My first thought was to use a color closer to that of the wood, only slightly lighter. I think the darkness is emphasized by the contrast in wall color right now. Maybe something with some gray undertones in it?

GORGEOUS floors, by the way.

Whatever your budget, I always advise my clients the same thing when trying to choose colors. Start with one thing that you love-an area rug, pillow, artwork, whatever, and build around that. In general, I like to keep major upholstery (sofas, large chairs) more neutral so there's some flexibility down the road. The floors are lovely and dramatic, so is the architectural molding. The paint color now is a little vanilla (like actual vanilla ice cream...). What kind of light do you get? If the floor seems to dark for you, you can get cut and bound broadloom pretty inexpensively in a neutral tone to lighten them a bit. If you're going to keep the floors dark and you don't get a whole lot of light, I'd avoid going too dark on the walls.

I think these floors are stunning! Good for you! It all depends on personal style but if this was my house (if only I was so lucky) I would paint the walls white or light gray and keep the color and coziness to bright art, window treatments and rugs. You could also think of doing an accent wall in a bright color.

It takes almost nothing to paint a huge (and cheap) canvas a bright color (red) and hanging it above your sofa or framing/stretching fabric.

Good luck!

Ooh, grey walls with white trim would be VERY elegant against those floors.

I like the warm linen color in the foyer and the blue of the bedroom in this photo. I also think it won't look as stark when you have rugs and furniture in there.
http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=129&index=6&currentPage=3&searchQuery=black%20floors&searchType=photos

Ya I'm thinking a light gray possibly going into a light purple even...agreed they are beautiful floors :D

I would lean toward a light silvery blue or a pear green. The floors seem to have a cool undertone, so maybe stick with a cooler paint color. Once you bring in your furniture, art, and a couple of area rugs, I think you'll find the dark floors are a great backdrop.

We just did a complete renovation/addition to our new home and we actually chose dark/black bamboo floors. We painted everything white, but with your gorgeous trim I could easily imagine it bright white with slight contrasting pale interior walls. Go neutral for sure (even paint can add up big $$$ when you are on a limited budget).

I am all about gray these days! BUT at home I currently have a khaki shade, could very loosely into the gray realm with heavy green undertones called Rhode's Point http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/products/paint/lifestyle_colors/items.aspx?haid=50 And I have been adding in more black finished furniture and it complements the color sooo well. Its warm but the black contrast comes off very elegant.

I quite like the dark floors and I think you might, too, once you've finished the room. What a beautiful space.

I agree with a light grey. We have similar floors with white baseboards/molding and grey looks fantastic! Although, deciding on grey is easier said than done....there are sooo many variatons of of the color grey. Green, blue, brown undertones. So, definitely try lots of paint samples if you choose grey!

Unless you are totally stumped for color, don't let the floors drive the decision, and don't panic looking at an empty space with black floors.

Your way into those floors is to repeat that black wood tone a few places up into the room itself... even two wood Chinese chairs, or Ballard Designs Ananda console table (http://www.ballarddesigns.com/ananda-serving-table/furniture/consoles/13922) would make that choice look intentional rather than "Plan B." :)

Any wall color will work, really, but keep that molding WHITE!

I don't agree that the paint decision has to be the next one. Get your upholstery and rug and drapery choices first (picked, even if not purchased). Paint is the easiest thing to decide upon because of the wealth of options.

It's a beautiful space. Wish you had the budget for an interior designer. Say, someone in NYC... :)

I like the idea of bright white walls with artwork and accessories in bright colors that will really pop and be cheerful. Then again, it would be nice to emphasize your great trim, so I think a light silvery gray would look great too!

Did you see the post about green wall paint a day or two ago? I can totally see the green in the first picture in this room, especially since you have art from south africa and america. Of course, grey is my favorite color and you couldn't go wrong with it in here! Lowes carries a grey called frappe. It is gorgeous!

I am actually a huge fan of dark dark brown or black hardwood floors. I think they look really dark right now because there is no furniture or anything in the space. I definitely think the fleshy colour needs to go though. I, like many other would suggest a gray, something a little silvery rather than purply.

You said you are thinking about a bold blue and red combo, but what about a more subtle green-tinted blue with bright pops of red throughout the space. With paint I always recommend Behr.
Check out these colors (all from behr.com) and imagine them with a fire-engine red: Aspen Aura (470F-4), Wethersfield Moss (460F-4), Indian Ocean (480D-4) or Swan Sea (500F-4).
All of these choices would keep the room bright with the dark floors, but would offer a rich palette that could be inspiring with red thrown in. Good luck with choosing!

