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Best Rug Colors for All Types of Hardwood Flooring
Table of Contents
- What is the Best Rug Color for Hardwood Floors?
- Quick Way to Find the Undertone
- The Best Rugs for Hardwood Floors: Handmade & Antique Rugs
- Rug Colors For Light and Oak Hardwood Flooring
- Rug Colors For Dark Hardwood Flooring
- Rug Colors by Wood Species
- How to Play with Rug Patterns for Hardwood Floors?
- Mistakes to Avoid While Choosing Rug Color for Hardwood Floors
- Shop Rugs for Hardwood Floors
- Frequently Asked Questions
Hardwood floors are one of the easiest and most flexible elements to style in a home. If you follow certain guidelines, which we will cover in this article, finding the best rug for hardwood floors won't be difficult.
What is the Best Rug Color for Hardwood Floors?
The best rug color for hardwood floors depends on the undertone of the floor and whether you want to create a cohesive or contrast effect. The best way is to choose a light colored rug for dark hardwood floors and dark colored rugs for light hardwood floors. Don't forget to match the rug's undertone to your floor.
For Dark Hardwood Floors | For Light Hardwood Floors |
The best color area rugs for dark hardwood floors are colors that contrast or highlight the richness of the wood. | The best color area rugs for light hardwood floors are colors that complement the natural brightness and warmth of the wood. |
In this blog, we’ll tell you exactly which rug colors you should choose based on the style of your hardwood floor and the atmosphere you want to create.
Quick Way to Find the Undertone
Knowing the undertone of your floor will help you determine which family of colors will look harmonious in your home. The quickest way to determine the undertone is to hold a sheet of plain white paper against the floor in natural daylight.
Warm undertone: The floor appears yellow, gold, orange, red, brown, or honey against the white paper.
Cool undertone: The floor appears grey, charcoal, blue, or green against the white paper.
Neutral undertone: The floor appears as a balanced mix that is not obviously warm or cool.
As a thumb rule, maintain the undertone of the floor while choosing the rug color. You can check the rug's undertone by placing a plain white paper against the most prominent color in the rug.
The Best Rugs for Hardwood Floors: Handmade & Antique Rugs
A great way to protect your hardwood floors is to buy handmade antique and vintage rugs.
Handmade rugs typically feature higher-quality, softer fibers, natural dyes, and soft backing materials.
Antique rugs come with the additional softness and pliability that comes with a rug that’s been around for a few years.
These are great features to protect your hardwood floors from scratches and everyday wear.
Rug Colors For Light and Oak Hardwood Flooring
Most light colored hardwood flooring has a natural brightness and overall warmth that is easily complemented and enhanced with the below rug colors and patterns.
Don’t fret if you don’t have oak hardwood flooring. The suggestions below will work with any light colored hardwood.
Neutral Beige, Camel & Tan Rug Colors
Neutral colored rugs like tan, beige, camel, or cream create an airy and open feel to the room. And they also add some contrast.
Shop Beige, Ivory & Cream Rugs
Pink, Purple & Blue Rug Colors
Rugs with soft pastel colors like pink, purple, or powder blue increase the brightness of the room. They also keep the overall feeling of the room calm and sophisticated.
Shop Pink Rugs , Purple Rugs & Blue Rugs
Warm Earth Tones
Warm earth tones add warmth and depth to the room. Rugs with warm beige, camel, or terracotta will make things cozy and inviting in your space.
Blue Green Earth Tones
Cool tones like light blue, aqua, and seafoam green give a sense of tranquility to a room. The cooler tones will work with the light hardwood colors to convey a fresh and natural feel to the room.
Rug Colors For Dark Hardwood Flooring
Dark hardwood flooring is generally rich in color, adding depth to the room. We recommend the following rug colors for dark hardwood floors.
Light & Bright Neutrals
Light neutral colored rugs brighten up a space that might otherwise feel too heavy and dark. You can make a purposeful and striking contrast by pairing dark hardwood with cream, beige, and light grey rugs.
Shop Cream and Beige Rugs & Shop Light Grey Rugs
Rich Jewel Tones
Rich jewel tones add drama and personality to the room. You can make a statement by pairing dark hardwood with emerald green, sapphire blue, or ruby red. You’ll achieve a luxurious and elegant look in your room.
Shop Emerald Green Rugs , Sapphire Blue Rugs & Ruby Red Rugs
Warm Reds & Oranges
Warm reds and oranges add a pop of color and do well to balance the depth of dark hardwood flooring. Think brick red, burnt orange, golden yellow for this look.
