Isn't it Good, Nordic Wood: The Appeal of Pale Floors
From silvery ash to honey blonde or chalk white, light-toned floors hold the key to the pared-back simplicity of Scandinavian style
Janet Dunn
7 August 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid interior design enthusiast. Ex-restaurateur and caterer, with a Professional Certificate in Gastronomy, University of Adelaide.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid... More
Pining for that cool, calm and collected Nordic look? You’re not alone. The world has fallen in love with the Scandinavian school of quietly stylish uncluttered design. While it prioritises function and simplicity, it also aims to maximise light and celebrate natural materials and forms. Pale floors deliver on both counts.
Naturally blonde, bleached, limed, oiled, waxed or light-painted wood reflects light well, and wood grains and tones lend warmth, texture and a connection to the natural world so loved by a population often house-bound by long, harsh winters. Even if you don’t go the full distance with a Scandi-inspired look, a pale timber floor suits a range of interior styles. See how it can brighten your home – and add just a whisper of the fjords.
Naturally blonde, bleached, limed, oiled, waxed or light-painted wood reflects light well, and wood grains and tones lend warmth, texture and a connection to the natural world so loved by a population often house-bound by long, harsh winters. Even if you don’t go the full distance with a Scandi-inspired look, a pale timber floor suits a range of interior styles. See how it can brighten your home – and add just a whisper of the fjords.
Remember when?
Some readers may remember the Age of Pine in the ’60s and ’70s – and may wish to forget about that ubiquitous timber. It was yellow, knotty, very cheap, and everywhere – in wardrobes, coffee and dining tables, chairs, blinds, wall linings and floorboards.
In the ’90s, the world rediscovered so-called ‘Scandinavian Modern’, which had been popular between 1930 and 1970, then waned in the ’80s. Pale timber is integral to this style found in many Nordic homes, especially the subtle tones and textures of top-quality pine and birch from the heavily-forested northern regions. If you love the look, start from the bottom with a pale and interesting floor and see how to dress it up, Scandi style.
Some readers may remember the Age of Pine in the ’60s and ’70s – and may wish to forget about that ubiquitous timber. It was yellow, knotty, very cheap, and everywhere – in wardrobes, coffee and dining tables, chairs, blinds, wall linings and floorboards.
In the ’90s, the world rediscovered so-called ‘Scandinavian Modern’, which had been popular between 1930 and 1970, then waned in the ’80s. Pale timber is integral to this style found in many Nordic homes, especially the subtle tones and textures of top-quality pine and birch from the heavily-forested northern regions. If you love the look, start from the bottom with a pale and interesting floor and see how to dress it up, Scandi style.
Expand your space
Floor colour has a big impact on how you experience a room. Although several factors come into play, like ceiling colour and furnishings, generally a light floor can make a room appear more spacious, especially with light walls.
STYLE TIP: Don’t over-furnish with bulky pieces and rugs that detract from the timber’s charm. Stick to simple, essential furniture, keep the profile low, and give the floor room to shine.
Floor colour has a big impact on how you experience a room. Although several factors come into play, like ceiling colour and furnishings, generally a light floor can make a room appear more spacious, especially with light walls.
STYLE TIP: Don’t over-furnish with bulky pieces and rugs that detract from the timber’s charm. Stick to simple, essential furniture, keep the profile low, and give the floor room to shine.
Work with the walls
A light-coloured floor leaves the door open for a range of wall options. It’s a great foil for dark walls – the contrast between floor and walls emphasises the shape of a room and defines spaces. And pale honey-coloured or light ash-toned timber is always right with white.
STYLE TIP: Keep wall colours neutral, either in a warm white palette or a darker version of neutral grey, like in this stylish London home. Colour accents are added through furnishings rather than on the walls themselves.
A light-coloured floor leaves the door open for a range of wall options. It’s a great foil for dark walls – the contrast between floor and walls emphasises the shape of a room and defines spaces. And pale honey-coloured or light ash-toned timber is always right with white.
STYLE TIP: Keep wall colours neutral, either in a warm white palette or a darker version of neutral grey, like in this stylish London home. Colour accents are added through furnishings rather than on the walls themselves.
Wood panelling has shrugged off its ‘sauna in the suburbs’ look and is rapidly becoming a contemporary favourite for an accent wall – more interesting and cosy maybe than a coat of paint? Extend light-coloured timber flooring to panel one wall – it’s a seamless way to integrate the room’s decor, give a bland room a character boost and inject a little Scandi charm.
Show off a rug
A pale timber floor is a wonderfully adaptable backdrop for rugs and throws. It recedes quietly into the background and allows for many colour and texture options. The wide spectrum of tones in natural timber allows you to pick one and coordinate it with a detail in the rug for a harmoniously composed space.