Yeah I agree on the gray. Benjamin Moore's Marilyn's Dress is an amazing smoky gray with a tiny bit of warm brown. It would be great with the sunlight. As far as accent colors- I'd love to see a saturated blue-green maybe as artwork or accent pillows. Maybe some deeper mustard yellows? And definitely creamy whites for drapes, furniture, etc.

Everything goes with black.

I totally agree with the people who said grey. I am a grey addict, so it's a little biased, but I think grey would really make the space sophisticated with that color floor and look amazing with your trim, etc.

If you want to minimize the darkness of the floor you can go darker because the lighter color (like you have) contrasts and emphasizes the darkness even more. But I personally wouldn't want to make it too much of a cave. So I would go with a mid-grey (lighter than charcoal but not too pale) and then use lots of rugs and curtains. Rugs will help by breaking up the vast black hole you're probably feeling right now, and curtains will draw the eye up, especially in a color/pattern that stands out against whatever wall color you choose.

I totally wish I had your problem, btw - my husband and I also refinished our own floors and the stain didn't penetrate as nicely as I hoped so we ended up with significantly lighter and grainier floors than we wanted. I'm basically doing the same thing (buying rugs, curtains) to help the issue, but would rather them have come out too dark like yours!!

what a beautiful space!!
i'd say go bright white or a light gray that will add some great light.
then you can add colorful artwork, rugs, throw pillows to have some pops of color.
love to see after photos!

What a beautiful room.

I too think pale silver grey or warm pale grey. I think the trim should stay white.

These rooms have dark floors and lucky you!
This is a nice pale grey in this room-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/4540757911/

Just a hint of taupe-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/5349266221/

This is a darker grey but its a warm tone something lighter but in this tone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/4541390426/

This room is very pale pink its icy and would be great for your space-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/5349877050/

See these for the curtains- I can see this type of material and way to hung in your room.
You could do white, blue, yellow and color its about the fabric here-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/5349289935/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/4562850363/

I think the floors are gorgeous - right now espresso color woods are super popular, so your "mistake" turned out to be a rather trendy one. Plus, the advantage of the darker stain is that it goes with anything - don't be afraid, just go with colors you like!

Try picking a few shades and painting large samples on the walls - wait a couple days to see what looks best in the various lighting conditions. And keep that trim white!

Also, don't worry about creating a sense of style right off the bat. Buy things you like and somehow everything will come together.

I think an olive green would look very nice with the dark floors, but that may be too much for all the walls. It would look nice as an accent wall though

You work for a non-profit, he's a graduate student, and this is the home you own? Man I love Buffalo. Where is this, by the way? I'm currently renting in Allentown but have been eyeing the real estate listings :)

I am painting my apartment now and am going all gray. Love gray. However, in your case, my vote is for high drama, especially with the house's good bones...that molding is fantastic.

To you, the floors look a mistake because you knew what you had originally intended. To everyone else, they look like a smart, bold...and chic...choice. Embrace it. Go pure, bright white on the walls and molding.

Considering your current limited budget, the stark contract of deep dark floors and cool, classic white will allow any furniture and accessories to really pop and ultimately define the character of the room.

And a note on decorating with a limited budget: I suggest picking a very limited palette of colors (maybe even just one) and be very discipled about sticking to it when you go thrifting/shopping. One single color repeated over and over...and clustered in fun ways...lends cohesion and makes it seem like you have a pre-planned aesthetic program, rather than a happenstance hodgepodge of misfits. It will also help you focus when shopping for so much space with a small purse.

Congratulations!

My friend has black stained hardwood floors - on purpose - and they are beautiful! The above poster is correct about them looking so dark right now because you have nothing else in the room. My friend - like myself - has a brown-based taupe on the walls and any colour goes with that - including your blue and red you would like to use - I would stick to art work, maybe a piece of furniture, throws, pillows in those tones though and not put them on the walls - in less than 2 years you will want to paint all over again. I have gone through my red phase, my blue phase, my purple phase and my apple green phase - all with the same brown-based taupe walls - a grey-based taupe would go with the colours you like as well. Beautiful place by the way!

