Choosing the Best Hardwood Stain Colors

Refinishing hardwood floors is a big undertaking. Whether you’re looking to put your house on the market and get the best resale value, or staying put but would love a new look for your floors, planning ahead is key. Let’s walk through some ideas.

The Classic Resell

If you’re staining your floors to make your home show better during open houses, we recommend sticking to more classic stain tones like brown or a warm mid-tone, as these are the most flexible colors, and most likely to fit in with the various tastes and décor styles of your potential buyers. Interior decorating preferences can vary greatly, so it’s best to avoid trending colors when your ultimate goal is to sell. Classic colors like espresso and dark walnut are great bets and give an instant elegant feel to your floors while still feeling fresh and modern. Light hardwood floors are also growing in popularity. A stain to avoid? Anything overtly red. It can feel quite dated these days.

What’s Your Type?

Another thing to consider when choosing a wood-floor stain? Consider the type of wood you’re staining. Is it a pine? Oak? Walnut? These are the colors you’re essentially starting with and building from. And woods take stain differently, so you’ll want to test a piece to make sure the outcome is what you want. Wood-floor stain-color charts are helpful, too. Multicolor stains are also quite popular these days, such as the custom blending Minwax^® stains. A 50/50 ebony and Jacobean stain—which can give a very subtle (not overtly!) red tint—is a favorite among homeowners, as is a 50/50 of ebony and dark walnut. Another thing to consider, especially if you’re looking for new hardwood floors? Not all wood floors actually require a stain—many wood floors look great in their natural color.

Get Creative

While we recommend that you stick to classic stain colors if you plan on selling your home in the near future, feel free to choose a trending hardwood stain color if you’ll be the one enjoying the floors for years to come. Dark, cool tones are still at the top of the list, but there’s an uptick in the trend toward brighter stains, such as gray and whitewashed. If you do want a lighter stain, we recommend blonde, as this color has the potential to stick around and turn into a classic floor color. But if you’re not selling soon? Get as creative as you want! You could even stain your wood floors a bolder tint with blue or green, or give an eclectic feel by painting them in various designs.

Need Help Installing Floors in Your Home? Ask the Experts at Factory Flooring

What type of underlayment should you use? How many inches thick? How do you install it? And how do you avoid damaging your floors in the process? 

When you work with Factory Flooring, you don’t have to worry about these questions. Our team of professional flooring installers will handle all the heavy lifting for you — literally. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the savings on your energy bill. 

Need to get more flooring ideas first? Our design blog has dozens of articles to help you get started. Whenever you’re ready to tackle your insulation project, we’ll be here to help. Contact us online to get started, or call Factory Flooring at 469-583-7053