When redecorating a home, you’ll want to experiment with colors, patterns, and textures, finding creative ways to express yourself and your unique personality throughout your home. As you begin this exciting process, you’ll find that there are various ways to let yourself shine, from furniture and lighting to window treatments and flooring.

When decorating, you will want to choose a common theme. Let’s say yellow, green, and red are your favorite colors, but trying to use all three colors on your walls may be challenging if you want the look to be aesthetically pleasing. That’s where the essential design decision, known as matching vs. coordinating, comes into play.

While matching and coordinating principles are similar, they are indeed separate, yet they work in tandem to guide you in creating a unique look that can express your personality in an aesthetically pleasing way. Nowhere are the principles of matching vs. coordinating more critical than when installing hardwood floors and deciding whether your floors should be the same throughout your home.

Herringbone Patterned oakwood floors

The Concept of Matching: Should My Wood Floors Match?

We all understand the concept of matching, as it is one of the earliest lessons we learn in school as we are taught to match letters, colors, and shapes. Matching is rooted in the concept that anything that looks, sounds, or feels the same should go together.

We think about the concept of matching in the same way we think of our favorite pair of sneakers. The left and the right are identical, and the two belong together. They match!

When it comes to matching hardwood floor colors, the idea is that all of the wood floors throughout the entire house, like our left and right shoes, are precisely the same.

The Concept of Coordinating: Can I Mix Different Wood Floor Colors?

While similar to matching, coordinating is slightly different. It represents the concept that, although two things may not be the same, they still belong together. Perhaps they are shaped differently but are the exact same color. Maybe they have different textures, but all have the exact same shape. When it comes to coordinating, we put together multiple items that will go well together but are inherently different.

With matching, we consider a pair of shoes, each identical to the other, but with coordinating, we imagine how those shoes might look with a particular outfit. That pair of shoes will not precisely match the pants you choose to wear with them, but the two will complement each other, highlighting specific qualities in both. For that reason, they are coordinated.

When coordinating different colored wood floors throughout a home, you’ll want to choose colors and finishes that complement one another.

Matching Wood Floors vs. Coordinating Wood Floors

When we apply these basic concepts of coordinating and matching to flooring, it becomes apparent that matching wood floors would represent an interior environment where every wood floor in the house is precisely the same. In a matching hardwood floor situation, the wood floor in the dining room would be exactly like the wood floor in your living room, throughout your kitchen, and everywhere else in the home. In a situation where the wood flooring is coordinated, you might find different hardwood floor species throughout the house. The living room may have a deep and dark-colored wood floor, but the dining room is a few shades lighter. It may be different, but it still complements the coloring in your living room. Perhaps you’ll choose to carpet the hall with a warm color the blends with the varying grains in your hardwood floors.  

Coordinating hardwood floors gives you the opportunity to explore different hardwood floor designs, colors, and textures while creating a beautiful complete finished product.

Coordinating or Matching Wood Floors: What’s the Right Fit for Me?

There is no simple answer when deciding between matching vs. coordinating the wood floors throughout your home. It will come down to a matter of personal taste. Suppose, for example, that you are absolutely in love with a particular wood floor color and want it installed throughout your home. That’s great! Go for it!

If you are someone who likes to mix up and you want to try a mix of different wood floor colors and styles throughout your house, go with your gut, and let your creativity shine.

Ultimately, the final choice is yours, but there is room for error too! If you decide you don’t like a certain room, you can always opt to sand and refinish your hardwood floors with a different color stain or finish.

If you find it difficult to make up your mind at the end of the day, you can always consult a hardwood flooring expert. The team at Artisan Wood Floors is passionate about hardwood flooring, and we are always willing to help anyone who needs assistance in choosing the right wood floors for their home. We offer hardwood flooring services throughout the Philadelphia region. Just call (215) 515-7355 and ask for Steve!