There is nothing quite as versatile as wooden floors. Be it a simple studio apartment or a luxury mansion, wood elevates any home’s interior design. Be it is a city loft or a farmhouse, wood fits right in with any aesthetic. When it comes to wooden flooring, you are spoiled for choice!

Don’t know where to begin? Look no further! Nitido Design will walk you through our top choices for hardwood floors in modern residential interior design.

A Quick Guide to Different Types of Hardwood Floors for your Luxury Home

Oak wood

Oak, also known as baloot in Hindi, is the most popular pick of hardwoods in India. It has a high tolerance to dents and scratches. This ensures that your floors will maintain their good looks with low maintenance. Oak floors have a luxurious feel and can go a long way in influencing the ambience of a room. For infusing warmth in a room, we like to go with red oak varieties. They have rust and pink undertones that lend it a bright character. To add coolness to a design, white oak is a better choice. It has gray green undertones and a uniform grain appearance, which gives a calm and smooth effect.

Maple wood

As a top interior design firm, we are not only designing residences but creating homes. We look beyond mere aesthetic and choose materials that will work for our clients. For families with children or pets, we always suggest maple hardwood floors. This is a tough, strong, and durable wood type with a fine understated grain pattern. The colours for maple vary from a buttery white to light brown. As maple is very resistant to moisture, we love using it in our Mumbai homes. Check out some of our projects in the city that never sleeps here.

Cherry wood

Maple is a light coloured wood. On the other side of the spectrum we have cherry wood. Sanded finish, glossy look, rich dark colours that only deepen with age – this is a sophisticated wood that demands attention. This complements a dark palette or adds depth in a light palette. However, cherry requires quite a bit of upkeep as it is rather prone to scratches. But it has a neat and distinguished look that goes well with a home office, study, or bedroom. So if you want to add a touch of finesse in certain spaces, cherry is your answer.

Mahogany wood

In the realm of lavish woods, the absolute monarch is mahogany. It lies on the more expensive side, but it sure delivers. It has a regal look, created by a handsome wavy grain and classic colour. But mahogany is more than just a pretty face. This wood is durable, resistant to water, and long lasting. It takes any luxury interior design plan to a whole new level.

Pine and Bamboo

Hardwood floors are exceptional, but they might not be the right choice for everyone. For those who like the look of wood, but want something a little different – let us introduce you to pine and bamboo. Pine or devdar is a local, renewable, and fine proxy to hardwoods. It is a resilient softwood that does well when exposed to the seasonal weather changes of India. Pine also requires low upkeep and durable which makes it a big winner in our eyes.

Bamboo is technically a grass, but can be used for wood floorings. It is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative as it grows faster than hardwood trees. Bamboo has a fresh and clean look, which is why it is a popular interior design element in minimal and modern residences.

What else do you need to know?

Choosing a wood type for your home is a big decision. Depending on your budget, needs, and personal taste; there is a plethora of selections available to you. Let’s narrow it down a little by tackling some broad categories for hardwood flooring.

Unfinished or Finished Wood?

Unfinished hardwood flooring means the wooden boards are stained after being installed in your home. This is useful in kitchens since the protective finish penetrates between the boards. This creates a seal and prevents water from seeping through.

It also allows you to customize the look and colour of your wooden floor. If you need to match the colour of the new wood to an existing floor, unfinished wood is the best choice.

The downside is that it requires more time and effort. But worry not, this is why we have finished hardwood floors. These are pre-sanded and stained which means the installation is a lot faster. If you are renovating your home while still living there, finished woods are a good option. Since they are already chemically treated, you do not have to dealing with odours and volatile compounds that come with preparing the wood.

Solid or Engineered Wood?

Solid wood refers to boards that are wood through and through. This is the real deal and it feels like it too. For luxury homes, the interior design benefits from having solid hardwood floors. These floors can be sanded and refinished several times. However, it is vulnerable to humidity. It oftens suffers from expansion and contraction with seasonal changes.

Engineered wood is a veneer of real wood fixed onto several layers of plywood. This increases the stability of the board and makes it more durable and less expensive. But, it can only be sanded once or twice depending on the thickness of the veneer.

There you have it! A quick glimpse into the beautiful world of hardwood floorings. But, we still have so much more to tell you. Reach out to Nitido Design today and let us help you pick the right wood for your home!