Boost Oak Cabinets With Perfect Wall Colors

Oak cabinets offer a classic, warm look in kitchens. However, their distinctive orange undertones can also make a kitchen feel dated. The good news is you don't have to replace your cabinets to give your kitchen a fresh, modern look--simply update your wall color!

Choosing a wall color that complements the existing oak cabinetry can help downplay the orange hues for a more sophisticated aesthetic. Read on for our top tips on selecting the perfect paint to boost your oak kitchen cabinets.

Understand Oak Cabinet Undertones

Before choosing a new wall color, take time to observe your oak cabinets in different lighting at various times of day. Pay attention to the dominant undertones coming through. Oak most commonly has warm yellow and orange undertones. However, different stains and wood grains can lean more toward red or brown tones.

Identifying these undertones is key for selecting a paint color that flatters the existing cabinetry rather than clashing with it. Cool-toned grays and blues are likely to accentuate and intensify orange oak tones in an unappealing way.

Avoid Cool Wall Colors

Paint colors like icy grays, blues, and greens may be modern but tend to look dated and disjointed when paired with warm oak. The clash of cool wall color against the wood cabinets' fiery orange undertones is visually jarring.

Instead of cool tones, shift your search to subtler neutral and earth tone paint colors that quietly complement oak's warmth. Soft grays, warm ivories, oatmeals and mushroom shades are easier on the eyes than high-contrast pairings.

Opt for Neutral Wall Colors

Timeless whites and soft grays effortlessly create a blank canvas for honey oak cabinets to take center stage. Crisp shade White Dove or the slightly warmer Accessible Beige by Benjamin Moore keep the focus on your cabinets' beautiful woodgrain.

For a subtle contrast, greiges like Agreeable Gray balance beige and gray in one color. With muted orange undertones of its own, Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams flatters oak cabinets nicely as well.

Use Contrasting Colors Strategically

While cool shades tend to fight oak cabinets, using deep colors like navy, emerald and eggplant can actually complement the wood's warmth beautifully. The intensity of the color is well-balanced against rich oak.

Strategic application as an accent wall or on kitchen island cabinets prevents high-contrast colors from overwhelming the space. It allows oak cabinets to stand out while infusing the kitchen with drama and sophistication.

Create an Accent Wall

Painting just one wall in a bold, contrasting color is a flexible way to augment oak's natural beauty without commitment to an entirely dark palette. Use the accent wall to establish a color theme then repeat it in small doses throughout the kitchen.

An emerald green accent wall pops against oak cabinets, especially when paired with black metal hardware and fixtures. For a subtler look, a moody navy or eggplant purple accent still adds a color punch.

Incorporate White Kitchen Elements

Crisp white details keep a kitchen looking light and breezy even alongside the heaviness of oak. White subway tile backsplashes, shaker cabinets and fixtures keep the space feeling fresh. Contrasting white seating and accessories prevent orange oak from feeling overwhelming.

Black and white checkerboard flooring also complements orange oak cabinets beautifully. The high contrast look is classically elegant and easy to build upon when bringing in additional colors.

Add Black Kitchen Accents

Painting lower cabinets or an entire kitchen island black is a bold but stunning choice alongside honey oak upper cabinets. The dramatic color combination infuses your kitchen with sophisticated flair.

Smaller black accents also complement oak nicely without going overboard on darkness. Black window frames, hardware, lighting and bar stools balance out orange warmth beautifully.

Find the Right Kitchen Lighting

Spotlights, overhead lighting and natural sunlight all interact differently with oak cabinetry. Cool white lighting mutes orange undertones while warm light enhances them. Experiment to find the most flattering fit for your cabinet color and chosen wall shade.

For a lightweight color scheme like white walls and oak cabinets, cool LED lights keep things airy. The darker your wall color, the more you can withstand warm incandescent lighting on the wood.

The array of materials already present in a kitchen provides great opportunity to layer metals, stone, glass, fabric and more. Complement smooth oak cabinets with rough wood shelving, ceramic knobs, and granite countertops.

Varying textures stops the eyes from getting stuck on one surface like flat painted drywall. It also prevents oak cabinets from appearing too overwhelming or matchy-matchy.

Your oak kitchen cabinets can look stylish with a selection of wall colors and accent tones. Balancing and amplifying oak's striking characteristics through color and texture allows its timeless beauty to shine.