palette, or if you want to balance it out with lighter colors on other surfaces for a more contemporary appeal. 

When mixed with lighter colors, the dark-colored wooden door and floor will create a rustic farmhouse-inspired interior with a modern look. 

Warm Tones

Generally, it's easier to match equally warm-toned wood with similar colors. You won't have to think about undertones and contrast, and you can go straight to figuring out your interior's design. The warm tones are balanced out by neutral-colored walls, carpets, and drapery to create a cohesive interior.

 

Examples of Contrasting Wood Doors and Wood Floors

Home Doorway and Patio

Although monochromatic color schemes are more visually effortless, contrasting colors create a unique visual appeal, and it's easier to build a color scheme when you already have a cohesive foundation to build on.

Here are examples of contrasting wood doors and floors you can explore.

Warm-toned door with Dark Floors

Mixing warm-toned wood with dark-colored floors is an interesting design solution.

Although dark wooden floors should technically be considered "neutral", it's still essential that you check the undertones of both wood tones. Deep colors can clash if you're not careful, so it's important to check whether the colors complement one another. 

Done right, this combination creates a rustic and inviting interior that you can design however you want. 

Stark Black Door with Light floors



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This interior seems to be going through the extreme opposite ends of the color spectrum. The light floor with the black door creates a sharp contrast, creating a visually stimulating color palette from the get-go. 

This sharp contrast has the potential for an interior that has an artistic flair, especially if it's balanced out with silver accents. 

Even if you leave it as is, the color combination is already a classic, and it can work even if you only want a simple interior. 

Although the contrast is sharp, the colors work together since they have the same undertone, which is primarily the key to creating a cohesive color palette. 

Final Thoughts

Coordinating two of the biggest pieces in the interior can be intimidating, but it can be easier as long as you look at the undertones and hues of wood. As always, make sure you choose wood colors that match the aesthetic you want to achieve.

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