There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to whether your floor should be lighter or darker than your cabinets, but as a general rule of thumb, use darker floors with light cabinetry and vice versa. When it comes to striking the right balance between your kitchen cabinets and your floor, contrast is a useful tool.
Mix, Don't Match!
When it comes to floors and cabinetry in a kitchen, you might think you have to find materials that are an exact match. However, as interior design experts recommend, the idea is to mix complementing materials, not match them.
Create drama with darks
'If you want to create a really dramatic effect, then opting for a dark floor is perfect as it'll help to make the room feel really moody,' says interior designer Shalini Misra. 'You can even pair dark cabinets with a darker floor in similar tones to make a real statement. '
Wood floors with dark cabinets: What looks best? In most situations, light wood floors look best with dark cabinets. This is because when you have dark cabinets on top of dark floors it can make the space seem smaller — and of course, darker.
Typically, gray and white hardwood goes best with dark blue, green, and black cabinets. On the other hand, rich, natural hardwoods like oak and maple will complement dark brown, dark red, and rust-colored cabinets.
The key is to choose different shades and textures of the same hue and then opt for one or two contrasting colors. For instance, you might go with ivory cabinets, light oak flooring, a cream-colored backsplash, and brown quartz counters.
A slightly dark gray shade is modern, while natural beige wood tones are versatile. Avoid hues that are too orange, as they can look outdated and don't pair well with your white cabinetry. Light floors: Light hardwood is the best color floor for a white kitchen if you want to maintain an airy feel.
There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to whether your floor should be lighter or darker than your cabinets, but as a general rule of thumb, use darker floors with light cabinetry and vice versa. When it comes to striking the right balance between your kitchen cabinets and your floor, contrast is a useful tool.
Neutral colours like white and cream give natural wood space to shine; stick to pale wood for small or narrow kitchens where dark corners are a risk, or create contrast in a larger kitchen with white units and dark wood floors.
Darker floors are better suited for larger rooms and open floor plans. Another seemingly unrelated factor to consider is how often you clean your floors. Light hardwood flooring can hide small flaws, dirt, and debris, but anything larger will be very noticeable.
A good rule of thumb is that more delicate pieces of furniture go well with lighter floors, while heavier pieces match better with dark woods. This will help you preserve balance in the room so that everything gets its chance to shine within the space.
Contrast is one of the core rules of any style or decor, so the easiest way to match furniture and floors is to go with dark furniture on light floors or light furniture on dark floors.
In most cases, the cabinets are installed before the floor covering but after the subfloor and underlayment. The floor covering or finish is usually cut to fit and butted against the cabinets, with a small gap between the two that is covered by nailing a shoe molding or baseboard to the bottom of the base cabinets.
Dark or light floors can be equally successful choices with white cabinets. A dark floor dials up the contrast with the cabinets so can create a more dramatic look, while a light floor creates a more subtle tone-on-tone effect.
Don't Pick the Exact Same Shade
If you match the colors too closely, they can run together. It may look like the cabinets and the floor are all one big mass. Light and dark woods look fantastic together. You could also consider painting your cabinets if you want them really different from the wood floor.
Light colors are more reflective than dark colors and they will make your kitchen appear bigger as well as more open and airy. Light blues, greens, or pale yellows are other great colors to make your space look larger than life.
Neutral colors like beige, grey and greige are especially timeless and pair nicely with a variety of decor styles. For a classic look, opt for warm tones such as honey brown, deep cherry, or espresso. Cooler tones like ash grey, natural oak, and white can add a modern flair to any space.
Floors with a white finish go with almost everything. A light burlap-like color is a great choice because you still get a light floor, without installing a truly “white” floor. You can use a variety of wood species to create a light floor.
Urban subway tiles can give the sense of opening up the most miniscule area. The thick black lines between the subway tiles give the illusion that the kitchen is bigger. If you can't afford to change your kitchen tiles, a geometric floor runner can provide the same visual effect.
The contrast isn't quite as stark but you still get the effects of this high-impact design. Dark wood floors and bright white cabinets are an excellent combination. They are especially great in a room that has light challenges.
You may be surprised to learn that dark wood flooring can help to make your room look bigger too. Darker flooring offers an inviting feel and opens up a space. Whether you choose rich colours or softer dark colours, they both have their advantages when it comes to expanding the appearance of a room.
Flooring: Wood is by far the most-used flooring option for traditional white kitchens. Darker stains provide a gorgeous contrast against white cabinets, while incorporating a natural feel. Ceramic tile is another great choice--the fewer grout lines, the better for a more seamless look.
Gray is great for matching with light cabinets because there are so many shades of gray. A light gray will blend well with the cabinets to create a very open look. Dark gray will contrast against the cabinets and make them stand out.