STYLE TIP: For that organic Nordic look, try shaggy-textured or giant-stitch knitted or woven rugs in natural fibres, like unbleached wool, with a rustic hand-made look and unfussy pattern. Pale coir, sisal or seagrass support the natural Nordic theme.
A pale timber floor is a wonderfully adaptable backdrop for rugs and throws. It recedes quietly into the background and allows for many colour and texture options. The wide spectrum of tones in natural timber allows you to pick one and coordinate it with a detail in the rug for a harmoniously composed space.
STYLE TIP: For that organic Nordic look, try shaggy-textured or giant-stitch knitted or woven rugs in natural fibres, like unbleached wool, with a rustic hand-made look and unfussy pattern. Pale coir, sisal or seagrass support the natural Nordic theme.
Nordic countries have a long tradition of using animal pelts for warmth and decoration. They make extensive use of hides as rugs and furniture dressings – and their unique markings and natural colourings are a beautiful complement to pale timber floors.
Shine a light on feature furniture
When you have a special furniture piece you want to spotlight, light-coloured floors and neutral walls are a versatile envelope to work with. Go for shapes and colours that don’t blend into the background.
STYLE TIP: Highlight beautiful furniture with long, wide floorboards. In cold, heavily-forested northern countries, native trees such as Norway spruce, Scots pine and Douglas fir produce superb quality timber which, along with abundantly available birch, can be turned into planks several metres long and super-wide – up to 450 millimetres. Every quirky curve and contour of these knock-out dusty rose Arne Jacobsen Drop chairs from Fritz Hansen is enhanced by the wide pale silvery-grey floorboards in this Danish home.
When you have a special furniture piece you want to spotlight, light-coloured floors and neutral walls are a versatile envelope to work with. Go for shapes and colours that don’t blend into the background.
STYLE TIP: Highlight beautiful furniture with long, wide floorboards. In cold, heavily-forested northern countries, native trees such as Norway spruce, Scots pine and Douglas fir produce superb quality timber which, along with abundantly available birch, can be turned into planks several metres long and super-wide – up to 450 millimetres. Every quirky curve and contour of these knock-out dusty rose Arne Jacobsen Drop chairs from Fritz Hansen is enhanced by the wide pale silvery-grey floorboards in this Danish home.
Against a pale floor, there’s no chance of the beautiful silhouette and playful details of this Grant Featherston classic R160 Contour armchair and footstool being lost.
Colour up
Pale floors, neutral walls, functional furniture, large uncurtained windows – are we feeling cold yet? While pale timber floors have a positive impact on the perceived size of a space and amplify reflected light, they can look a little cool. Counter this with colours.
STYLE TIP: Although current Scandinavian trends embrace interior colours outside the traditional neutral palette, pale floors with black, white and grey is still a prevalent palette. Colour is introduced in a restrained way, rarely with garish bright blocks of clashing shades. Against light natural timber, muted organics and greenery are used to soften spaces.
Pale floors, neutral walls, functional furniture, large uncurtained windows – are we feeling cold yet? While pale timber floors have a positive impact on the perceived size of a space and amplify reflected light, they can look a little cool. Counter this with colours.
STYLE TIP: Although current Scandinavian trends embrace interior colours outside the traditional neutral palette, pale floors with black, white and grey is still a prevalent palette. Colour is introduced in a restrained way, rarely with garish bright blocks of clashing shades. Against light natural timber, muted organics and greenery are used to soften spaces.
Pastels are hitting the headlines at the moment, with ashes-of-roses pinks, pale minty greens and milky blues. Pantone’s 2016 top colours are pastels ‘Serenity’ and ‘Rose Quartz’, and this has undoubtedly boosted their popularity. Beautiful in their way, but they can be a decor disaster if overdone or teamed with the wrong colours. For how to use pastels without the candy-sweet effect, check out how the Scandinavian aesthetic pictured makes them look anything but sickly sweet. One of their tricks is to team them with sophisticated touches of black.
Turn up the heat with texture
Scandinavian interiors pile on the texture to warm up and relax their interiors. As seen in this room, a pale timber floor and a predominantly white, grey and black palette is cosied up with lashings of natural textures in the woven carpet, woollen throws, leather, metallics, coloured glass and foliage.
Scandinavian interiors pile on the texture to warm up and relax their interiors. As seen in this room, a pale timber floor and a predominantly white, grey and black palette is cosied up with lashings of natural textures in the woven carpet, woollen throws, leather, metallics, coloured glass and foliage.
Furnish to fit
In recent years, there has been an upsurge in interest in small-space design, and compact living strategies are attracting much attention from building designers and homebuyers. Large, space-gobbling furniture is impractical in such homes – enter clean-lined, easily-movable and functional mid-century design. The visual lightness – and often playfulness – of this design period complements minimal light-toned light-filled interiors.
