[interested]

I have to disagree with some of the posters here.

In the past year I've been to about 15 different housewarmings. Every time the place has nice dark floors people go "wow" and comment on how nice the floor looks. Nobody comments on the floor in the places that have light flooring. I also went with a number of people to shop for condos and most of them really liked the units with dark floors. So I have to disagree and say that in my opinion for resale dark is better. ESPECIALLY for resale where you can make sure it's clean and looks good, I completely have to agree having dark floors that it's much more maintenance, it's not just the dust but little scratches will show and even foot prints can show. On the other hand, I agree with the poster that commented that it's good to know when it's time for cleaning rather than living in a dirty place and not knwoing it. My 2 cents.

Very interesting. I too like dark floors but for investment I buy units with light floors as they wear better and don't show the dust. The dark is definitely has more wow factor. I guess the question is, will investors who constitute 30 to 50% of the market be his end target, or end users, as it sounds perhaps that these 2 will have different desires. I still think there is an issue with very small spaces and dark colours. Dark definitely works better in larger spaces than smaller ones.

 

[shelfun]

JayBee thanks for the picture! I was trying to convince pple that dark furniture on dark floor is OK! Of cos I plan to get a light color area rug to contrast & also some "fun" throw cushion to punch up the deco. If that's how you are gonna decorate your home, let me say WOW... NICE... I can't wait for my furniture to arrive cos they are all dark. Once those pieces are in, we'll go area rug shopping... exciting.

I have always been a big fan of dark floor. Infact the one I have right now is the darkest I've ever chose & I love it. I personally won't buy a unit with light flooring unless I'm renting it out. Renters may not take as much time maintaining the floor as owners so light floor makes more sense. In terms of making the unit look more "spacious" I think white walls & lighting will have more impact than floor. I've got a few friends who recently renovated their home & they have chosen to replace their original floors with dark engineered hardwood. I think it's catching on but not sure how quickly.

 

[UrbanVigor]

In terms of making the unit look more "spacious" I think white walls & lighting will have more impact than floor.

This is true. I don't think dark flooring makes a space feel smaller than light flooring. I always thought the benefit of light flooring was that it made a space feel brighter and that dark flooring makes a space feel more luxurious.

When painting walls that is when they recommend light paint in order to make the room feel spacious and either white ceilings or a shade lighter than the walls because they are viewed at from different angles and planes. But colour of the flooring won't make a place feel smaller unless it isn't continuous.

It really is all about preference. At the end of the day, it's not really so black and white as to what the right decisions to make are. It's the sum of all the parts.

 

[JayBee]

JayBee thanks for the picture! I was trying to convince pple that dark furniture on dark floor is OK! Of cos I plan to get a light color area rug to contrast & also some "fun" throw cushion to punch up the deco. If that's how you are gonna decorate your home, let me say WOW... NICE... I can't wait for my furniture to arrive cos they are all dark. Once those pieces are in, we'll go area rug shopping... exciting.

I have always been a big fan of dark floor. Infact the one I have right now is the darkest I've ever chose & I love it. I personally won't buy a unit with light flooring unless I'm renting it out. Renters may not take as much time maintaining the floor as owners so light floor makes more sense. In terms of making the unit look more "spacious" I think white walls & lighting will have more impact than floor. I've got a few friends who recently renovated their home & they have chosen to replace their original floors with dark engineered hardwood. I think it's catching on but not sure how quickly.

LOL, I like the look of dark floors and white walls personally, I only wish I could decorate like the place above. I have a lot of dark pieces I'll post pics of my "in progress" place when I get back from Montreal...maybe I can get some tips.

 

[Tuscani01]

I have dark engineered hardwood right now and you really only need to swiffer it once a week to get rid of the dust. Personally, I like being able to see the dust and know its time to clean rather than have it pile up and have allergens/bacteria start forming.

I agree. Im allergic to dust and recently moved into a condo with dark engineered hardwood floors. Its easy to see when the dust is building up, and easy to clean. (I also do a quick swiffer run) The only think I dislike is the fact that it does make the space look smaller, and also makes the place look really dark.

 

[dventura]

I agree. Im allergic to dust and recently moved into a condo with dark engineered hardwood floors. Its easy to see when the dust is building up, and easy to clean. (I also do a quick swiffer run) The only think I dislike is the fact that it does make the space look smaller, and also makes the place look really dark.

