Colour Pairings for Timber Interiors

Blog |

 

Whether you’re renovating, building, or refreshing a single room, our Pairings Collection makes it easier to create interiors that work together seamlessly. Our experts help you navigate colour and texture choices, so you can make confident decisions and achieve a look that fits perfectly with your style and space.


Why Colour Matters

Timber is a beautiful, natural material that brings warmth and texture to any space, but its aesthetic can change dramatically depending on the colours you pair it with. Warm tones in timber, like honey and caramel, may clash with cooler hues unless carefully balanced, while rich dark timbers can easily overpower a space without the right supporting palette.

That’s where our Pairing Collections come in. We consider every detail—from the timber's undertones to your room's natural light—helping you select colours and textures that enhance, not compete with, your chosen timber.


Why Match When You Can Pair?

It’s tempting to aim for “matching” elements in your space, but matching can feel overly rigid and frankly, unnatural. Timber, being a raw and organic product, is unique in every way—no two planks are the same. This makes matching difficult, and when you attempt it, the result often feels forced. True harmony is found through thoughtful pairing, where contrasting tones—sometimes even similar but never exact—work together to enhance the wood’s character.

Even when the same timber product colour is used across different applications, the colour will always appear slightly different due to lighting and angles. For example, the same product on the floor, ceiling and walls will take on unique tones in each setting, making ‘matching’ practically impossible.

Our Pairings Collection takes these nuances into account, providing tailored recommendations that work seamlessly in your space.

Our Pairing Collections

The team at Forté has curated a series of Colour and Complementary Pairing Collections to simplify the specification process for professionals and homeowners. With these compatible products, you can create seamless and visually interesting design concepts with ease. 

Each pairing has been curated to include the following products: 

We are proud to be the only New Zealand supplier to offer pairings including both interior and exterior products. Our aim with these pairings is to simplify the specification process. By choosing these products, you guarantee that the foundation of your space is seamless and considered.

Each pairing comes with various alternatives available, allowing you to customise the tones, finishes and product costs to suit the needs of your project. 

All our products are also pre-finished, ensuring the product colour you see is what is installed, with no unwanted surprises.


Colour Pairings 

Our Colour Pairings collection was meticulously curated to achieve cohesion and visual continuity in architectural design. By featuring flooring, panelling, decking and cladding products that are tonally matched, you achieve a flawless and unified space. 

Coast

Coast is our lightest colour pairing, comprising pale sandy hues and subtle white undertones. Featured in this palette are the Artiste Grande Picasso wood flooring, Muuro Fresco Oak wall panelling, Millboard Limed Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Limed Oak cladding. 

COAST - colour pairing display

 

COAST - colour pairing moodboard

 

COAST - colour pairing

 

Alpine

Alpine is a collection of elegant, rustic textures in muted grey hues with cool undertones. Featured in this palette are the Atelier Marl wood flooring, Salvare Silvered Spruce wall panelling, Millboard Smoked Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Smoked Oak cladding. 

ALPINE - colour pairings display

 

ALPINE - colour pairings moodboard

 

ALPINE colour pairings

 

Highland

Highland is a collection of subtly textured timber in warm, honey tones, and earthy hues. Featured in this palette are the Loft Brighton wood flooring, Muuro Sienna Oak wall panelling, Millboard Golden Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Golden Oak cladding. 

Highland colour pairings display

 

Highland colour pairings moodboard

 

Highlands colour pairings

 

Canyon

Canyon is a collection of soft walnut tones combined with subtle grey hues. Featured in this palette are the Smartfloor Tawny Oak wood flooring, Imondi Weathered Oak wall panelling, Millboard Golden Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Golden Oak cladding. 

Canyon colour pairings display

 

Canyon colour pairings moodboard

 

Canyon colour pairings

 

Forest

Forest is a collection of rich, earthy browns, paired with rugged textured timber. Featured in this palette are the Villa Russet wood flooring, Muuro Sabel wall panelling, Millboard Antique Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Antique Oak cladding.

Forest colour pairings display

 

Forest colour pairings moodboard

 

Forest colour pairings

 

Riverbed

Riverbed is a collection of rich dark browns, enhanced by shades of black. Featured in this palette are the Moda Dolcedo wood flooring, Imondi Weathered Oak wall panelling, Millboard Antique Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Antique Oak cladding. 