Travels to S.America and Africa... here's an idea: create a space with a modern take on the African Colonial look; kind of a mix of linens, rattans, cane, warm woods, rich layered area carpets, travel stuff, antique fans, loads of books, big lush plants...
simple warm natural colors. (paint: warm up the trim color (might be too bright) and then walls a pale caramel).

This is a beautiful place. You should be on the deed before you dedicate your time, energy and money into something you, yourself don't own outright with your boyfriend.

I think you should definitely go lighter than the wood...keep a contrast. Also, it will keep the rooms light. Having a dark floor and walls will make the room too dark

It all depends on your personal style what colors you choose. I like someone's idea of a light grey...very sophisticated and modern. However, not warm. If you're more of a color or vibrant person, any color really would go with these floors. I have a similar dark oak in my bedrooms. One I did a canary yellow accent wall. It's so vibrant and fun. In the master, the walls are a buttery creme, which gives the room a romantic, more mature look

Try a couple of colors, maybe a different color in the foyer than the main room, to see if you like it. Try two different shades of the same color. I did my living/dining room in a celery/asparagus combo once....I loved it!

The good thing is, paint is always the easiest thing you can change if you don't like it

Gray would be good, but I would consider amping up the contrast with White walls. The floors will be visually lightened once you bring in your rugs and furniture, but I would stick with pale tones. black, white, gray and some pops of color.

I'm going to go opposite of what most of the color suggestions have been so far... go with a color!

If it was me, I would go with a pale blue (keeping the trim white) - like Sherwin-Williams' Icelandic (color #6526) OR warm it up with a pale orange - 6646 Orange Blast. I redid our living room a while back using the SW color visualizer, and I loved being able to play with colors and combos...

(those are my safe choices... I'd probably go with a pale purple or even aqua just because!)

You and your boyfriend are the ones that will be living with the colors, so I'd pick something that YOU like, not what might be currently popular in design trends. For what it's worth, I love the floors and the architecture - the dark floors may be in right now, but they are too classic to ever go OUT of style. Really lovely.

Ooooh, how I dream about floors like this.

I agree with lots of others - a light grey, or light blue-ish grey would look amazing with the white trim and dark floors. Good luck to the both of you :)

A lot of people sem to be all about the neutrals, but I tend to think that a more vibrant color could be fabulous too. Take queues from the art that you like so much. Once you bring in rugs and furniture, the dark floor will simply feel like an anchor, and won't be so overwhelmingly dark.

I had the exact same dilemma when we bought our c.1920 Montreal row house 4 years ago. We only had 1 week to do a complete repaint, rewire and flooring job, so we had to make quick decisions that didn't turn out completely to our liking. One of those was to refinish the house's old knotty pine floors with a dark stain to cover up the knots and and oiling them, because that job only took 2 days to complete vs the whole week.

It turns out we hated the matte finish of the oiled floors and thought the colour was way too dark. After a couple of years, however, the patina on them has built up to a nice luster in spots and our place doesn't look so much like tavern anymore.

Since we have very little natural sunlight coming in, we decided to keep things light throughout (save for a few touches of charcoal in selected areas to offset the hideous multi-shade BC fir trim covered in yellowed varnish), and add colour through the furniture and accents rather than on the walls.

The base shade we chose is a light, warm white with a hint of caramel that looks like white without being white, if you know what I mean. It's by SICO and it's called "Snow Princess". Silly name, beautiful colour.

I liked it so much, I used it in two of our tenants' apartments as well and it reflects the light beautifully, making the rooms look large, cozy and welcoming. The colour is in an old catalogue, but quality paint stores should be able to look it up for you. If you're interested, contact me directly and I'll look up the formula.

Enjoy the house!

We recently renovated a home and did something similar (dark stain to cover damage). We picked a warm, creamy taupe for the walls and kept all trim/doors a true, bright white. The house looks fantastic! The color we picked isn't too far off from the color in your current photos, actually!

The advantages to the taupe - it brings a warm neutral into the room, which would otherwise be quite cool with the dark wood and stark white trim. But the total effect is a neutral canvas that allows you to succesfully decorate in any color or style you want - pale blue, bright red, deep green, hot pink...see what I mean?

When picking your furniture - try not to get a bunch of dark wood furniture that will get "lost" against the floor. Lighter-toned or brightly-colored rugs will really pop against the floors and make the room look even bigger. Any bright white accent item will look great too.

