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Thanks to their warm texture and timeless appeal, wooden floors are the most sought-after flooring option by homeowners across the globe. However, selecting the most suitable décor elements that complement dark wood floors is often a challenge.

When balanced with contrasting interior décor elements, dark wooden floors look chic and add sophistication to the home. Read on for the best tips on selecting the most appropriate home décor pieces that complement dark wood floor, transforming your dwelling into a harmonious and cozy place.

1. Walls

Dark wooden floors are fairly popular owing to their modern appeal; however, choosing the most suitable wall color to harmonize the overall décor can be tricky.

Light-colored walls enhance the visual size of the room, whereas dark walls tend to blend with the floor, creating an overcrowded feeling.

The rule of thumb is to determine the tone you desire to set for your living area. Do you desire a dramatic or relaxing tone? Using cherry red, Tuscany yellow, lime, or olive green can make your home look vivid and upscale, whereas hues like misty blue, sea salt, and repose gray offer a calming experience.

Avoid using murky hues with dark wood floors as they kill the contrast, making the rooms appear dull and unappealing. In order to add contrast to the living space, use lighter shades on the wall compared to the floor.

Light blues (Icelandic, celestial, or misty blue), whites (white dove or Alabaster), and grays (gray owl, Balboa Mist, or repose gray) work well with dark wood floors. If you prefer a rich pigmented shade, choose an accent wall for it and balance it with a lighter shade on the other walls, rendering a harmonious and welcoming appeal to the home interior.

2. Furniture

The best way to make your living space look chic and unified is to select furniture pieces that complement the flooring. However, in case of dark wood flooring, remember to choose furniture in medium-to-light-toned wood like maple, ebony, or cherry.

Dark wood floors absorb light and make the room look heavy and cramped. Thus, if you want to brighten up the room, complement such flooring with light-hued furniture having natural wood coloring.

Choosing furniture that is a few shades lighter, yet matches the warmth of the dark floor will provide contrast, bring richness, and prevent the space from looking dark and dull.

For upholstered sofas, chairs, and ottomans in the living room, match the furniture legs to the floor. In the kitchen, white or cream cabinetry or wood accents in a light shade juxtaposed with a dark wood floor can give the highest contrast, creating an impressive visual appeal.

The same rule applies to pair upholstery with dark wood floor. Employing light-colored upholstery will highlight the furniture, and dark hues will blend with the flooring.

Thus, if you want to attract attention to the couch in your living room, invest in top-quality upholstery that complements the décor. Both, faux leather and fabric work great with dark wood floor. Consider factors such as durability, care requirements, appearance, and comfort when investing in matching upholstery, thereby upgrading your home interior.

3. Lighting

Lighting has a profound effect on the look of your flooring.

Dark wood floors look best with amber-colored accent lights and indirect lighting (like sconces) that are aimed towards the ceilings and walls. Lampshades too can enhance the appearance of the dark wood floor, making the living space warm and cozy.

4. Home Décor Accessories

The home décor accessories you choose can become the anchor points in the room, creating a harmonious flow through colors and textures. Depending on your color palette, use accessories like throw pillows, carpets, rugs, lamp shades, and flower vases that create a smooth transition between the furniture and the flooring.

For a sophisticated urban look, mix a range of textures like leather or velvet. This will also result in an eclectic layered look and add depth to your living area.
Choose accessories that complement the overall design and draw attention to the focal point of the living area while enhancing the dark wood flooring.

For instance, if the fireplace is the focal point of a room, consider refurbishing it with a natural wood mantel that is a shade lighter than the wood floor, making the hearth stand out.

Alternatively, your old fireplace can be smartened up with the help of a local chimney care service provider who will not only maintain the fireplace but also offer valuable advice pertaining to its repair and masonry work if any. So, if you live in the Multnomah County of Oregon, you can look for a local service provider who specializes in fireplace maintenance and chimney sweep in Portland.

Large windows often make striking focal points, especially if they open up to a panoramic view. Consider investing in drapes, curtains, and shades that strikingly contrast with the dark wood floor, drawing people’s attention to the vistas outside.

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Elements That Complement Dark Wood Floors

Jesse PeraltaJanuary 07, 2019

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Baby boomers are shifting into a new phase of life, with the youngest of this generation reaching their 50s. As you age, the children grow up, and you near retirement, you just want to put your feet up and relax. You want to take things slow, but your parents are aging too, and they need more of your time and attention now.

Many baby boomers are planning to bring home an elderly parent or relative who is no longer able to live on their own, and that means making sure the house is ready to welcome them. Slips and falls can be extremely dangerous or even fatal in the age your parents are. Safe and secure living areas and pathways, accessible kitchen and bathrooms, and empowering interior design are very essential for aged inhabitants. Redoing homes to suit the needs of your elderly parents requires research, planning, time, and money. It is important that you keep accessibility, safety, comfort, and the personal preferences of your elderly relative in mind while re-designing your home.

