Of the seemingly infinite home design and improvement topic rabbit holes to fall into, handling millwork is a profound one. Opinions about wood hues, tones, and colors are intense. Add to this mix concerns related to historic integrity and architectural authenticity, and feelings can run hot. After the post-aughts reign of light and bright, however, what’s old is new again, and dark woods have begun making their triumphant return in 2025.
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“People are looking for warm and comforting interiors these days, and that includes consideration of darker woods and stains,” observes designer Steven Johanknecht of AD100 firm Commune Design. Designer Karen Spector of Los Angeles–based Lovers Unite sees reciprocal inspirations between private and public spaces as a factor that’s helping turn the tide. During the past decade-plus, pale white oak “was huge for residential interiors, and it made the jump to commercial spaces,” Spector says. “It was associated with coffee shops and became so ubiquitous.” Now, light-colored timber’s dominance is giving way to deeper, soulful wood surfaces at home for ceilings, floors, and everything in between.
Some homeowners and their designers are going big on the sumptuous dark honey hues of the 1960s and ’70s, such as AD100 talent Andre Mellone’s fresh reinterpretation of an alpine getaway for Lauren Santo Domingo and family. Others are using wood stains in context-sensitive, expressive, and nuanced ways that still would have won over the likes of finicky traditionalists like Charles Rennie Mackintosh. In the 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designer Geoffrey De Sousa’s paneled living room is currently making a strong argument for dark woods’ return.
Johanknecht and studio partner Roman Alonso’s non-purist approach reflects a shift in how designers consider wood treatment. Whether in a ground-up project or an intensive renovation, “We are not afraid to mix woods in an interior,” Alonso says. “It comes down to tonality and grain in order to keep things harmonious.” As seen in AD100 designer Neal Beckstedt’s historic Sag Harbor home, tonality is a spectrum—there’s dark and then there’s darker than prevailing trends.
A general through line of neutral earthiness has a certain appeal nearly anywhere in a residential interior. Paul Kropp, founder of US cabinetry maker Bakes & Kropp, registers a shift away from “gray stains on everything. For 2025 we are seeing this evolve even further into classic tones of tan, nut brown, and dark brown,” he says. Arrie Oliver, general manager of Copper Sky Design and Remodel, which specializes in historic homes in the Atlanta area, helps clients find an aesthetically flexible sweet spot. “Mid-tone stains often feel more timeless and are suitable for any style of decor, which is attractive to clients who like to make easy swaps to keep up with the ever-shrinking timeline of the trend cycle,” he says.
Application is key. While Seth Ballard of Washington, DC–based Ballard and Mensua Architecture has also noticed an uptick in demand for deeper stains, he cautions against what he calls “log cabin fever.” “People can end up a little depressed,” he shares. “I have diagnosed that this is because too many wood projects have the same stain color throughout on more than one plane. Walls can close in without definition.” He is inclined to opt for moments of contrast that retain the inherent characteristics of wood, such as dark-stained window sashes paired with white trim instead of black paint, as has been the lingua franca of the modern farmhouse style, for instance. Stefan Hurray, an associate at Barnes Vanze Architects doesn’t see a return to dark wood-swathed rooms among his clientele but finds opportunities to incorporate statement woods, including walnut-accented cabinet interiors. “It’s really hard to find community so you can have a community of woods in your house,” jokes architect Alan Koch of Lovers Unite about his and Spector’s affinity for types like cherry, redwood, and walnut.
When sourcing raw materials, white oak can have an affordability advantage; Kropp declares oak and walnut, “The kings of the kitchen woods! These are perfect backgrounds for some richer tones that are starting to trend,” he comments. But there’s another benefit to these varieties that resonates with current headlines. “We are lucky that the US produces the very best oak and walnut so no tariff threats will affect the supply of these species,” he adds. Oliver and Ballard point to red oak as a cost-effective option for darker flooring too, especially when, say, dark hickory isn’t financially practical. Meanwhile, Johanknecht and Alonso are partial to reclaimed products and old-growth wood. “Costs can be higher but the quality, grain, and added soul make a project special,” Johanknecht says. “Clients appreciate the difference.”
Because refinishing is a massively disruptive prospect, longevity is top of mind for interior wood surfaces, especially flooring. An ebonized or other pronounced tonal direction can make a striking statement when juxtaposed with lighter walls, but for a longer and practical lifespan, mid-toned, matte finish flooring is still the way to go. One major faux pas? “A telltale sign of a dated floor is a high gloss topcoat making the floor look more akin to hard plastic instead of natural wood,” Oliver explains.
Ultimately, however, it can be a fool’s errand to feel tied to any particular hue or mood. “The choice of darker woods is often contextual to the work we do,” notes Atlanta-based AD PRO Directory designer Laura Jenkins, who recently designed a custom cabinet for an in-progress Mediterranean Revival style house. Its two-toned veneer evokes the property’s 1930s roots. “When selecting new materials, it’s all about tapping into the home’s architectural soul and historical context,” Jenkins maintains. “Design trends ebb and flow, but thoughtfully chosen woodwork is truly timeless."
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