The floors are gorgeous. I LOVE them. I agree with several other posters...a soft dove grey is light, cool and neutral without being boring, and it changes with the light. It seems to elevate hand me downs, too.
; )

I like the pear green idea instead of the usual beige and grey neutrals... but I'd take it a baby step darker. If you see avocado, you've gone too far! And the white trim will wrap it up like a ribbon.

My instant pick: Sherwin-Williams Ponder, a light gray with plum undertones. Keep it subtle and sophisticated in this space.

Congrats on the floor refinish - the floors look great!
I second what the other patrick said.

One piece of advice, though: DON'T GET A WHITE DOG! :-)

Chose whatever color you want (I would paint with white or light grey) but get some mirrors to reflect the light and bright coloured accessories. And if you still not satisfied you can buy a white, or silverish or ivory rug too!

As a fellow Buffalonian, especially on a super snowy day like today, I would keep it on the lighter side. Winter is long! Plus we have the best thrift stores here. I have found some amazing mid-century pieces for next to nothing. I would suggest a fun area rug and a light wall color.

Some of the floor manufactures have little tools online where you can pick a sample room and try out virtual floor and wall colors.

We used to have a similar issue in our living room until we changed the carpet. We had a fern green on the walls. It was very striking yet cozy with the white trim. Our decor was mission style at the time.

echoing others to say: cool grey (with a hint of blue), and bright white trim and ceilings. yummy.

alternately bright white for walls and ceilings (matte), decorator's white for trim (semi-gloss). ben moore makes a lovely shade--very modern-- called "wedding veil." super bright white, tempered with the barest barest barest hint of blue (you wouldn't know it by looking at it).

We have dark floors as well - and did BM Covington Grey on the walls and did a light blue grey on the ceiling. Then did an accent wall of BM November Rain. All the trim (similar in width to yours...BM Super White. It really brightens the place. Send pics when you finish it up.

I love foog foogs's post. The colonial look would be fantastic with the wouldings and columns. The floors are gorgeous and would fit in perfectly with that look. You could do warm rusty oranges and reds and if you are not sure you can commit to doing the whole room that color you can go with taupe or wheat colors and make the accessories the warmer colors. These warm colors would warm your right up in the cold New York winters!

The pillows and throws to fit the look can be really inexpensive from stores like World Market so it should fit your shoe string budget!

I think there is nothing wrong with the color of your dark floors. I refinished my floors to approximately the same color with less sheen, and I painted my walls a strong and rich khaki Donald Kauffman color. Everything looks great against that color. However, I think you could paint your walls and decorate in which ever way you choose. Once you have rugs, furniture and artwork up, the floors will work as a neutral backdrop.

See, I would love those floors. I hope to find a place someday where I can have them!

Have a couple thoughts here, based on the description you provided and your wish for "cozy" but not too dark.

You can go with a monochromatic palette and use your artwork/vintage finds/accessories/textiles provide the pops of color; in that case, rather than gray (which is trendy but not as easy to match to vintage/ethnic stuff without sticking to modern/mcm items), I'd try a warm, creamy coffee/khaki color, white or linen trim, cocoa-hued textiles, and a few pops of black (picture frames, a chair or cabinet, a few thrift shop finds spray-painted matte black to match each other) to pick up the color of the floor. Inexpensive art trick: instead of pricey mats, float your art on brown kraft paper and put it in a vintage, ivory or white-painted frame.

If you would like to incorporate red and blue, you can find those colors in virtually any vintage oriental rug (check eBay or Craigslist, there are always deals). Vintage area rugs can be a nice complement to art/objects picked up in your travels, and are sort of timeless - go with items from nearly any period. Combined, these end up looking cozy and warm but not too dark. Silver or mercury glass seems to go well with this palette (Ralph Lauren has been mining that look for ages!).

If you want to bring more color into the space, I often see espresso-colored floors paired with dark trim, ivory walls, and bright accents (furniture/textiles/art/accessories) in colors like intense spring green/chartreuse, persimmon orange, pomegranate red, coral, or honey gold. It's frequently matched with a sisal/seagrass/neutral rug or a flatweave (dashandalbert.com have a bunch of affordable choices).

Behr makes a color called "Saturn Grey" that is a really beautiful grey/green. The green sheen is nice because it's a little more exciting than the usual beige, off-white, or just plain grey. Plus, it's a clean, neutral, backdrop for mis-matched and/or vintage furnishings and your dark wood floors would contrast well.

