What Colors of Carpet Look Best With Walnut Furniture?

Light Colors

• Walnut furniture is typically a rich brown color, but it can be in many shades. To best draw attention to this color, the colors around it need to be lighter and more muted. Light colors such as ivory and tan are ideal for walnut furniture. They are still in the warm color group (necessary because walnut wood also falls into the warm group), but they are light enough to let the furniture be the focal point in the room.

Neutral Shades

• Neutral shades also work well with walnut furniture. Choose a neutral shade based on the tones of the walnut. For example, if it is a natural walnut that is on the lighter side of the spectrum, beige carpeting would be best. If it is a darker brown, choose a light gray color for the carpeting. Once again, you're letting the furniture stand out -- not the carpeting. Neutral colors work with warm and cool color schemes.

Contrasting Colors

• Contrasting colors also draw attention to the wood furniture. Although the traditional color wheel doesn't have a space for brown, you can use the undertones of the wood to help you select the color. If the walnut has a yellow undertone, the contrasting color would be blue. If there is more of a reddish or dark brown undertone to the wood, green would be the contrasting color. In this case, you can go a little darker with the carpeting because the contrast showcases the furniture.

Color Mixes

• When in doubt, you can always select a carpet that has multiple colors. This helps to avoid the "blah" feeling of plain beige carpeting and to break up a darker piece of carpet. For example, with light walnut wood, you could choose a chocolate brown carpet with flecks of tan and beige. For darker wood, choose an oatmeal-colored carpet with flecks of brown and gray. This gives more visual interest to the room without overwhelming the furniture.