How to Match Countertop and Floor Colors to Your Cabinets
When remodeling a kitchen, choosing countertop and floor colors that complement the cabinets is key to creating a stylish and cohesive look. With so many options for cabinet materials, from warm wood tones to vibrant painted finishes, it can be tricky to know where to start. Keep reading for useful tips on pairing countertops and floors with popular cabinet styles for a put-together kitchen design.
Strategically selecting countertops and floors that work with your cabinet color provides visual interest while preventing clashing. For example, crisp white quartz countertops can help light colored cabinets pop while providing contrast against dark wood cabinetry. Take cabinet, countertop, and flooring colors into consideration holistically when designing your kitchen.
Warm Wood Cabinets Call for Neutral Tones
Wood cabinets in oak, maple, and other woods with golden undertones have an inherently warm and traditional style. Their saturated, brownish colors should be complemented with lighter flooring and countertops.
Countertop Options for Warm Wood Cabinets
White and gray countertops pair nicely with the richness of wood cabinets. The contrast makes both elements stand out. Quartz or granite in a matte white or light gray tone complements the wood grain without competing.
Alternatively, marble countertops provide an elegant white backdrop for golden wood cabinetry. The soft gray veining of the marble keeps the scheme from appearing too stark.
Finding the Right Floor Color
With warm wood cabinets, avoid flooring with a strong color that could clash with the cabinet finish. Subtle beige or gray vinyl plank floors are safe options. For a bit more visual interest, try natural stone tile in a cream, tan, or light brown tone.
Hardwood floors can complement wood cabinets as long as the tones don’t match too closely. Aim for hardwood that is distinctly lighter or darker than the cabinet color.
Boldly Painted Cabinets Open Up Options
Vibrant, painted kitchen cabinets give you the flexibility to be adventurous with your counters and floors. However, stick to some basic principles for the most appealing look.
Suitably Crisp with White Cabinets
An ever-classic choice, white kitchen cabinets have a clean, bright presence. Pair white cabinets with medium to dark wood or tile flooring for contrast. Gray floors in any shade also complement white cabinetry well.
For the counters, white quartz or marble tops are natural choices. Their crisp solidity stands out against the cabinets. Bold pops of color like black quartz or marble surfaces work with white cabinets too.
Making a Color Palette with Painted Cabinets
Painted cabinets in colors like navy blue, sage green and cheerful yellow are bold statements. Stone-look tile, wood laminate or vinyl plank floors tend to suit painted cabinets across the color spectrum.
Create a cohesive feel by choosing a countertop hue that ties into your cabinet color. Blue-gray quartz or marble counters coordinate nicely with blue cabinets, for instance.
Factor in Flooring Material and Style
The textures and patterns of different flooring materials also impact how cabinets, counters and floors work together. Keep these considerations in mind for your kitchen remodel.
Playing with Patterns in Tile
Tiles like classic subway, mosaic, and marble/stone visuals offer colors and designs that can match or contrast cabinetry. Be sure to factor in the grout color as well so your floor palette is complete.
Tiling a kitchen floor and backsplash is a great way to echo colors between surfaces. For example, use blue glass subway tiles on the backsplash with similar blue stone-look floor tiles.
The Practicality of Vinyl and Laminate
Budget-friendly vinyl and laminate mimic the look of other materials while standing up to heavy use. Their sleek, uniform surfaces pair well with busier upper cabinetry.
With wood grain vinyl plank flooring, opt for a fairly different stain tone than your cabinets so the textures don’t seem redundant. For painted cabinets, contrast is key.
Hardwood's Warmth and Charm
With their rich patinas, hardwood floors bring warmth and elegance to a kitchen. For cabinet and hardwood flooring to work together seamlessly, make sure wood stain tones complement rather than precisely match.
Light and white counters provide enough contrast against wood floors to keep the kitchen fresh. With an all-wood scheme, add visual interest through variations in plank size, patterns and finishes.
Choosing Countertop Materials Mindfully
Beyond color, the qualities and profiles of different countertop materials impact the overall kitchen design.
Granite's Strength and Integrity
Granite counters have an aged, natural edge that fits with both traditional and modern cabinets. Most wood cabinets suit black, white or gray granite surfaces. granite’s minerals pair nicely with subway tile backsplashes.
Pairing granite with painted cabinets follows similar guidelines. Just avoid matching deep colored granite with equally saturated dark cabinetry.
The Refinement of Marble
Classic white or gray veining makes marble a sophisticated countertop choice. Marble’s elegance complements virtually all cabinet styles. Especially if your cabinets have ornate detailing, the smoothness of a marble countertop balances the look.
The key with marble is watching out for excessive color clashing. For instance, avoid pairing jet black marble with dark wood cabinets.
Quartz's Strength and Style
With its durability and variety of color options, quartz merges the ease of maintenance of solid surfaces with high-end style. White quartz has a particularly clean, bright presence against darker cabinet colors.
Meanwhile, gray quartz brings out the richness of wood cabinetry without competing. Go bold with a color like red if your kitchen can handle the drama.
When remodeling your kitchen, treat cabinet, countertop and floor color choices as a cohesive palette. Contrast and complement to strike the right balance. Keep flooring materials and cabinet textures in mind as well for a holistic design.
From classic white marble counters paired with oak cabinets to funky green tiles combined with vivid turquoise painted cabinetry, the possibilities are endless. How will you match your countertops and floors to your dream cabinets?