Gathering Around the Fire on Hardwood Floors

Rod Lorenz

Fireplaces are an ideal complement to hardwood floors.Winter’s here with a blast, and the cold winds and snow are blowing. Time to put your fireplace to work!

It’s difficult to think of anything more cozy and homey than gathering around the fireplace on a frigid night. Whether wood-burning or gas, fireplaces give most people a snug, contented feeling.

Hardwood floors fit perfectly into that picture. They have a natural “warmth” that complements the warmth coming from the fireplace.

So if you’re in the process of designing a new custom home, how do you select a fireplace and hardwood flooring that blend well? Or if you’re refinishing, how do you select a hardwood floor style that harmonizes with your existing fireplace?

There is no definitive answer. Like all hardwood floor choices, it entirely depends on what you want. You can match the style of the fireplace to that of the hardwood flooring, or you can have the fireplace and the flooring “contrast” stylistically to help create an eclectic interior design.

If you’re going for a match, you’ll want the colors of the fireplace to be a similar shade as the flooring. For example, if you have a fireplace in a den that you want to have a dark ambience, it would make sense to have both a dark-colored fireplace and dark-colored flooring.

Similarly, if you’re going for a Rustic Cabin feel in your home, a great choice to create that feel would be to combine a rustic-looking fireplace with flooring that has been made to have an aged appearance. The same is true for formal or contemporary looks—a fireplace can be a key element in creating the room-wide feel you’re after.

But “rules” can be broken, and for people who don’t want a uniform look in a room, fireplaces can be just the design element to mix things up a bit. Of course, it will depend on the specific fireplace and flooring being considered, but many times a fireplace of one style can harmonize with flooring of another style, even though they don’t exactly “match.” The effect can be quite striking, bringing a heightened level of visual interest to a room.

The key point is to not feel as if you’re tied to a certain style of flooring based on the fireplace style. Interior design is not a science—if it looks good, it looks good.

Regardless of the style of flooring and fireplace, you can also add visual interest by installing hardwood floor borders around the fireplace. You may or may not have a hearth (local building codes usually mandate them for wood-burning fireplaces but not for gas-burning ones), but it doesn’t matter. Borders can be a delightful choice in both cases. They not only look beautiful; they highlight the fireplace and can help blend it with the rest of the room.

One thing’s for certain—when picturing the idyllic scene of a family gathered around the hearth, no other type of flooring fits as well as hardwood flooring. It’s almost impossible to go wrong, no matter what your stylistic choices.

Stop by our showroom, or give us a call (920.984.3383 or 800.354.9902) to schedule an appointment, and we’ll be glad to work with you to select the ideal flooring for your home (and your fireplace!). We’re also available for no-cost, no-obligation in-home design consultations.

 

Image courtesy of ACM Design Architects, Creative Commons.

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