Hmmmm. It doesn't seem to make my place look small or dark at all. But maybe that's because it's complete open concept 13x30 foot living space floor to ceiling glass all the way around with wrap around balcony and south east facing.

 

[BlueCat]

I live in a small condo (540 sq ft) and have dark hardwood floors that I had installed a year after I moved in. The carpet I had before was a cream berber. I absolutely LOVE the dark wood floor and it doesn't make my place seem smaller at all. I do, however, have floor to ceiling windows in both the living room and bedroom so it's not dark at all. Just keep the walls light and you should be fine.

Here is a picture of part of my living room taken last summer.

 

[UrbanVigor]

Very nice, Blue Cat.

There are different tones to choose from so I think it's very easy to have the flooring that you want.

 

[aiekon]

JayBee thanks for the picture! I was trying to convince pple that dark furniture on dark floor is OK! Of cos I plan to get a light color area rug to contrast & also some "fun" throw cushion to punch up the deco. If that's how you are gonna decorate your home, let me say WOW... NICE... I can't wait for my furniture to arrive cos they are all dark. Once those pieces are in, we'll go area rug shopping... exciting.

I'm a fan of dark furniture on dark flooring as well. Almost all the furniture in my unit are dark.. the bed frame, media unit, desk unit, etc. are all the same shade as the kitchen cabinets. I also repainted the walls. I know most people will say to use white walls with dark floors, but I chose to go with shades of taupe throughout and pewter in the bedroom. I also have brownish/grey honeycomb shades in the living area and white honeycomb shades in the bedroom. As mentioned in previous posts, the key with working with dark colors is to accessorize with lighter tones or bright punchy colors. I've attached a few photos below of my unit.. I just moved in a few months ago so there's still a lot of work to be done!

 

[shelfun]

aiekon, your unit looks amazing! Even the kitty looks good. He/She will totally blend in with the wall color in your bedroom. Nicely done.

The color of your floor looks quite similar to ours, we have the same idea on the dar funiture as well.

 

[UrbanVigor]

Well done, aiekon, even your cat goes with your decor! (EDIT: Ha, I was typing this at the same time as shelfun!)

There's no rule that light furniture needs to go with dark floors and you've proven that. In fact, often dark furniture with dark flooring with a lighter area rug makes it all pop. You could probably add an area rug that is similar in colour to your walls, but with a bit of lines or design of some kind to add that zing. Very nice.

I really like your sofa. It looks very similar to what I have in mind. May I ask where you bought it, the model, price, and if it comes in a sleeper?

 

[aiekon]

You could probably add an area rug that is similar in colour to your walls, but with a bit of lines or design of some kind to add that zing.

Yes, I've been searching high and low for the perfect rug, lol. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!

As for the couch, I'll PM you later this afternoon!

Anyway, thanks UrbanVigor and Shelfun for the nice comments There's still quite a bit left to do but it's getting there! (hence why I haven't shown photos of the rest of the unit)

 

[shelfun]

UrbanVigor... great minds think alike, what can I say...

Funny you should ask about the couch. We see one very similar with sleeper in West Elm @ Liberty Village. U should check out the website just to get an idea for pricing & measurements (www.westelm.com)

Your area rug suggestion was perfect cos that is what we had in mind for our unit. We order a dark colored loveseat so now we just need the area rug to make it really stand out. We are considering this one... http://www.westelm.com/products/r776/?pkey=crugs-flooring cos our walls, although white but it has a greyish blue "tint" in it.

I think we should start a new thread for "furnishing home with dark floor" ... just saying...

Edit...
Aiekon you are way ahead of me. We ordered the couch & it'll only arrive in 8 weeks! We are gonna shop for coffee/side table & media stand, also some floor lamps! I'm sooo "stressed" with all this deco "issues". Always looking for the perfect piece & ending up with nothing cos nothing seem to be quite perfect enough... argh...

 

[BlueCat]

Ahhhhhhhhh I didn't know we had a West Elm in Toronto! I like Pottery Barn but some of their stuff is a bit traditional and large for a condo and West Elm is more modern. Thanks for posting the link shelfun.

 

[BlueCat]

Wow aiekon you place looks amazing! Makes my place look too cluttered in the photo I posted. In person it doesn't look that busy but I have stuffed quite a bit of furniture into a small space