10 Paint Colors That Pair Beautifully with Yellow Wood Floors

Jessica Bennett

Tue, June 7, 2016 at 2:47 PM UTC

5 min read

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These expert tips will help you choose a wall color that complements your flooring.

Choosing paint colors for your home can be an exercise in patience—or frustration. Unless you have formal design training, colors can be hard to figure out, especially if some of your fixed surfaces have a definite color cast. Take wood floors: When stained, many of them lean yellow or orange. To find the perfect paint colors that flatter yellow wood tones, we turned to the experts. "Whether you have wood on the trim or on the entire floor, the wall color can help you accent or tone down the yellow undertones," says Hannah Yeo, color marketing and development manager at Benjamin Moore. These paint picks from the pros pair beautifully with wood floors.

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008

Painting walls with a light neutral paint color, like white, lightens and brightens a room while letting the wood floor take center stage. "If you're looking for a neutral backdrop, opt for a warm white that has similar undertones as the floors," says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. She suggests Alabaster for a creamy white shade that picks up the warmth of flooring with yellow undertones.

Dutch Boy Mapped Blue 429-5DB

To tone down the warmth of wood flooring, choose a blue wall color that acts as a neutral and won't overwhelm the space. Ashley Banbury, senior color designer for Dutch Boy Paint, suggests Mapped Blue, a sophisticated shade that offers muted color in an otherwise neutral scheme. It has a slight yellow undertone, making it a perfect match with yellow wood floors.

Related: How to Paint Walls Like a Pro

Benjamin Moore Alexandria Beige HC-77

Instead of trying to fight yellow undertones, embrace them. "Colors that share a similar undertone as the wood can create a monochromatic color scheme," Yeo says. Alexandria Beige is a soft, timeless hue that can bring out the buttery yellow tones of light wood flooring. The result is a soothing neutral color scheme that's perfect for bedrooms and other cozy spaces.

<p>©amorfo - Martin Reftel and Jessica Reftel Evans</p> — ?amorfo - Martin Reftel and Jessica Reftel Evans

PPG Witchcraft PPG1037-7

Designer Lauren Li of Sis?ll? chose a dramatic inky black (similar to PPG Witchcraft) for the accent wall in this living room, above. Not only does it showcase the converted barn’s architecture, it also creates a striking contrast to the warm wood floors.

Sherwin-Williams Charcoal Blue SW 2739

Pay special attention to a color's temperature (warm or cool) when choosing a shade. To punch up the contrast, try painting walls (or a small accent area) in a cooler hue to help balance the space, Wadden suggests. Sherwin-Williams' Charcoal Blue has gray undertones that can cool off yellow undertones in surfaces like oak floors.

Benjamin Moore Lighthouse Landing 1044

Consider how the wall color and wood tones will flow into each other to create a cohesive overall look. "Neutrals with yellow undertones, such as Lighthouse Landing, are a great way to create a subtle transition from wall to wood," Yeo says. A sandy hue like this brings out the undertones in wood floors, maximizing the light, cozy feel in this dining room, above.

Sherwin-Williams Misty SW 6232

Neutral paint often has undertones that give it a color cast, which can work in your favor when trying to pair with yellow-toned wood floors. To temper the ochre tones of your flooring, try a gray paint color with a blue-leaning tint. One of Wadden's top picks is Sherwin-Williams' Misty, which she calls "an icy cross between blue and gray."

Glidden Red Geranium 19YR 14/629

To make quick work of choosing hues, look to the color wheel for inspiration. One color wheel rule to remember is at play in this space: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, which are called analogous, pair well together. Use a fiery red, like Glidden's Red Geranium, to complement the orange-tinted wood floor.

Pittsburgh Paints Victory Blue

Paint colors for oak floors can be especially tricky. But an easy-to-use color wheel rule comes into play in this dramatic room. Complementary colors are those located directly across from each other on the color wheel. Here, that's demonstrated by a rich midnight blue, like PPG's Victory Blue, on the walls and a yellow-orange tone on the wood floor. Dark wall colors can also add instant intimacy to an otherwise formal space.

Benajmin Moore Boothbay Gray HC-165

Photographer Keyanna Bowen also picked up yellow's color wheel opposite—blue—when she painted the walls of her Maryland dining room Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray. It’s described as “a fresh, steely gray with hints of blue” making it that ideal in-between tone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are popular types of yellow wood floors?

Yellow pine, white oak, hickory and natural maple are the most common types of wood floors that have yellow undertones. Their light, warm hue can often make a room feel cozy and inviting.

Why do some hardwood floors turn yellow?

As opposed to water-based finishes, oil-based polyurethane finishes can cause some wood floors to yellow over time. This is because they are sensitive to uv-radiation, humidity and temperature. Exposure to direct sunlight can also cause some wood floors, like oak, to develop a yellow patina as they age.

How can I update yellow wood floors?

There is beauty in yellow wood floors but if you want to change the color, you can strip them and then re-stain them to a lighter or darker hue or white wash them to tone down the yellow. Note that this is a labor-intensive process however.

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