Light and Dark Wood: Happy Together in One Large room
June 4, 2026
Jaques Saint Dizier’s California Craftsman in Architectural Digest
A reader has written to ask if it’s OK to blend light and dark wood in the same space. Specifically, she has a light oak kitchen and wants to buy a set of furniture in a dark oak finish for her “great room”, a large space which opens to the kitchen. My answer is absolutely! But to pull it off you need to balance the shades between the two rooms. The kitchen will need some dark brown accents and the living room some gold, khaki, caramel or tan ones. This way both colors are drawn through the entire space. Personally, I’m not a big fan of full matching sets of anything whether it’s dining room furniture or kitchen cabinets, but sometimes we have to design around existing conditions, or possessions.
Here are some strategies for the kitchen:
Silestone Countertops, Mountain Series color Sierra Madre
Smith and Noble Bamboo Woven Blinds with brown edge band
striped fabric for a roman shade or seat cushions
Tigerman McCurry Architects in Architectural Digest
And here are some ideas for living and dining areas. From sisal rugs, to carved wooden bowls, baskets, brown fabric curtains, dark stained woodwork, hand painted wooden furniture, and warm brown leather sofas, the designers in these following photos mixed all shades of brown, orange, rust and gold together.
A renovated mid century in Chicago, by Tigerman McCurry Architects
Hamilton Ottoman in Saddle Leather, Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware's Salvaged Wood Collection
Farmhouse keeping room by Bell-Guilmet Assoc. in Architectural Digest
Designer Barry Dixon
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