HARDWOOD FLOORS & FLOORING

How Walnut Hardwood Flooring Thrives With Different Paint Color

People commonly associate wood floors with the sturdy oak tree, but walnut can be another wonderful choice for a hardwood floor. This darker wood provides a certain elegance to a variety of décor. Choosing paint for walls and paneling to complement the walnut hardwood flooring, however, will depend on the chosen stain and finish, as well as your particular taste.

WALNUT STAIN WILL AFFECT THE FINAL FINISH COLOR

The color of a walnut finish can vary from a brownish gray to an dark brown, almost black shade. So before choosing a paint color, consider your flooring finish first. A natural walnut floor finished with a sealant will present a lovely dark brown to purplish-black color. So if you're staining, take the time to test different finishes on small sections of wood flooring in order to see how it affects its final appearance.

Once you've perfected a beautiful walnut hardwood flooring design, it's time to paint the adjacent décor. Be sure to use drop cloths and painter's tape in order to protect your walnut floors from paint spatter.

DETERMINE YOUR PAINT COLOR SCHEME

Picking Home Paint color is much like choosing an outfit you're comfortable wearing. You need to feel "comfortable" in your decor and furnishings the same way you'd like to feel in stylish clothing. A coat of neutral paint, for instance, allows you to complement subtle, natural tones in the walnut hardwood flooring. Neutral colors also allow you to add personality to a room with accessories. Consider accessory colors and patterns that can easily be rearranged with the season to create a new look or mood.

On the other hand, a fun paint color that contrasts the walnut hardwood flooring can add new sense of excitement to a room. Take special care in choosing a color that has the same tonality as the floor, but isn't too dark that it takes away from the inherently elegant walnut color.

Think Beyond a Single Color

Trim should be painted in a color to complement the walls and flooring, not just match it. Often a white color is chosen for trim and doors, but you can achieve a totally new, fresh look by painting the trim in a slightly darker shade. Neutral walls may gain depth with a deeper taupe for trim. Or, try adding a bit of spice with a brown or red that brings out a new tone from the walnut flooring.

For more contrast, add an Accent Color to the mix. Paint one wall in a complementary color to easily bring attention to an understated wall, such as behind a sofa or bed. This wall will act as a frame for the nearby furnishings.

'Faux Painting' Adds a Custom-Designer Look to Any Decor

Using a faux painting technique can add a truly unique decorative touch to your home's surfaces. Faux painting is an art form that uses several colors and methods to fashion a beautiful, dimensional look to a surface, and faux finishes blend colors and create special effects, such as the look of marble, wood or the rustic appeal of an old Italian villa. Faux painting can be simple to do, with sponging; or require more complex techniques like marbleizing. For problem walls that are old and cracked, a faux design in a crackle or stucco finish may be the perfect way to hide weathered-looking walls.

Designs fashioned from faux painting can be finished in a variety of hues, both neutral and vibrant, but they should have a purpose. Bright paneling, for example, may provide a fun trim against an otherwise plain floor, whereas a slightly darker base color can add depth to the top glaze of a lighter floor. Just be sure the paint you choose doesn't overpower the natural beauty of the walnut, which serves as a beautiful, neutral contrast to your custom artwork.

Once the walls are painted, it is important to clean up thoroughly. That means taking special care of the floor itself in the process. When moving furnishings back into their spaces, place floor protectors on the feet of your furniture and padding under area rugs for further protection. Have guests take off their shoes before walking on the floor so as to not harm the finish.

Keeping the natural beauty of walnut hardwood flooring is easy by cleaning regularly and using Protective Wood Cleaning Products that nourish the surface well into its lifetime.

This article was brought to you by Colgate-Palmolive Company, the makers of Murphy® Oil Soap. The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of the Colgate-Palmolive Company.