We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases. Learn more
When I bought my house, I loved everything except the orangey pine hardwood floors.
And even though I wasn’t in love with them, I knew I’d probably never replace them. After all, they were in excellent condition and covered the entire 2,000 + square foot home.
Instead, I accepted and learned to work with them. Maybe you’re in the same situation?
If so, the best way to tone down orange hardwood floors without refinishing them is to be strategic with your paint, rug, and furniture choices. Paint with blue or green undertones will coordinate with your orange floors, while a large area rug can help conceal them.
Here are more tips for toning down your orange wood floors.
If you want to tone down the orange on your floors, you can use colors adjacent to orange on the color wheel. These adjacent colors are yellow and red.
Painting your walls red or yellow is a bold move and brings a lot of warmth to your space. And while red or yellow will tone down your orange floor, it doesn’t mean it will look good.
A better idea is to use a complementary color, which we’ll discuss below.
How to Coordinate with Orange Floors with Paint (Best Option)
Complementary colors are opposite of each other on the color wheel. For oranges, these colors are predominantly blue or green.
Using colors on opposite sides of the color wheel creates a balance in your home.
While sometimes using a blue on the wall can make orange floors appear more orange, it also makes them look better. This is because a blue and orange color palette is cohesive and balanced, preventing your floors from standing out like a sore thumb.
Consider a beautiful shade of blue, green, or a neutral with a blue or green base for your wall color.
What Neutral Color Paint Goes with Orange Hardwood Floors?
In my living room, I have a creamy shade of paint on the wall with green undertones. It’s one of my favorite shades for an orange floor. But really, any neutral color with a bit of a blue or green base will work.
Using neutrals will complement your flooring without overly drawing out the orange.
Here are some links to a few neutral paint shades that work for orange floors:
If you’re looking for ideas beyond paint, here’s how to tone down your orange wood floors.
Cover Your Floors with a Large Area Rug
A smart paint choice and a large area rug will do wonders for how your room looks.
Consider a creamy-colored area rug and a neutral paint color with green or blue undertones.
While any area rug you like is fine, keep in mind that a predominantly blue rug will make your floors look more orange.
It can be confusing, but when you place complementary colors on top of each other, they make each other pop. But when the color is adjacent (like on the wall), it doesn’t have that same popping effect. So, be wary of putting blue directly on orange.
Be Mindful of Furniture and Accessories
If you want to minimize orange, don’t bring more orange furniture into the room. Instead, create balance by using cool-toned pieces.
You can also do this with your accessories – avoid using orange throw pillows. Instead, opt for neutral pillows, blankets, and curtains.
Refinish the Floors
If you try all the tricks and still can’t accept your floors, consider refinishing them. Even if it’s not in reach now, you can make a savings goal and work toward it.
If you refinish your floors, consider a more timeless stain choice like a medium brown. Avoid trendy colors as you’ll probably dislike them when they fall out of style in a few years.
Switch Out Your Light Bulbs
The light source you have majorly affects how the colors in your house look. And while using different light bulbs isn’t a cure-all, it can help your flooring look less orange.
Consider trying a lightbulb with a blue cast to see how it affects your floor’s look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color furniture goes with orange floors?
Avoid bringing warm wood into the room if you have orange floors and want to tone them down. Instead, use cool-colored furniture. For example, consider furniture painted white, black, blue, or green. You can also use very light, cool-colored wood.
What’s the best wall color for orange oak floors?
If you have orange oak floors, the best wall color is neutral with a blue or green base. Consider green-beige, cool-toned gray, or go with a white with blue undertones.
How to tone down orange cabinets and orange floors?
To make your orange look pretty rather than an eyesore, use complementary paint on the wall and neutral accessories. Also, consider painting your cabinets a cool white or blue to break up the room.
Final Thoughts
It’s true – orange hardwood floors aren’t in style right now. However, that doesn’t mean you should be in a hurry to get them out of your home. If you don’t have the budget or desire to redo your floors, try working with them.
To complement your orange floors, use your favorite shade of paint with a blue or green undertone. Then, bring in a large area rug and avoid using any other orange wood throughout your home.
Katie Barton lives with her husband and three daughters in an 1800’s style log cabin in southern Ohio. She thinks cleaning is relaxing and is considered the organizing go-to person by her family and friends. She runs the blog Cabin Lane where she shares about cleaning, decluttering, and minimalism. See full biography here.