White - I like the contrast of dark and light. You can add color with curtains, rugs ect. Or if you don't like white a very light grey.

@lhdun421
...????

To go for cheap paint that's nice, you can ask Home Depot to color match (put the chip under the laser) Ralph Lauren colors. You then put that color in Behr paint. Worked for me 9 months ago.

gorgeous space! i say go gray!

I have dark wood floors as well. This is what we did:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeypants/1021916421/][img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1252/1021916421_b981f23807_z.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeypants/1021916421/]DSC07012[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/monkeypants/]Heder[/url], on Flickr
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeypants/2135712013/][img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2135712013_9e5a5e0912_z.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeypants/2135712013/]DSC07118[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/monkeypants/]Heder[/url], on Flickr

Sorry I don't know how to embed photos. Here are nicer links:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1252/1021916421_b981f23807_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2135712013_9e5a5e0912_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeypants/319328646/sizes/l/in/set-72157594414784602/

Wow. Pretty place! Don't feel bad about the floors. The walls definitely would be awesome in a darker shade that in is now so that the white trim really stands out and looks amazing. I'm kind of jealous. I would recommend checking out the small cool contest and some of the house tours on this site. A ton of them/most of them have white trim and it's a good source for inspiration.

I don't think the color of wood floors matters at all. They look good, especially when nicely refinished, as yours are, as the quality of having wood floors comes through.

I think you are reacting to the massive amount of the color that shows up when the room is empty. I would decorate as usual - start with rugs (they'll cover a lot of the floor, and keep you warm), pick upholstered pieces next to go with rug colors, and pick wall colors to go with all of that. The floor color won't matter at all, really.

What might matter is that when all is said and done, you may not like the contrast of the dark floor with the white woodwork. In that case, you can paint the woodwork a beigy or light greyish color, to reduce contrast. But I don't think you'll need to.

Love love love your floors. I suggest Benjamin Moore HC 63, Monticello Rose. It is the interior color at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, that BM found it when they restored the house and peeled away 22 layers of paint. Jefferson formulated the color to flatter his dark wood floors and woodwork. It's an amazing color that changes with the light, and as it is an 18th century color, it looks best in candlelight.

These rooms and floors are beautiful. You are in shock because it didn't go as planned. Believe me there will be people all over taking your pictures to their contractors saying "I want this!" You are getting good advice but here is mine: The rooms are so great you can hardly go wrong. Take your time. I hope to see pictures of the works in progress.

I love the floors. I agree with other posters that either a light gray or a bright white (matte for walls and gloss for trim) would be lovely. Then you have a perfect neutral palette and you can use all of your fabulous thrift shop and garage sale finds to add more color. Good luck!

A pale dove grey could work very well, as people have suggested. I'd be inclined to go for boring old white myself, I think it might look fantastic with those floors - but remember there are a zillion shades of white. One I've used here in the UK, in a tiny kitchen with black slate floor and wall tiles actually, was this:
http://www.greenshop.co.uk/natural-paint-128/wall-paints-interior-129/greenpaints-matt-emulsion-178/greenpaints-matt-emulsion-soft-white-2-5litre-5355.html?osCsid=jkht94hnir4l3km01n6jo4fkd6
but I appreciate the picture doesn't tell you anything! It was just ever so slightly warmer than a stark white and looked fantastic in the sun and in artificial light too. If you go with white you can easily change the look of the room without repainting.

Keep all wood trim a crisp white and paint the walls a light grey like Benjamin Moore Horizon or a greige like Balboa Mist.

I have dark floors and love yours!!! I've used he above colors and love the contrast.

If you want to break up the darkness, add LARGE carpets. In neutral colors.

I agree on the gray and white suggestions with color coming from accessories. If you are looking for photos that could inspire you, Candice Olsen from the HGTV show Divine Design seems to do a lot of rooms with dark floors in which she keeps the walls light, but still having it feel cozy and colorful. You can google the show and see some finished rooms that show how you could use some great accent colors that could helpl you hone your search in thrift stores, flea markets, etc. Good luck!

I agree with everyone's thoughts on a nice grey- or a shade of lavender/dusty lilac between grey and purple. And I too think the floors came out beautifully, though I understand they weren't what you had in mind!

