Considering Dark Timber Flooring? The Best Dark Flooring Options

Elegant, classy, trendy – here at FloorVenue, we love dark timber floors. With hues that span from a rich brown to a neutral grey, they’re a great choice for your home or office.

So why would you choose a dark timber floor? The most common reason is their aesthetic appeal. Dark timber floors are versatile – not only will most of your furniture work well with them, but a dark floor also gives you an atmosphere that makes it easy to switch between a formal and casual look in your space. Dark timber floors also look great because they’re not just solid colours, but also exhibit the natural grain and features that make timber a traditional favourite.

A question we’ve frequently been asked is whether dark timber floors are natural. For the most part, yes they are – from the warm earthy tones of jarrah (an Aussie timber) to the grey-black mysterious look of ebony, these colours naturally occur in various species of wood. That being said, many dark timber floors in the market have either been stained (“painted” onto solid timber, engineered timber, and bamboo floors), or made synthetically (“printed” onto the floorboards of laminate and hybrid floors).

Not sure whether dark flooring’s right for you? Fortunately, we have a floor colour and design guide that can help you make the right decision! Here’s a taste of how diverse the dark timber floors stocked at FloorVenue are:

Spotted Gum  (Solid timber range)	Ebony (Prestige Oak 15/4mm engineered timber range)	Sandalwood (Marvel SPC hybrid flooring range)
Price: $95 /sqm	Price: $80 /sqm	Price: $35 /sqm

What colour furniture looks best on dark wood floors?

There aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to designing your interior around a dark wood floor, although it’s important to look at your room as one cohesive space. This means looking at your floor, walls, skirting boards, and other features all at the same time.

Having contrast between your furniture and floor is always a good idea – some suggest choosing wood decor that has the same warmth as your floor, but has lighter tones. For example, floors with warmer tones (such as the sunset-like hues of jarrah or teak) would look great with light-toned furniture made of species like beech or blackbutt.

On the other hand, matching the colour of your furniture to your floors is a design choice that also exudes elegance. If you’re looking to go this route, having walls with a lighter colour is highly recommended – your interior might look and feel dark and heavy otherwise, especially if it doesn’t get any natural light.

Should I get dark or light wood floors?

There are a few questions you should think about before making a choice between dark and light floors:

How big is your room?

Darker-coloured floors tend to make your room look smaller to the eye. While this can make a smaller room look cramped, they’re better for achieving a cosy and personal atmosphere.

Meanwhile, light wood floors (e.g. blackbutt) can make an interior feel spacious and airy. So if you’re looking to brighten up your home or office, this may be the way to go.

How much natural light does your room get?

Another consideration is how much natural light your room gets. Dark timber floors are ideal if your space gets a lot of light, as lighter-coloured floors tend to reflect the light and fade more as a result. Sunlight can also bring out the natural beauty of your dark timber floors, as it can turn their rich brown colour into a lustrous bronze-like finish.

What kind of style are you aiming to achieve?

Try and consider a vision for what you want your room to look like – perhaps you would want the muted neutrality of a charcoal floor? Or perhaps a rustic and cosy space that invites relaxation? Dark timber floors fit particularly well for these scenarios, but it’s important to try and visualise how your floor will fit with the rest of your interior design.

What causes wood floors to turn black or dark?

Wood floors can turn black through mechanisms like staining or discolouration. For example, the process of ebonising occurs when the natural tannins in wood react chemically with an iron compound (like iron oxide or ferric acetate), causing your floor to darken.

If your timber floor is turning black by itself, it could be an indicator of a more serious problem like black mould. This can occur when your floor is warm and moist – perfect conditions for fungi to grow. Luckily, black mould is easily treatable – after any sources of moisture have been removed, you can kill the mould with a bleach solution or hardwood floor cleaner. If the mould has penetrated the top surface into the wood, you can get rid of any discolouration by staining and refinishing the floor.

How much does it cost to darken (stain) wood floors?

Getting the beauty of a dark timber floor in your home generally involves resurfacing your existing wood floor and applying a new stain and finish.

In Australia (as of 2020), professional sanding and polishing can range in cost between $30 and $40 per square metre. Staining costs are around $20/sqm. So the total costs to turn a light timber floor to dark can range in cost between $50 and $60 per square metre.

Popular dark timber flooring options?

You can find dark timber flooring in a wide array of flooring types, including all of those that FloorVenue stocks. Here’s some of our favourites below:

Dark Solid Timber Flooring Options

There are some great solid wood flooring options that incorporate a dark look, and spotted gum and jarrah are some of our home-grown favourites. Don’t forget that you can also stain a floor to a darker shade, which is particularly handy if you like the grain patterns and natural features of a particular species.

Spotted gum	Jarrah

Like the natural look of solid timber floors? Check out the rest of the range here!

Dark Engineered Timber Flooring Options

Engineered timber floors use a thinner layer of real wood compared to solid timber, but come with added water resistance and stability in changing climatic conditions.

Engineered timber also comes prefinished in a diverse array of shades. Check out some of the stained oak designs in the Prestige Oak 15/4mm range below. (These designs and more are stocked by FloorVenue, of course!)

Heritage Grey	Grey Wash	Espresso	Ebony

Check out your dark engineered timber flooring options here.

Dark Laminate Flooring Options

As laminate floors use a synthetic construction with printed designs, they’re not only affordable and highly durable, but have unparalleled latitude when it comes to dark timber-like floors.

In particular, the Luxflor 12mm Hugo Oak range has some great dark timber-like flooring options. Check out the stunning elegance of ebony, which is a look that would be nearly impossible to get in real timber form!

Smoke	Champagne	Grey	Ebony

Check out our dark laminate flooring options here.

Dark Hybrid Flooring Options

Hybrid floors are very similar to laminate floors, but they incorporate a PVC-infused core that makes them 100% waterproof and highly resistant to wear.

Here’s a few from the Marvel SPC hybrid range – did we mention that these are also stocked at FloorVenue? (If you’re interested, we offer free consultations too!)

Spotted Gum	Sandalwood	Brown Land	Malay Grey

Check out your dark hybrid flooring options here at FloorVenue!

Dark Bamboo Flooring & Tile Options

Bamboo floors are made of bamboo grass that’s been woven or bonded together to create affordable, scratch-resistant and eco-friendly floor boards.

The Greena 14mm bamboo range is an excellent example of the versatility of bamboo. These floors come with a patented click-lock installation system for easy installation, as well as a GBCA Green Star Emissions Rating for low greenhouse gas emissions during construction.

Light walnut	Jarrah	Brown Sugar	Dark Walnut	Charcoal

Check out your dark bamboo flooring options here!

Meanwhile, if you’re looking to get the unparalleled sturdiness and premium feel of tile, FloorVenue has you covered! While timber-looking tiles do exist, they’re few and far between, so here are a few darker palettes that we’re sure you’ll love. Tile is particularly great for the high-moisture environments of the kitchen and bathroom, and can withstand a lot of abuse.

Urbanstone charcoal	Modena brown	Modena charcoal

Want tile? Check out your options here.