Dark cabinetry is the latest trend in accessorizing the kitchen. However, most people experience difficulties in trying to match the dark cabinets with suitable flooring options.
The wood flooring you choose can either increase the elegance in your kitchen or make it dull.
So, what color wood flooring goes with dark cabinets?
Dark cabinets are best matched with bright wood floorings like Red Oak, White Oak, and Maple. Lighter colored flooring increases the room’s brightness and eliminates the cave-like dull feeling that dark colors bring into the room. Also, the dark cabinets will stand out more if you use light flooring.
If you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen or moving to a new space, dark cabinets can go a long way to make your kitchen look great. Both you and your guests will be in for ‘wow’ moments as the dark cabinets will stand out big time. T
his article suggests some floor and cabinet pairing options and other recommendations for your kitchen.
What Color Wood Floor Go With Dark Cabinets?
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Wood flooring is sophisticated and authentic. You can never go wrong with wood flooring, no matter the colors you bring in or any other designs you choose in the room. This is because of its earthy tone that automatically adds warmth and beauty to the room.
Different wood choices have different colors, ranging from light to dark hues depending on the wood type. Lighter wood colors contrast with the dark color on the cabinets, allowing the dark cabinets to stand out. They become easily noticeable.
However, some people go for a dark-on-dark combination, such that they choose a dark wood flooring to go with the dark cabinets. The goal is to create a dark color theme for the kitchen. However, this approach is not always very friendly because it leaves the kitchen feeling dull and gloomy.
Most wood types can be used to create a dark wood floor because of their dark nature. There are others that are naturally light-colored and are excellent choices to match with dark cabinets.
Examples of some naturally light-colored wood for flooring include Red Oak, White Oak, and Maple. Red Oak is more popular because of its salmon undertones deep into the wood. White Oak presents a light nutty brown color that easily captures the heart and the eyes.
White Maple also fits in this category because of its lighter hue. It combines well with other colors because it creates a neutral feeling for the floor. When matched with the dark cabinets, it helps to get rid of the dark mood in the room by bringing in significant brightness.
Maple is considered the lightest of the wood flooring hardwoods available and gives your room a modern and classy tone. Therefore, if you put it in your kitchen, it will contrast with the dark cabinets while adding some brightness to the kitchen.
If you’d like to follow a dark-on-dark approach for your flooring and cabinets, you can choose from the naturally dark hardwood options available. These are the likes of ebony, rosewood, walnut, mahogany, and teak. These dark hardwoods have a fine texture and appear polished.
It’s for this reason that most people choose them without much consideration of the cost. The dark hardwoods are come at a much higher cost compared to other kinds.
Dark hardwood floors are elegant and upgrade the overall look of your room.
However, if you use dark wood flooring together with dark cabinets, your room may appear dull and gloomy instead of exuding the elegance that comes with dark wood flooring.
Are Black Cabinets in Style?
If you have been to most real estate projects, you must have noticed that most designers are choosing to use black kitchen cabinets in most of them. This is continuously becoming a strong trend, so more people are opting for dark cabinets in their kitchen.
Black is not the only color making a statement in dark-themed kitchens. People are also choosing deep and rich color tones of green and brown, with most ranging from brown to black. These colors are bold and add some glamor to the kitchen.
Dark colors make the room look smaller, while bright colors make the room appear larger. Therefore, most kitchens with dark cabinets are well spacious with large windows to allow more natural light. Otherwise, the kitchen will end up looking so dark.
A kitchen is a place where you engage dangerous things like fire and knives. Therefore, there’s a need to have more light on it. You can do this by having more natural light during the day and bright overhead lights at night.
Black always absorbs some light, and the kitchen may look gloomy if you have less bright light.
The best light to use for a dark-themed kitchen is white light so that it doesn’t get overpowered by the dark theme. Your kitchen will glow, and all the colors will resonate under the white light.
If you like your dark cabinets, you can choose to adjust other accessories in the kitchen so that you can add some brightness to the room. As discussed in this article, a suitable approach would by including light-colored wood flooring.
Wood flooring will add some class to your kitchen and so that it doesn’t feel old-fashioned. In my opinion, black (or dark-colored) cabinets are trendy and in style, and you can rock them in your kitchen for a pronounced dark theme.
Should Kitchen Counter Tops Match The Cabinets Or The Floor?
Like the cabinets and the floor, kitchen countertops speak volumes about your kitchen and your overall personality. They also contribute largely to the outlook of the kitchen since that’s where most of the kitchen activities are done.
When choosing the color of the kitchen countertops, you should match it with the color of the cabinets in such a way that they match the color of the floor.
If your cabinets are dark, it’s preferable to have dark countertops which resemble the cabinets.
Since the floor is a light wood color, it will easily blend in to match the countertops’ color without looking overdone. It works the same when you have a bright color theme for the cabinets.
For example, if you choose the White Marble for the kitchen cabinets, then a dark flooring will complete it. In this case, the kitchen tops should match the color shade on the countertops so that they can resonate well.
How To Brighten A Kitchen With Dark Cabinets?
Dark Cabinets are loud and stand out in every kitchen, especially if the walls are bright. They can easily make the kitchen look dark and gloomy if you put little effort into countering it.
Here are some things you can do to add more brightness to the kitchen with dark cabinets.
Find a suitable place to hang a mirror.
A mirror in the kitchen? Yes. Mirrors have a trick of adding more light into the room. It’s more like an illusion, but it works perfectly. It shouldn’t be too big or pronounced so that it doesn’t overdo its purpose.
Alternatively, you can bring in some mirrored items which can serve the same purpose.
Use Overhead Lighting
Overhead lighting spreads light evenly across the different parts of the kitchen. A clamp lamp is a good option for lighting. You’ll no longer have to deal with minimal lighting, and your kitchen will be as bright as you need it to be.
This can go hand in hand with other brighter bulbs positioned in different places in the kitchen.
Use Under Cabinet Lighting
Since the cabinets are dark, they may minimize the amount of light getting under them.
Therefore, you can stick some lights under the cabinets so that you’re able to see what you’re doing. They’ll go a long way since the countertops are also dark like the cabinets.
Add Items with Bright Colors
If you feel that your kitchen is too dark and dull, you can bring in a few other items with brighter colors so that they can weigh down the dark mood.
For example, use bright curtains for the kitchen window, hang a brightly colored painting on the kitchen wall, or use metallic items.
At least you’ll have something bright to look at other than your dark kitchen cabinet.
Paint the Wall With Bright Colors
The wall plays a significant role in the overall outlook of your kitchen since the cabinets are attached to it. Therefore, if you have dark cabinets, you can choose to have brightly colored walls.
Your dark cabinets will be a spectacle to behold, and your kitchen will be bright enough. Popular kitchen wall colors include yellow, white, green, and sandy brown.
Conclusion
Wood flooring is a trend that can never be outdated. It’s classy and sophisticated, so your kitchen will be a beautiful place for you and your guest.
However, it’s important to carefully choose the type of wood flooring you want so that you can have the best results.
