What Color Walls Go With Dark Colored Wood? (Find Out Now!)

Ossiana Tepfenhart
by Ossiana Tepfenhart

There’s something to be said about dark-colored wood. It’s a gorgeous way to add a stylish twist to your home. Darker woods are stately, striking, and also give a home a look of being pricier than it really is. While dark woods never go out of style, it can be pretty difficult to find a wall color that works well with dark-colored wood. Let’s take a look at your best options, shall we?

Dark wood colors tend to work well with tones that are just as rich, such as turquoise, emerald green, terra cotta, yellow, and deep blue. If you have a smaller room, light colors that can help act as a contrast are wise. That’s why grey, beige, white, and brown are smart choices, too.

If you like to work with darker wood stains like teak, cherry, and ebony, it can be pretty tough to find the right wall color. After all, it’s so easy to clash colors! We decided to look into the best wall colors for darker wood stains for you.

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Is Dark Wood Furniture Outdated?

It’s not a secret that most interior design magazines focus on the beauty that comes with furniture that has a light wood stain. However, don’t take the trend as a sign that dark wood furniture is dated. Dark wooden furniture is a timeless pick that offers the ambiance of old-world glamour and sophistication.

There’s no declaration saying that dark wood is no longer welcome, nor will there ever be. It’s been a staple of interior design and home decor for way too long to ever be fully panned.

The Best Wall Colors For Furniture Made With Dark Wood Stains

Darker wood stains are timeless, sure. However, they’re also finicky stains that can easily throw off the vibe of an entire room. We’re going to take a look at some of the more popular (read: safer) combinations you can do with dark wood stains.

Turquoise

Rich furniture colors deserve to have a rich wall color to match their ambiance, and what’s more decadent than the beautiful deep blue-green of turquoise? The blue in this color works well with dark woods that have a heavy red undertone. So, if you have lots of cherry wood or super-rosy teak, then the contrast that turquoise offers is going to be a must-see.

If you want to have a maximalist room, then turquoise is a good option. The same can be said about homes with a baroque or rococo bent. Of course, most people choose turquoise for Southwestern and oceanic homes, too. This is a good color if you want to work with a high contrast look, or if you have a desire to keep things a little softer.

Emerald Green

Dark brown wood stains carry a mood that’s similar to the darkness of an enchanted forest. It’s no surprise, then, that green is one of the best wall colors for a room that is decked out in darker furniture. This is particularly true if you want to have cherry wood or a darker oak wash, since the blue contrast can make your wood “pop” more.

This color combination is remarkably good for people who want to channel their inner nature god (or goddess) in their home. This look works well with golden wood washes as well, though it gives you a slightly retro look.

Terra Cotta

Named after the clay by the same name, terra cotta is a deep salmon pink that is reminiscent of the clay homes found in the Southwest. This is a color that’s long been used in both Spanish and Southwestern decor. More often than not, it’s paired with dark maples and other similarly dark woods.

It’s easy to see why. The rosiness in the wood is strong enough to hold up against the dramatic look of dark furniture. It also happens to give your room an exotic twist that will grant you tons of compliments.

Grey

Ooh, here we go again. Grey is the neutral color on the tip of every designer’s tongue. We all know that grey has a way of working with everything. It’s also a good choice for adding contrast to a room. Here, we see a kitchen with ebony-like wood cabinetry that’s outfitted with grey walls. The light grey offers a contrast that isn’t as harsh as white may be.

Grey is the kind of wall color that you embrace when you genuinely want to see some sophistication in your home. It’s trendy, masculine, and at the same time, neat.

Yellow

At first glance, you might not expect yellow to work well with darker wood furniture. To a point, it can be a bad pairing…unless the woods in question happen to be the type to have a cool undertone. Violet-based woods do exist. The most popular dark wood that works well with yellow is ebony, which appears almost jet black.

The contrast can be pretty dramatic. Once in a while, you might want to balance this look with something a little lighter. This designer has primarily black furniture with one white bench to create a more even appearance.

Deep Blue

Turquoise has a striking look, but sometimes you don’t want to have a green tint to your room. Deep blue is a good alternative and provides the same contrast to reddish wood stains. It also happens to have a luxurious veneer, which is why people often call different shades of blue “royal blue.”

Of course, you don’t have to stick to royal blue to get that plush look for your furniture. You will get great results with almost any type of dark blue. I mean, don’t you like the setup that you see in the photo above? Blue’s a rich color, and rich woods complement it perfectly. To add extra oomph to your design, make sure to focus on touchable fabrics like woven throws or soft leather.

White

Are you looking for a way to brighten up your room and get a slick contrast to your dark furniture? If so, then you might be better served by going with white walls. White is the ultimate color for matching anything to anything. It’s a blank canvas, and with the right lighting, can act as a great foil for your dark furniture.

White and deep brown furniture is a classic look in many parts of the world. Tudor, Spanish, Asian, and Eastern European homes are filled to the brim with this color combination. Traditional as it may be, it’s still a relatively exotic way to work a room. Of course, it can also work as a way to channel your inner country fan. That’s what the designer in this photo did.

Brown

Believe it or not, brown on brown looks pretty darn amazing. It’s one of the best color combinations for people who want to have a seamless monochromatic look. Brown is warm, yet at the same time, not overly sunny. It’s understated and modern, but can also bring out the retro look in a pinch. What’s not to love?

If you go for a brown-on-brown look, then you should be aware of one thing. Deep browns tend to make a room look a lot more cramped than it really is. This means that you should try to use this as a wall color on rooms that are notably spacious. If you’re really dead-set on it, you can also give your home a little brightening by choosing a light-colored floor. That’s what this designer did, and it works.

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Related Questions

What types of wood are considered to be dark?

There are tons of different woods that could be considered to be dark. The most well-known ones include ebony, mahogany, African Blackwood, and black walnut. However, there are others that fit into the dark wood category. Teak as well as the members of the rosewood family also fit under the umbrella.You do not have to have natural dark woods to fit in this category, at least not for decorative purposes. Sometimes, pine that has a dark wood stain is qualified enough.


Is dark wood furniture coming back in style?

This is a bit of a misnomer. Dark wood never really left the interior design world’s favor, so it can’t really come back into style. It’s always been there at one level or another. The only thing that’s really different now is that dark wood furniture is becoming trendier. So, it’s definitely becoming slightly more publicized than it once was.


What is the most expensive type of wood in the world?

Due to its rarity and the logistics that come with trying to get it cut, African Blackwood is one of the most expensive woods in the world. It’s not unusual to hear of this wood costing upwards of $25,000 per tree. Shipments of this wood are so highly coveted, they actually have to be tracked and given extra security. It is the most desired wood in the world, though it is considered to be somewhat at risk of endangerment.

Ossiana Tepfenhart
Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is an expert writer, focusing on interior design and general home tips. Writing is her life, and it's what she does best. Her interests include art and real estate investments.

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