Wooden floors are some of the most beautiful sites to look down to. You may choose to have them as natural as they come or stained.
Stains are not equal. Choosing the best stain for your floor depends on several considerations. These include your taste, sense of style, and budget. There’s a floor stain color out just right for your floor.
If you are looking for inspiration, here are the eleven best floor stain colors for your home:
1. Ebony Stains
This is one of the best floor stain colors available in the market and can complement hardwood floors perfectly. Usually, it leaves grain lines on the wood with a light shade of black while the rest of the wood is almost totally black.
If you want this colour to have a different shade, that is, appear darker, either leave the stain on for a while longer before wiping it off, or apply two layers of the stain. For best results, apply the stains to raw or unfinished wood to allow for their proper absorption.
2. Jacobean Stains
For most homeowners, Jacobean is one of the most popular floor stain colors. Its appearance is a bit lighter than the ebony and coffee brown stains; hence, if you don’t want your floors looking too dark, go for the Jacobean stain instead of ebony. Or go for the latest trend where people are using Jacobean and ebony stains on a ratio of 50:50. This combo between two great stains results in a unique and classy looking floor.
3. True Black Stains
Over the years, the demand for darker floors has grown tremendously. Responding to this demand, flooring companies have come up with a new floor stain color called true black. If you want your floors extremely dark, this is the stain you should go for. It’s the darkest available in the market. The black colours contrast well with most walls, making the floor pop.
4. Aniline Dye Stains
This is yet another floor stain color if you want to feature darker floor stains. The stains give your floors a dramatic upscale look. However, unlike the other stains that don’t necessarily require professional assistance, the aniline dye is pretty tricky to apply. You will need to hire an expert to do it.
One major drawback of using the aniline dye to stain your floors is that since it’s a dye, it’s bound to fade over time due to exposure to UV rays, which leaves your floors looking uneven and faded. However, to avoid this, go over the dye with an ordinary floor stain.
5. Dark Walnut Stains
This is one of the lighter floor stain colors available in the market. If you don’t want your floors looking either too dark or too light, the dark walnut stain is your best option. A significant advantage of the dark walnut stain that cannot go unmentioned is that it’s able to conceal dirt a lot better than other dark stains, meaning you can easily get away with not cleaning your house or room every day.
6. Golden Oak Stains
This is the most universal and timeless stain for oak floors. The end product, while using golden oak stains, vary depending on the type of oak your floors feature. In the case of red oak, expect a natural variation in colour compared to the white oak.
One primary consideration when staining an oak floor is that the floors have a lot of grain definition, and hence if you wish to conceal the grains, you will first need to seal the floors. If you like, you can go for zebra-striped floors.
7. Provincial Stains
This is a traditional medium-toned brown stain that’s ideal for almost every home. Brown is a warm colour that gives your home a welcoming vibe. Since this is one of the floor stain colors that do not include red, it goes well with nearly everything. While you can use a provincial stain on almost any home, it’s mostly ideal for traditional homes.
8. Dark Charcoal Stains
Dark charcoal stains are great floor stain colors for keeping your floor looking rich. You can have one custom-made using a blend of three Minwax stains until you get the exact shade you want without orange or red hues seeping through. For instance, you can whip up a combo of dark walnut and ebony and a dash of country white stains to come up with a unique charcoal floor stain.
9. Coffee and Brownish Stains
To pull off a chic, refined look, go for roasted or mid-brown stains. These floor stain colors are highly versatile and can complete a variety of looks. If you redecorate constantly, these stains are perfect. To get a more relaxed ambience, pair your floor with some grays and blues.
10. Honey and Red Stains
To add subtle depth to your hardwood floor and enhance the grain, use red, orangey and brown tones. These make the room feel welcoming and warm. They can also be easily paired with modern or classic furnishings, especially on walls.
11. Beige and Gray Stains
Gray is arguably more neutral, in an exciting way than the brownish stain. It can be paired easily with contemporary décor to give your rooms a modern, trendy look. To pick the perfect tone, you will have to go through a wide variety of choices. However, for a natural feel and fresh ambiance, go with warmer taupe grays and cooler blue-grays.