Chests and dressers with dark wood finishes are an excellent fit for many styles and color schemes. The dark brown hue is neutral enough to work with just about any combination of hues. Here, a darkly stained chest contrasts beautifully against the lighter tones of the bedding ensemble.

Hardy furniture pieces such as consoles or credenzas offer a great opportunity to mix woods with different materials for a result that's sculptural. This console table features espresso toned wood with a neutral black-brown stone inlay which helps it serve double duty as art and a practical place to store your stuff.

Wooden desks, tables and chests can be elevated to the next level with limed finishes. This allows the grain of the wood to stand out, creating depth. Furniture pieces with limed finishes are excellent in more minimalist spaces since their textural values contrast nicely against more stark backgrounds. 

Bring a touch of glamour to your eat-in kitchen with wooden stools stained in an ebony finish. Best referred to as black, ebony wood is usually more in the charcoal family and allows the grain of the wood to show through.

Medium brown wood tones can change appearances drastically depending on what they're paired with. Here, in the basement bedroom at HGTV Smart Home 2016, the espresso-toned night stands look more gray in color thanks to the deep gray-brown luxe upholstered headboard just a few inches away.

A combination of washed and antique techniques can result in something spectacular and classically European. The turned arm and leg construction of this arm chair gives it old world charm while the unexpected gray finish takes it into the 21st century.

Light brown woods are excellent choices for rooms meant to be bright, airy and casual. This occasional bench can be used for many purposes: an extra surface for books or drinks, a sculpture along a wall or impromptu seating for guests. 

A simple rule to follow anytime you're mixing different wood finishes is to either go in extremely opposite directions, by pairing whitewashed wood with ebony wood, or layer different intensities of the same color. Here, medium brown vessels sit atop an espresso-stained media center. The two seamlessly work together since they're part of the same tonal family.

Give your dining room, breakfast nook or eat-in kitchen a collected, eclectic look by mixing upholstered chairs with wooden chairs. This dining room is kept dramatic and traditional thanks to generously sized emerald green wingback chairs at the heads of the table and pecan toned ladder back side chairs.