STYLE TIP: Nordic designers almost scooped the pool during the 1950s and ’60s – Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Alvar Aalto, Poul Henningsen and Arne Vodder are household names from this period. Look for furniture with clean lines and pared-back detailing, like this airy white 1958 Arne Jacobsen Swan chair.
In recent years, there has been an upsurge in interest in small-space design, and compact living strategies are attracting much attention from building designers and homebuyers. Large, space-gobbling furniture is impractical in such homes – enter clean-lined, easily-movable and functional mid-century design. The visual lightness – and often playfulness – of this design period complements minimal light-toned light-filled interiors.
STYLE TIP: Nordic designers almost scooped the pool during the 1950s and ’60s – Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Alvar Aalto, Poul Henningsen and Arne Vodder are household names from this period. Look for furniture with clean lines and pared-back detailing, like this airy white 1958 Arne Jacobsen Swan chair.
Just one beautiful MCM feature chair on a light natural timber floor, like this Womb Chair from Finnish designer Eero Saarinen, gets you that ‘less is more’ Scandi look.
Create informal spaces
Rich deep-toned wood, dark stained timber or a dark painted floor are sophisticated and very elegant mood-setters. They lend themselves to quite formal spaces and luxurious furnishings. A light floor can have the opposite effect, toning down the formality and giving a casual and relaxed feel. There’s also an added bonus: dust bunnies can hide for longer on a pale floor!
Rich deep-toned wood, dark stained timber or a dark painted floor are sophisticated and very elegant mood-setters. They lend themselves to quite formal spaces and luxurious furnishings. A light floor can have the opposite effect, toning down the formality and giving a casual and relaxed feel. There’s also an added bonus: dust bunnies can hide for longer on a pale floor!
White-painted floorboards, a fun hanging chair, windows that let in plenty of light and bright vintage furniture mix a pinch of Nordic style with a good measure of kick-off-your-shoes beach house charm in this character-filled cottage.
Mix it up
A light-toned timber floor doesn’t mean you can’t use other timber shades in the same space. Make the difference between the two obvious, so that it looks deliberate and not a failed attempt to match the two. Pale timber floors against rich, dark-toned timber doors look striking in this kitchen with fresh white walls and benchtops.
How to mix timber types
A light-toned timber floor doesn’t mean you can’t use other timber shades in the same space. Make the difference between the two obvious, so that it looks deliberate and not a failed attempt to match the two. Pale timber floors against rich, dark-toned timber doors look striking in this kitchen with fresh white walls and benchtops.
How to mix timber types
Another effective way of mixing timbers is with a parquet floor in a mosaic of pale, mid and dark tones. By manipulating the proportions of light to dark, you can coordinate it with other timbers in the space.
Floor treatments that achieve the bleached Nordic look are lime-washing, treating with white oil, rubbing with white or grey pigments, or painting lightly so that the grain is still visible. These techniques maintain a natural timber look, while boosting the light-reflecting qualities so important in homes that have to stand up to northern winters.
Floor treatments that achieve the bleached Nordic look are lime-washing, treating with white oil, rubbing with white or grey pigments, or painting lightly so that the grain is still visible. These techniques maintain a natural timber look, while boosting the light-reflecting qualities so important in homes that have to stand up to northern winters.
Express yourself
Going for a pale Nordic-style floor doesn’t mean you have to slavishly follow the trend from the floor up. A light-toned floor partners with many interior personalities. This New York loft, with its well-worn parquet floor, has individuality galore with a mid-century piece or two beside modern and vintage accessories, exposed brickwork and eclectic artwork.
TELL US
If you were going to choose, would you opt for pale wood floors in your home, or do you prefer darker tones? Tell us why in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more Scandi-style decorating schemes
Going for a pale Nordic-style floor doesn’t mean you have to slavishly follow the trend from the floor up. A light-toned floor partners with many interior personalities. This New York loft, with its well-worn parquet floor, has individuality galore with a mid-century piece or two beside modern and vintage accessories, exposed brickwork and eclectic artwork.
TELL US
If you were going to choose, would you opt for pale wood floors in your home, or do you prefer darker tones? Tell us why in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more Scandi-style decorating schemes
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Pale floors can highlight a lot of natural beauty! Glad to see that they're expected to be pretty popular in 2018! Check out our website for more pale floors.
We have been producing Engineered Douglas Fir Flooring for many years now and it continues to gain in popularity. Such a naturally beautiful floor that looks even more stunning with our white lye and soap effect stain .
Engineered Douglas Fir flooring
These lighter finishes are becoming more and more popular.
They look great on our local blonde Timbers like Tasmanian oak and Baltic pine that are prone to going yellow.
Check out our work
Victorian coastal floors @ houzz