Mixing Wood Tones: How to Do It Without Looking Messy
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2 min reading time
You fall in love with a beautiful light oak coffee table. You’re about to hit "add to cart," and then you look down at your dark walnut wood floors. Panic sets in.
"Will this match? Will it look crazy?"
We are here to liberate you from the "matchy-matchy" mindset.
The era of buying an entire matching suite of furniture—where the bed, dresser, and nightstands are all identical—is over. It looks flat, impersonal, and a bit like a hotel room.
A home that feels warm, layered, and designer-level always mixes wood tones. It suggests you collected pieces you love over time, rather than buying a showroom display in one go. But there is a fine line between "curated" and "chaotic."
Here are the 3 smart rules to mix woods without making a mess.
1. The Secret is the "Undertone" (Warm vs. Cool)
This is the most important rule. Wood isn't just "brown." It has an undertone, just like makeup foundation.
• The Rule:Try to stick to woods with the same undertone.
• Warm Undertones: These look yellow, orange, or reddish. Think Oak, Pine, Cherry, or warm Walnut. These generally play nicely together.
• Cool Undertones:These look grayer or more ashy. Think bleached Ash, weathered gray woods, or very dark espresso tones.
• The Savvy Move: Mixing a warm, orange-y oak with a cool, gray-toned wood often clashes. But mixing a light warm oak with a dark warm walnut? That looks stunning.
2. Pick a "Boss" Tone (Dominance Matters)
If you have three different wood colors in equal amounts, they will fight for attention.
• The Rule: Let one tone be the star, and the others be supporting actors.
• The Savvy Move: Usually, your largest surface is the boss—that’s your wood floor or dining table. If you have dark floors, that’s your dominant tone. Add lighter woods as accents (chairs, side tables) to create contrast. Don't try to do a 50/50 split.
3. Use a "Bridge" to Connect Them
Sometimes two wood tones feel a bit disconnected. You need something to act as a mediator.
• The Rule: Use rugs, textiles, or painted furniture to break up the wood on wood.
• The Savvy Move:A rug is the best bridge. If you put a light wood table directly on a dark wood floor, it can look harsh. Put a patterned rug between them that contains both light beige and dark brown colors. The rug visually ties the two wood tones together, making the mix look intentional.
Don't be afraid to mix it up. Your home should be a collection of things you love, not a perfectly matched catalog page. Confidence is the best accessory.
Ready to add a new tone to your mix? Shop our collection of wood tables and storage.