Riverbed colour pairings

 

Riverbed colour pairings moodboard

 

Riverbed colour pairings

 

Ravine

Ravine is a collection of deep, rich browns and velvety black tones. Featured in this palette  are Urban Seoul engineered wood flooring, Muuro Noir Oak wall panelling, Millboard Embered Oak decking, and Envello Board & Batten+ Burnt Cedar cladding. 

Ravine colour pairings display

 

Ravine colour pairings moodboard

 

Ravine colour pairings

 

 

Complementary Pairings

Our Complementary Pairings feature a combination of dynamic contrasts and harmonious hues across our interior and exterior products. While the products may not tonally match, they embrace the juxtaposition of complementary colours to achieve a visually integrating, seamless, and inspiring design. 

Haze

Haze is a collection of greys and browns, with varying textures and grains. Featured in this palette are the Artiste Grande Van Gogh wood flooring, Salvare Silvered Spruce wall panelling, Millboard Driftwood Oak decking, and Envello Board & Batten+ Antique Oak cladding. 

Haze complementary pairings display

 

Haze complementary pairings moodboard

 

Haze complementary pairings

 

Mist

Mist is a mixture of dark black tones, grey-brown tones, and light textures. Featured in this palette are the Loft Tribeca wood flooring, Tactile Ebon wood panelling, Millboard Smoked Oak decking, and Envello Board & Batten+ Burnt Cedar cladding.

Mist complementary pairings display

 

Mist complementary pairings moodboard

 

Mist complementary pairings

 

Silt

Silt is a mix of warm blonde tones, deep browns, charcoal, and smooth textures. Featured in this palette are the Loft Harlem wood flooring, Muuro Fresco Oak wall panelling, Millboard Golden Oak decking, and Envello Board & Batten+ Burnt Cedar cladding. 

Silt complementary pairings display

 

Silt complementary pairings moodboard

 

Silt complementary pairings

 

Tundra

Tundra offers a cohesive yet contrasting blend of rich mid-tone browns, offset with a sun-bleached white and a dark brown with a weathered texture. Featured in this palette are the Loft Stamford wood flooring, Muuro Sabel wall panelling, Millboard Vintage Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Limed Oak cladding.  

Tundra complementary pairing display

 

Tundra complementary pairing moodboard

 

Tundra complementary pairing

 

Slate

Slate is a collection of stark contrasts, blending deep blacks, sun-bleached white, and subtle blondes. Featured in this palette are the Artiste Grande Picasso wood flooring, Muuro Noir Oak wall panelling, Millboard Antique Oak decking, and Envello Shadow Line+ Limed Oak cladding. 

Slate complementary pairing display

 

Slate complementary pairing moodboard

 

Slate complementary pairings

 

Grove

Grove is a moody and contemporary mixture of deep blacks, dark browns, and charred textures. Featured in this palette are the Loft Soho wood flooring, Salvare Charred Spruce wall panelling, Millboard Embered Oak decking, and Envello Board & Batten+ Antique Oak cladding. 

Grove complementary pairing display

 

Grove complementary pairings moodboard

 

Grove complementary pairings

 

 

The benefits of our Colour Pairings

Interior and exterior pairings

Here at Forté, we are proud to offer palettes with interior and exterior products. Each pairing has been handpicked to include engineered wood flooring, wall panelling, decking, and cladding that blend effortlessly. 

Simple specification process

These curated pairings are designed to simplify the specification process, providing certainty that your chosen products will work well together. By specifying these products, you ensure your project is cohesive and visually appealing.

For more advice and product information, please book a consultation with one of our team. 

Alternative products

Each pairing comes with various alternatives available for each product type, allowing you to customise the tones and finishes of your project within the palette. You can view these alternative options in the pairings brochure or on the individual pairings pages on the website. 

Download our Pairings Guide today

Colour retention and durability

All our products are also pre-finished, ensuring an exact colour match from what you see in our brochure to the installed product. This also results in a more durable finish than can be achieved with a finish that is applied on-site, guaranteeing a longer lifespan for your new Forté products. 

 

Exterior and Interior Timber Products NZ

To find out more about your options, explore our colour pairings page on our website or download your free copy of our Product Pairings Brochure. If you’re interested book a consultation with us and we’ll help you design your own curated palette.




Visit one of our Showrooms

If you have any queries about our products or need help with your project, we can provide you with expert advice. Visit one of our showrooms or book a consultation with our flooring experts today.