Here are a few tips to help you remodel your home if you are planning to house an elderly parent or relative.

1) Secure Flooring

Smooth, slippery floors can be hard to negotiate for aging and unstable feet. You can increase safety by adding anti-slip strips on bathroom floors or applying anti-slip coating. Smaller areas like ramps and decks, as well as high-traffic areas of floors, can be made safer with non-slip tapes that provide a coarse area underfoot, thereby reducing chances of a fall.

Slippery floors in bathrooms and basements can also be rectified using rubber mats. They come in all sizes and shapes, and the texture and surface patterns provide traction and grip, especially in wet areas. Rubber mats are cheap and long-lasting, and are a reliable short-term solution till you get a more permanent flooring option.

Trips are also common causes of injuries in the elderly. While remodeling your home, ensure you lower the thresholds or remove them completely in order to enable easy.

Place non-slip rubber mats beneath area rugs to ensure that there are no slips or trips. But do keep in mind that carpets and area rugs pose problems for wheelchair users and elders using walking assistance. If need be, go for short pile carpets that will not get caught in mobility devices.

2) Make Stairways Safer

Stairways are dangerous if your parent is weak and has trouble walking. Slips and falls are common. It's best if you can avoid your parent using them altogether. If that's not possible, ensure you take every measure you can to make the staircase safe and easy to access.

Well-lit stairways can help avoid a lot of accidents. Overhead light fixtures and wall sconces are great for increasing lighting on stairs. You can also consider installing night-lights into wall outlets to improve visibility if your parent wants to use stairs at night. Defined steps with very visible edges also increase safety of use for elders.

3) Make Things Easy on Hands

Door knobs are increasingly becoming outdated, with most homeowners opting for lever-style door handles. as a matter of fact, Vancouver has banned door knobs entirely, since lever-style handles are more accessible. You should consider doing the same in your house, as aging hands will find them easier to use.

Place a resting bench or side table by the door to assist your parent in opening or locking the door. Tables can free up your hands from packages, keys, and phones. Fumbling with objects in your hand while entering or exiting a home can distract and unbalance your parent, so ensure that there are landing places by the side of all entryways into your home.

4) Brighten up the Home

A well-lit house steeply reduces the chance of accidents.

Exterior portions of your home like porches and doorways should be well lit. Install modern lighting solutions like motion-sensor flood lights to make it easy for your parent to avoid bumping into obstacles on the way in and out.

Light-sensor night lamps in hallways and living areas will ensure that your loved one has no difficulty in seeing, day or night.

Closets and wardrobes are an often-overlooked location that should have adequate lighting. Motion sensor LED wall sconce lights are suitable in closets. Also, there are a range of other options also that you can consider to add wireless lighting to closets.

Another place where adequate lighting is very important is kitchen. Overhead lighting above the sink, stove, and other work areas will help your aged parent to work comfortably. The stove knobs and controls of other devices also need to be visible for ease of use and safety.

5) Make Everything Accessible

Accessibility is of foremost importance for your parent. The elderly often find it difficult to reach for things that are placed high above them, and they may also strain to bend low. Adjustable or lowered shelves and hang bars in closets allow you to reach everything that you need without difficulty. Pull-down drawers and shelves, and push-to-close drawers enable ease of use.

The pattern continues in the kitchen. Dishwashers can also be placed higher to do away with the need to stoop while loading. Side-by-side freezer and refrigerator units are more accessible than bottom-freezer refrigerators. Front-load washers are easier to operate for the elderly. Also, ensure that the washer, drier, and any shelves and work areas are at accessible heights.

6) Invest in a Good Mattress

A good night's sleep is very essential for your parent to feel rejuvenated and energetic the next day. Invest in a good quality mattress that gives support to the spine and is suitable to your parent's sleeping patterns.

Memory foam mattresses and hybrid mattresses that combine foam and springs are great for the elderly. Quality mattresses provide pressure relief and good natural body alignment. Ensure you give comfort the highest priority when choosing a mattress for your loved one.

High quality mattresses often come with a hefty price tag, but bear in mind that exorbitant prices do not guarantee quality. This store will help you find a cheap mattress in Las Vegas with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Conclusion

Caring for your elderly relative requires patience, love, and fortitude. If you have a home that helps you in this task and makes life better for your aged relative or parent, then your role as a caregiver is much easier. Thoughtful modifications can help you achieve an elder-friendly home at a reasonable cost.

6 Tips to Prepare Your Home for an Elderly Parent

Earl ReserApril 30, 2016

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