I love your floors and would definitely be able to make them work. It sounds like you are attracted to blue and red, so it baffles me that so many people are telling you to go gray. A rich blue or teal would bring up the warm tones of the floor, making them look less black and more brown. Red is a bit intense, and will have a really graphic contrast with the floors and white trim. I wouldn't go with too deep of a color unless you plan to have lighter-colored and/or fairly neutral furnishings that will contrast the expanses of light-absorbing colors. If you have a dark floor and white trim, use a medium shade on the walls; if you want to do bright white walls, consider a medium tone for the trim (here is where I suggest gray.) I think if you use a pastel color it would be kind of wonderful to match the walls and trim; there will be enough shadow for the details to pop. Basically, just be sure that there are enough light-colored elements in the room to bounce some light around. A white or white background rug would be killer on that backdrop and open up the room a lot if you did opt for darker walls.

bepsf's right, again: everything goes with black. and that is one gorgeous floor you have there. enjoy!

We have the same floors. My husband and i did together. We used very light color almost white carpet. Blue-Green Sofa. Walls are not painted yet but it is going to be metallic light blue and grey. Take a look http://www.enderinteriordesign.blogspot.com/

Green!

Pear green or apple green.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the dark floors, I would strongly advise against dark or bright colors on the walls. Keep the walls light. My favorite new neutral is Benjamin Moore's French Canvas- it's a few shades off white (some people see it as a very, very pale gray), with a lovely subtle green undertone.

Espresso/ebony floors are classic, and actually look appropriate with the architectural elements of the space (great house by the way). While it might not have been what you were shooting for and might seem overwhelming with nothing in the room it seems like a happy accident.

My best advice is about defining your style. You mainly described your budget, but don't let that be the only thing that describes your style. Check out design blogs and magazines and save pictures of the rooms that you're drawn to. Eventually, you'll start to see common elements that will point you to your style.
Good luck, you'll do fine!

I think you can definitely do a true red. It looks like you have at least three zones that are well defined by your white trim. I would do the smallest area (perhaps it is your entryway - I can't tell) in a saturated true red. The next larger area, I would do in a saturated turquoise or chartreuse/yellow. Then I would paint the largest area museum white - adding furniture and accessories to this area that recall the red and turquoise or chartreuse from the other areas. Good luck!

The colors in this modern kids' room could be an inspiration starting point! http://www.digsdigs.com/photos/kids-room-decor-idea-8.jpg

i am in allentown too- we should definitely arrange a meetup!! we can inspire one another by sharing our spaces and hitting the thrift stores and estate sales- the floors are so amazing dark- a bunch of us want to do a "non decorator" home house tour- hope to hear from you

I think red would look amazing but in such a big space would probably be overwhelming, and may also be a bit limiting in terms of what you would like to add to the room over the next few years. And although I'm a big fan of brilliant white myself, I think it would look a bit unimaginative in this big lovely space.

I would suggest a fairly light but warm summer-sunlight-viewed-through-leaves shade of green. Green goes with everything (all colours of flowers look good on a green plant) but it's not wishy-washy or indecisive and I think it would balance the hard darkness of your floors perfectly, while still keeping all your options open for new furniture, textiles and art in short and long-term future.

Ahhhh, refinishing hardwood floors...THAT was fun... :) My friend had the exact same problem when we refinished her floors...she went much darker than originally planned because of a HUGE water stain right in the middle of the living room.

Anyhoo, she ended up doing fairly neutral walls (very much like the color you have now, but a just a shade "cooler"...more a lighter taupe (grey tones) than the vanilla - if that makes sense.

She kept a lot of her stuff very neutral, but has pops of red - not bright, stop sign red, but more aged, vintaged, cranberry red - again, if that makes sense :) She also did one faux painted wall behind the red couch as a focal point (which I had pictures!!!) and it's like an aged chocolate look...which looks FANTASTIC against the huge white moulding!!!

Anyhoo, I think anything you want to do will work...once you start getting furniture and rugs in there it will not be such a stark contrast.

I agree with whoever said pick one thing you love and work around it.

Also, if you do a lot of neutrals and focus on textures that really helps "warm" places up fast...woven baskets, sisal rugs, carved wall plaques, braided rugs, fuzzy throws...

