With the current popularity of the minimalist Scandinavian and Japandi interior design styles, light-toned wood has been a mainstay in flooring in recent years. Namely, many homeowners have chosen gray wood floors when decorating their homes.
And although those design styles are still as popular as ever, when it comes to wood flooring, homeowners have started gravitating toward something different—and much more timeless.
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To learn more, we spoke with two designers: Melissa Lee, Interior Designer at Vancouver-based commercial design firm Ark & Mason, and Dorothy Weise, Interior Design Department Lead at Chapter Renovation.
Both Lee and Weise agree on the latest flooring trend; however, it’s really not a trend so much as a classic design style that homeowners are embracing once again. In fact, it’s a flooring choice that will likely never go out of fashion, as it complements nearly any interior design style. Keep reading to learn more!
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Why Gray Wood Floors Are Falling Out of Favor
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“During the design era of 2010s, gray floors were hugely popular and tended to have a cooler, more minimalist feel,” Weise explains. “However, they feel a bit more outdated today. With home interiors shifting towards a warmer and more layered approach, cool gray flooring can fight against the wood, natural stone and other earthly atmospheres that are being used throughout homes today.”
Lee agrees that “grey wood tones are definitely falling out of favor.” She adds: “Grey floors can also feel a little flat or cool compared to the warmer, more layered interiors that are becoming popular.”
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What Homeowners Are Choosing Instead of Gray Wood Floors
As of late, instead of gray wood floors, homeowners have been embracing classic, warm, medium-toned wood floors. These tones, according to Lee, include chestnut, coffee oak and walnut.
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Medium-Toned Wood Floors Bring Back Warmth and Timeless Style
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“What I’m seeing more recently is a resurgence of medium-toned wood floors and a return to a more classic look,” Lee says. “People are wanting to bring more richness, warmth, and color back into their interiors, and we’re seeing that reflected in flooring choices.”
“The look people seem to be gravitating toward is a floor that has warmth and richness without feeling overly yellow or too cool and grey,” she adds. “As interiors incorporate richer colors like deeper jewel tones, vibrant blues, taupes, beiges, and mossy greens, these warmer wood floors work really well because they add color depth and help ground the space.”
“Homeowners are looking for warmth and personal character,” adds Weise. However, they don’t want to go “back to the dark espresso floors that were popular before gray.” She believes “medium-brown tones hit that middle ground. They feel rich and established while keeping a room relatively light.”
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Why Designers Love Medium-Toned Wood Floors
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“I personally love this trend,” says Lee. “I renovated my own home back in 2021 and chose a medium, warm oak hardwood, and I still love it today. I think it has a classic, timeless quality that doesn’t feel tied to one particular design trend, which is really important when you’re making a long-term investment like flooring.”
Lee also appreciates how versatile medium-toned wood floors are, because they can complement “both warm and cool colors” in the rest of your space, and “can evolve as your furniture and design style change over time.”
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Additionally, when compared to light-toned floors, “medium-brown floors are more forgiving and versatile,” according to Weise.
“The warm, wood-toned floors with visible grain and natural variation can help ground a space without completely dominating it,” she explains. “My personal preference for finishes in a space is to let the character of the wood come through rather than staining, which makes every plank look uniform. These warmer tones have an inherently timeless quality, allowing you to swap out furniture, change the paint and change the cabinetry without needing to completely rethink the flooring.”
Final Takeaways:
Warm, medium-toned woods are taking over in the world of home flooring for a few reasons.
Light gray wood floors are becoming less popular. Light-toned natural wood floors are still fairly in style, though. Warm, medium-toned wood is a great choice for timeless, classic flooring. It’s also easy to match to any interior design style. If you’re upgrading your wood floors, don’t listen to trends. Trends come and go, but if you’re installing new hardwood floors, you’ll likely be stuck with them for decades to come. Make sure to choose a wood tone that sparks joy for you and your family rather than what’s trending at the moment.Up Next:
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Sources:
Melissa Lee is the Interior Designer at Vancouver-based commercial design firm Ark & Mason. Dorothy Weise is the Interior Design Department Lead at Chapter Renovation.Hence then, the article about gray wood floors are falling out of favor designers say homeowners are choosing this warmer look instead was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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