Redecorating your home is a fun process. After all, who doesn’t enjoy picking out new decor items and adding new aesthetics into your living space? Whether you select something from Pantone’s color of the year palette, or move forward with a neutral tone, there’s something about new decor that can inspire you in the weeks and months ahead.

As much fun as it is to start with a clean slate, that can also be intimidating. Where do you start? How do you begin? Walk into any paint department and you’ll find unlimited color potential. Combine that with flooring choices and the possibilities are limitless.

Sometimes it feels as if the best place to begin is not to start at all.

Yet you’re here and looking for advice on how to move forward. We’re glad to help.

Because once you get a few things down, you’ll have a much easier time finalizing your decisions.

Matching vs coordinating – which do you choose?

Before we move forward, it’s important to understand the two concepts of matching and coordinating. These are the foundation of good decor.

Matching means identical. It means the two items are from the same set. They belong together. In the case of making your walls match your flooring, it would mean they are identical in color. In your kitchen, you might use oak wood for the flooring, the cabinetry, and even for the woodwork. When you look across your kitchen it would all blend together.

Coordinating, however, is a bit different. Coordinating doesn’t mean a perfect match, but they go well together anyway. They may be different shades, hues, or even textures, but when you put them together, they complement one another.

There is an entire industry built around coordinating. Colors, textures, patterns and more can all be artfully chosen to create a unique space. We’re going to stay a bit simpler for this article, but know you can take this as far out as you desire. (And it really is quite fascinating when you dive deep.)

Now that you know the difference between matching and coordinating, you might already be adjusting your plans. To make your floors match your walls, you can carry tile or wood from one section to the next, or you can focus on harmonizing the two to create a cohesive look. Coordinating will give you more freedom in exploring colors, textures, and designs, all the while creating a look that works together beautifully.

Now let’s start with the floors

Now that you have a better idea of the decor terms of matching and coordinating, let’s explore design elements a bit further.

How would you describe your home? Country? Modern? Spanish hacienda? Minimalist?

See how each of those terms brought a different thought to mind?

A home decor built around a country vibe would bring to mind wood and a lot of homey features. Colors will be softer. Vintage fabrics may be used. It’s like picturing a rustic farmhouse your grandmother may have kept.

Spanish hacienda, on the other hand, invokes an entirely different decor. Tile comes to mind. A specific color palette of whites and reds. Lots of plants, plenty of pottery, and a combination of wood and iron.

While curb appeal may set the stage for what lies inside, it’s the flooring that dictates what the look will be throughout the home. Imagine seeing the traditional Spanish hacienda look on the outside, only to walk into a modern structure on the inside. The two looks wouldn’t blend. And frankly, it would probably be difficult to truly love your home because you aren’t sticking with a plan. It’s confusing, and it shows.

Start with the overall feel. What is your home telling you? What’s the right style based on the overall design? That’s your best place to start. It lays the groundwork for your room.

Wall color for wood floors

Here in Colorado, we love our wood floors. While you might choose tile in the bathrooms or carpet in the bedrooms, we’re willing to bet you’ve selected hardwood for many other areas throughout your home. Why? Because it’s timeless and beautiful.

And if you’re redecorating based on your hardwood flooring, it might be difficult to decide what to do. Can you just slap up any paint color and have it go well with any hardwood finish? There is a way to have it flow naturally.

If your hardwood floors have a lighter hue, they will inherently make the room feel a bit larger. To continue with that trend, it’s important to keep your walls as light and bright as you can. Pure white is often too white for homeowners. Luckily, there are many different options to tone it down. Select an undertone in gray or brown. Use a shade of white that further compliments the look you’re trying to achieve. Pick up a few paint charts and start playing with color. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you gravitate towards a specific look.

If your hardwood floors have a darker hue, it’s usually to make a room feel cozier. Think log cabin. Think rustic ski lodge. That’s a perfect look here in Colorado. Dark floors stand up well to bold, beautiful colors. If you want to make a statement, start the aesthetics off with a dark hardwood floor. Just be sure you stick with a similar tone when making your final selection. Dark hardwoods come with many different shades – they can have undertones of blue, red, tan, or yellow. Pick up on this color trend when selecting your wall color shade. It will set the direction for your decor.

Of course, all of this is just the beginning of what you can do to add color elements into your design. How about the ceiling? Or chair rails? Embellishments? Or molding?

And you don’t have to paint the entire room in one color. How about using different colors to make different sections pop? We love big, bold signature walls complemented by a shade of white throughout the rest of the room. It gives your eye someplace to go. It creates a harmonious look and feel.