Ooohh, an empty new space is so exciting!!!!! :)

Hi. We think that you should start with something with texture, such as an area rug or textured sofa. A light warm gray or taupe would definitely do the trick. Since the floors are somewhat shiny, go with a very textured piece that doesn't have shine. This way you will get a great contrast not only with color, but with texture as well. As for the walls, after you have chosen your rug, pillow or furniture - pick up one of the colors in it and go a shade lighter or darker. For instance- if you choose a rug with a pattern with a medium warm gray, go with a light warm gray on the walls.

We offer Paint Selection services at www.roomjuice.com. We will virtually "paint" your walls in three different colors and then email you back the photos so you can see which one you like best. At only $49, you can save yourself from a potential paint mistake!

GORGEOUS! What a beautiful house. I love dark dark floors. If this was my place, I would leave the floors that color, leave the trim white, paint the walls a sky blue and get all white furniture (and add color with decor.) Oh my god that would look so lush.

Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage would be nice if your style is more along the classic lines, I would pick a color rather than a neutral; not too vivid but a muted midtone perhaps. The floors are gorgeous, btw.

I think warmer colors, yellows and reds and oranges and pink would look great with the brown.

The floors look fab! Home Depot has a line of paint from Martha Stewart that has wonderful shades. I'm obsessed with a color called Sharkey Gray that would look great with those dark floors and white trim. Check out a space I created using that color at http://www.boldinteriordesigns.com. Whatever your style and since you're young, use vibrant shades of green, orange, purple, etc. as accents to add fun to the space. Keep your upholstrey pieces in netural tones of greige, ivory, etc with small patterns like herringbones or tweeds for texture for longevity. Mix classic lines with vintage and modern casegoods and you'll have a home that you will love! All the best...

I love, love, LOVE dark wood, so I am crazy about the color of your floors. Definitely paint the walls a nice light grey — I swear, the color makes anything look modern and elegant. Then you can use whatever colors you like. Personally, I'd steer away from the blue; the combo always looks too patriotic to me. Since it sounds like you have a lot of cool art and thrift store finds that you care about, how about building your style around them? Pull your favorite colors, theme, etc. from your favorite pieces. That's the best way to make your home feel like your own. Good luck!

Why not try pale orange walls ?
Something like this photo ...
http://cfs11.tistory.com/image/1/tistory/2008/11/12/20/24/491abcd3f076e

I LOVE your floors... I like that they're that dark (and am jealous that when I redo my floors they won't have the character that your 100 year old floors do!)

You have some decent sized windows so, really you could do whatever color you want... I might stay light but if you do darker colors at all I would keep the white trim to break it up. Either way, I think it will look great!

Don't expect anyone will see this, but what process did you use to stain the floors. We like them very much and are in the process of looking for a method to stain our bedroom floor a dark/blackish color. The flooring is douglas fir. Any help would be great. Email halibutman56@yahoo.com Thanks.

Well, I love the floors! I am undergoing the same project right now. I think you should post some updated pics now that it is dry. How many coats did you use and what color/brand of stain? You said you like "travel" so an ethnic/collected theme for your home might be what your after.Colors, patterns, and relic's (Ie: budha, african masks,malachite. The thing about dark floors is that they are very dramatic. I think if you put more color on the wall, you may appreciate the floors more. I just think the vanilla bean paint and the floors are fighting for attention right now instead of flowing together.

I'm in a similar situation... Just about to buy a 1930's house with dark floors (everywhere, including the bathroom) on the outskirts of Paris. The floors would be a shame to tear out so I'm thinking white or off-white walls to keep it light. We don't have much direct light so we need to keep it as light-colored as possible. There are many variations of off-white, such as a slightly greyish color, slightly greyish/blueish... By picking a neutral color you can easily change the feel of the room over the years by changing the "accessories" such as the rug, painting...

Our main "cheap" accessories will be building a large bookcase around one of the doors and adding old books that we can buy for cheap at flea markets or around Paris. We will also have some shelves with plants to give it a fresh, home-like feeling. A few ferns (such as maidenhair) and other plants that can live in full shade (such as astilbe...) will give the place a brighter feel. Also, fresh herbs growing along the windowsill. Plants can be a very cheap option if you can buy some seeds or even get some free plants from some of your friends.

I think we'll be sticking with white because it is so typical of the era... My advice is try to keep some of the original feel of the house. If it's a 100 year old house, roll with it!

Beautiful Space! I have similiar floors and just used Cornforth White Farrow and Ball.
Such a beautiful color and so elegant