
If you are staining doors, casing and base then compare the color to the walls and flooring. Compare these samples to other things used in a room. The clear protective wood finish will change the stains color a little bit.

After it has dried apply your chosen finish. Once you have narrowed your choices, apply more stain to larger pieces of wood. Use a pre-stain conditioner for woods that require this treatment. Apply each stain to a 6-8 inch area and allow to dry completely. Doing this will save you money and heartache. Either order or purchase a few feet more or save sizable scraps. The exact type of wood is needed for your samples. Reversing the wood stain color is very difficult. You need to see your new interior wood stain color before committing to the whole project. Figuring out what wood you are refinishing is the first step to successfully choosing an interior wood stain color. You get different colors with different species of wood, even using the same stain. Different species of wood have different characteristics, colors and densities. Make sure you know the type of wood that you are staining. Although most manufactures have around 20-30 interior wood stain colors this still can be as difficult as deciding on a color to paint a room, but a good decision will make all the difference. While keeping the same undertones is important, so is adding contrast! I suggest using a variety of wood shades throughout a project to add dimension, contrast, and interest! Too matchy-matchy can feel boring and look flat.To enliven the interior wood you are refinishing, choose an excellent wood stain color. If your wood floors are cooler, try selecting wood pieces that also have a cooler undertone to them. If your wood floors have a warm honey undertone, you will want to mix in warm wood furnishings. I love mixing and matching wood tones throughout a house, but it’s important to stay within the same undertones. Once you have the flooring color selected, picking out the rest of the wood stains in the home is a breeze! The wood floor color will help you determine the wood tones throughout the rest of the house! You should consider your overall style and determine if your furnishings are going to be heavier and more traditional or lighter and more contemporary.

Lighter wood floors often read a bit more contemporary, while darker floors can feel more traditional. I really like a timeless look and try to avoid trends – I look back at homes built hundreds of years ago and draw inspiration from them! I love the look of a wider plank, neutral wood, and subtle imperfections.

Avoid red or orange undertones – stick with something less saturated that reads rich without feeling too saturated in color.Avoid yellow undertones – try to go with something a little more neutral.However, there are some things I like to avoid when selecting wood floor stain color: If you’re reading this in hopes of picking a stain color for your wood floors, I suggest just going with whatever you’re most drawn to! There’s no right or wrong here. The color of the wood floor will set the foundation for the rest of the elements within the room. Usually, this is determined by the largest wood element in the room, more often than not, the wood flooring. When determining what color to stain wood, you will want to first have an idea of what the overall color scheme of the project is. Mahogany, Red Oak, and Walnut – red or pink undertones.Beech, White Oak, and Maple – slightly pink undertones.
