Choosing a Light Wood Floor

Choosing a Light Wood Floor

by Lisa King in News

The wide range of wood floor tones available today offers incredible versatility for home design. Thanks to modern surface treatments, and coloured oil finishes, homeowners now have access to an array of beautiful white, and light-toned wood flooring options.

Light or white wood floors can instantly bring a fresh, contemporary feel to a space, perfect for complementing modern or minimalist interiors. However, they also pair wonderfully with more traditional styles and layered colour schemes, adding brightness and depth into a room.

We’re often asked whether a lighter-toned wood floor is a good choice for home design. Below, we’ll explore some of the reasons why choosing a light wood floor can be a stylish and practical way to enhance your space.

Will a light wood floor make my room feel bigger?

One of the main benefits of choosing lighter flooring is its ability to create a sense of openness and brightness within a room. When natural sunlight pours in, or even under artificial lighting, light wood floors can appear almost illuminated. This reflective quality helps amplify light, creating an airy, calm, and spacious atmosphere.

Below, our Misty Grey Herringbone flooring beautifully illuminates modern bedroom design. The way the light interacts with its soft muted and rustic surface creates a lovely ambience in the space. The longer, narrower proportions of our Tundra blocks further enhance the room’s sense of space and tranquillity.

light misty grey herringbone floors in bedroom design

Are light wood floors good for Scandi-inspired interior design?

Scandi design is all about simplicity, light, functionality, and a connection to nature. Through the use of natural materials and textures, Scandinavian spaces are designed to feel light and airy, ready to maximise brightness, especially during their longer, dark seasons.

A lighter style of floor plays a key role is that ethos, so if you are looking to bring some of the beautiful principles of Scandinavian design into your home, definitely consider a flooring choice that leans towards whitewashed, muted, or naturally toned finishes.

Aptly named, our Fjordic Shore finish from our Driftwood Collection is treated to create a beautifully raw and understated oak surface. In this new-build apartment in Epsom, the flooring completes the simple, Scandi-inspired design perfectly.

light scandi style wood flooring in an apartment

What colours go with light wood floors?

One of the many advantages of choosing a light oak floor is its incredible versatility. The colour combinations you can create are almost endless. In truth, there are very few shades that don’t complement light wood tones.

If you want to keep things crisp, clean, and simple, light oak is the perfect foundation. Below, the raw, natural aesthetic of our Shore Drift Oak Herringbone introduces gentle warmth and texture into this minimalist living room design. The pairing of simple white-painted walls and soft blue furnishings keeps the look contemporary and inviting, for a space that feels both fresh and welcoming.

shore drift oak in a white living room with blue sofas

At the other end of the spectrum, darker colours can create stunning contrasts against pale wood floors. The whitewashed tones of our Seashell Chevron flooring below, sit beautifully alongside the darker greens and blues that feature in this living room, resulting in a bold yet balanced design that feels both sophisticated and full of character.

light chevron wood floor in dark coloured living room

Will light wood floors show more dirt?

Whether you have a dark, natural, or white wood floor, all will encounter the same amount of everyday dust and dirt that naturally accumulates in the home. And, regardless of tone, all of our wood floors are finished with high-quality oiled or lacquered treatments, that not only enhance their appearance, but also provide essential protection and durability against everyday wear and dirt.

It’s true that lighter floors can make marks like muddy paw prints, or footprints, a little more noticeable. However, maintaining them is simply a matter of following a regular and gentle cleaning routine, just as you would with any wood floor colour.

Below, our Tundra Seashell Herringbone flooring is being thoroughly enjoyed by a very happy cat, regardless of any muddy paw prints, safe in the knowledge that a quick sweep, vacuum, or light mop will easily take care of any dirt.

cat walking on light oak seashell herringbone

For mopping, our Wood’s Good Spray Mop, paired with our Rubio All Natural Cleaner, is a highly recommended choice. It’s specially designed for all hardwood floors, caring for their natural surface, whilst keeping them clean. Suitable for both oiled and lacquered surfaces, it’s a simple and safe solution for everyday wood floor upkeep.

woods good spray mop cleaning kit with all natural spray

Can I have a light wood floor in my kitchen?

Yes, absolutely! With the right surface protection and regular care, a light wood floor can look stunning in a kitchen. Our durable oiled or lacquered finishes, provide the protective layer that helps guard against everyday spills and wear. 

So, with basic maintenance, any tone of wood, even the palest shades, work in this busy part of the home.

Below, our Powdered White Oak engineered wood floors bring a soft and contemporary warmth to the beautiful pink kitchen of Millie Mackintosh, showcasing that light wood floors and kitchen design go hand in hand.

pink kitchen design with powered white oak wood flooring

Is plank or parquet best for a lighter toned wood floor?

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing between plank and parquet flooring for a light wood finish, it really just depends on the style and atmosphere you want to create.

Light plank floors, especially when extra-wide or long, can make a room feel more spacious by creating a seamless, modern look. For example, our Driftwood Lichen White Oak planks below, which feature generous dimensions and soft white tones.

lichen white oak wooden floors in modern living room

On the other hand, light parquet styles like herringbone offer texture and pattern while maintaining a contemporary feel. Our Tundra Misty Grey herringbone creates a natural and elegant flow in this open-plan kitchen.

open plan kitchen with the light oak tones of misty grey

Are there other light floor designs in the V4 Collections?

Yes, our paler floors aren’t just found in our engineered oak collections.

Delve into our Cork flooring collection, and you will find several options including this light and airy Muscat design.

a light cork floor in a bathroom design

Or our SPC Click Vinyl collection includes the light, soft sandy tones of Quarry Sands Oak.

Ready to choose your light V4 Floor?

If you’re feeling inspired to bring light wood tones into your home, take the next step.

Explore all of our lighter floor styles
Order free samples of your favourites
Find a V4-approved retailer near you where you can view our floors in larger formats
Try our Room Visualiser and see how different styles will look in your space

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Herringbone floors have seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years, rivalling traditional plank styles in many modern homes. Rooted in 16th-century design, herringbone parquet has stood the test of time, remaining a firm favourite in contemporary interiors, offering timeless elegance with a modern feel. One question we often get asked, especially from those considering herringbone flooring for the first time, is “Will it suit my room?” It’s a fair question, with concerns ranging from whether it might make a room feel smaller, to whether it’s suitable for kitchens or high-traffic areas. We think there is hardly a room in the home that doesn’t suit herringbone flooring. And here are some of the reasons why. Is herringbone suitable for a small room? For small spaces you might think that the detailed pattern of herringbone may make a space feel even smaller, but the opposite is often true. 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