There is a wood stain colour for every taste!
One of the most challenging things for a homeowner is getting the wood floor and the cabinets coordinated.
It seems that the concept of matching the floor to walls of cabinetry is too much of a good thing for some, but they don't know how to venture into another stain colour.
Rule of thumb is that the cabinetry and trims and doors and floors in the home can all be the same colour stain or paint. But what if you want to mix it up? What works?
What works?
Basically wood stains are in the brown tones - but there is actually a broad variation in the hue of the stains. You need to look at which is the dominating hue the wood stain i.e. yellow, red and even dark blue can dominate the brown tone of the stain. Then use the colour wheel as per above. A brown can have a lot of blue in it. Wenge stain is a dark bluish purple brown. It takes a trained eye to note it. Stains with dark blue tones recede and make the room larger and warm toned reds and oranges advance and closes in the room.
Another thing that makes it more difficult to choose the right wood and stain is that there is a grain in wood - the lines created by growth rings in the tree. Dark stain covers the grain - light stain shows the grain. Grain is like pattern - it adds activity to the colour scheme. There are some exciting exotic grained woods such as zebra wood available. If you like the grain look - use a light stain. Trends are to have little grain as its calmer hence darker woods are popular. See the gallery at www.perveco.com for some great ideas for wood floors I like these wood floors the best because of their excellent patented top coat.
When selecting stain always look at an actual sample on the wood you are choosing. One stain will appear different another shade on different woods.
It seems like a no brainer but work with wood samples at the same time as doing the colour and paint scheme for the whole room to get all the colours working together.
Quality wood products are a lifelong investment when cared for with stains that both condition and beautify. Get it done right the first time with this knowledge and or with a knowledgeable designer!