Learn How to Match Existing Natural Hardwood with New LVP

One of the most common challenges we encounter at The Floor Store involves the “mixed-material” home. Perhaps you have gorgeous, original 1950s oak hardwoods in your San Jose living room, but you want to renovate your kitchen or mudroom with something 100% waterproof.

You want the durability of Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), but you don’t want your home to look like a patchwork quilt of mismatched wood grains.

Matching new LVP to existing natural hardwood is an art form. As the Bay Area’s flooring specialists with 10 showrooms from Santa Rosa to San Jose, we’ve mastered the “near-perfect match.” Here is our expert guide on how to blend these two worlds seamlessly.

Steps on How to Match Existing Hardwood with New Luxury Vinyl

1. Identify Your Undertones (The “Gold, Red, or Grey” Test)

The biggest mistake homeowners make is matching the darkness of the wood rather than the undertone. Even if the colors seem close in the showroom, once they are laid side-by-side in your Dublin or San Carlos home, the differences will pop.

• Warm Undertones: If your existing hardwood has hints of orange, yellow, or gold (common in traditional Oak or Heart Pine), look for LVP with “Honey,” “Wheat,” or “Golden” in the name.
• Cool Undertones: If your wood looks silvery, ashy, or slightly grey (common in weathered or modern-stained woods), stick to “Nordic,” “Sand,” or “Stone” LVP palettes.
• Red Undertones: For Cherry, Mahogany, or Brazilian Walnut, you’ll need an LVP with a “Copper” or “Russet” base to prevent the new floor from looking “flat” or “green” next to the real wood.

2. Don’t Try to “Twin”—Try to “Coordinate”

It is nearly impossible to find a 100% identical match between a natural product (which has infinite organic variation) and a manufactured product (which uses a printed image).

Instead of aiming for an identical twin, aim for a coordinated cousin. * Contrast is your friend: If you can’t get the color within a 90% match, consider going intentionally darker or lighter.

A charcoal-toned LVP in a kitchen can look stunning against a medium-oak hallway, whereas a “slightly-off” oak LVP will just look like a mistake.

3. Match the Grain Pattern and Scale

The “vibe” of a wood floor is determined by its grain. If your original San Francisco Victorian has narrow 2-inch “strip” flooring, installing a massive 9-inch wide-plank LVP next to it will create a visual clash in scale.

• The Grain: If your hardwood has a heavy, swirling grain (like Hickory or Oak), find an LVP with high-definition “embossed-in-register” (EIR) textures. This means the texture of the plank actually follows the pattern of the printed grain.
• The Width: Try to keep the plank widths within a few inches of each other to maintain a consistent “rhythm” throughout the home.

4. Lighting is the Ultimate Decider

The way a floor looks in our Concord or Fairfield showroom is not how it will look in your specific hallway. Bay Area light varies wildly—from the foggy, diffused light of San Francisco to the bright, direct sun of Sunnyvale.

The Golden Rule: Never commit to an LVP match without taking a sample home. Place the LVP sample directly on top of your existing hardwood and observe it at three different times:

1. Morning: When natural light is most blue.
2. Afternoon: When the “Golden Hour” highlights warm tones.
3. Evening: Under your home’s artificial LED or incandescent bulbs.

Visit The Floor Store for More Information and Expertise

With 10 locations across Northern California, we have the largest library of LVP samples in the region.

Our team members are specifically trained to help with color matching. We encourage you to bring in a spare plank of your original hardwood (if you have one) or take high-quality photos in natural light.

We carry a curated selection of top-tier LVP brands that prioritize realistic wood visuals, making the transition between your “forever” hardwoods and your “worry-free” vinyl almost invisible to the naked eye.

Our Locations

1. Richmond / Albany, CA
2. Burlingame, CA – Outlet Now Open
3. Concord, CA
4. The Flooring Store in Dublin, CA
5. Fairfield, CA
6. San Carlos, CA
7. San Francisco, CA
8. San Jose, CA
9. San Rafael, CA
10. Santa Rosa, CA
11. Sunnyvale, CA