Shop Brick Red Rugs , Burnt Orange Rugs & Golden Yellow Rugs
Earthy Greens & Blues
Earthy greens and blues will bring a sense of tranquility and sophistication to the room when they are paired with dark hardwood floors. For this, you’ll want olive green, teal, or navy blue area rugs.
Shop Olive Green Rugs & Teal and Navy Blue Rugs
Rug Colors by Wood Species
Hardwood Floor | Best Rug Colors |
Dark Hardwood | Cream, beige, pale grey, emerald, sapphire, ruby, olive, real, navy |
Light or Oak Hardwood | Beige, camel, tan, charcoal, navy, blush, lavender, blue, green, dark grey |
Grey-Washed Hardwood | Cool blues and greys, caramel, rust, cream |
Red or Cherry-Toned Hardwood | Green, blue, deep navy, cream |
How to Play with Rug Patterns for Hardwood Floors?
You can play with rug patterns for hardwood floors if you treat the rug as a design anchor and not just a floor covering. Think of your rug as a jacket that you wear over your solid shirt to enhance the look.
Here are some practical ways to play with rug patterns for hardwood floors:
Use Contrast
If your hardwood floors have a strong grain or busy variation, you can choose a rug with a simple pattern like a transitional rug.
This will make the room feel organized instead of chaotic. However, if your hardwood floors are plain or uniform, choose a maximalist pattern rug like a Persian rug.
Mix Style With Floor Patterns
It's always fun to pair decor that is hard to imagine working together, but once you put it together, you can see the magic. Some such amazing pairings are:
Traditional Hardwood + Persian or Oriental rugs
Light Oak floors + Geometric or Scandinavian rugs
Dark Walnut floors + Cream, Muted Blue, or Vintage rugs
Rustic Wood + Tribal or Faded rugs
Use Patterns to Define Zones
If you have a large open floor plan with hardwood floors, this trick is going to come in handy. You can use different pattern rugs to define separate spaces like a dining area, seating area, entryway, or reading nook.
But remember that these patterns don't have to be totally different from each other because that would look weird.
Mistakes to Avoid While Choosing Rug Color for Hardwood Floors
Avoid these common mistakes that people make when choosing the best rug for your hardwood floors.
Matching Rug Color Exactly to the Floor
A rug color that is too close to your floor won't create the visual impact you are aiming for because it will practically blend in with the floor. So, go deeper or lighter in tone or create a contrast.
For instance, an ivory Persian rug will look beautiful against dark walnut floors, while a navy Oriental rug will add definition to light oak floors.
Ignoring Undertones
Two brown floors might look similar at first glance, but they could have different undertones. Ignoring this undertone can make your rug feel disconnected.
Warm hardwood floors pair well with earthy colors, warm neutrals, rust, and olive. Cool hardwood floors pair well with blue, sage, grey, and other cool shades.
Not Taking Other Furniture into Consideration
Picking a rug color solely based on the color of your floors is not practical. A rug that has one or two colors from your existing decor can make it look more coordinated.
You can pick these colors from your sofa, walls, curtains, throw pillows, artwork, or accent pieces.
Using Too Many Competing Colors and Patterns
A multicolor rug can look good in eclectic decor, but cramming too many colors or patterns in a modern decor setting won't look good.
The goal is to make every color and pattern work together. So make sure you don't use too many contrasting patterns in a single room.
Shop Rugs for Hardwood Floors
Still deciding the best color for hardwood floors? Shop rugs by color to see options for your floor or visit our Magic Rugs store in Charlotte, NC showroom.
If you have a specific space in mind, you can book a live video call so our experts can analyze your space and floor color and suggest the best options for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a rug be lighter or darker than the hardwood floor?
Generally, a rug should be lighter than dark hardwood floors and darker than the light hardwood floors.
What rug colors go with grey wood floors?
Cool blue and greys shades along with caramel, rust, and cream colors go well with grey wood floors.
Do area rugs damage hardwood floors?
No, area rugs generally do not damage hardwood floors if you use the right rug pads. Avoid using solid rubber backings and instead use a breathable rug pad like the ones available at Magic Rugs.
Are Persian or Oriental rugs good for hardwood floors?
Yes, the intricate patterns of Persian and Oriental rugs go really well with hardwood floors.
Do I need a rug pad on hardwood floors?
Yes, you do need to use a breathable rug pad to avoid scratches on hardwood floors.
Should the rug match the hardwood floor or the furniture?
The rug should not exactly match the shade of the hardwood floors because then it will blend with the floor. Instead match the rug color with the furniture in your room.
What rug patterns look best with hardwood floors?
Several patterns like tribal designs, geometric lines, florals, distressed, and even solid rugs look good on hardwood floors.
