What Goes With Wood Cabinets?

While painted cabinets have surged in popularity, unpainted cabinets made of real wood, either stained or left natural, are a luxury that will always work. But since wood cabinets come in so many tones that lend their own color to the mix, it can be tricky to know just what to put with them to make them look their best. Whether you rent or own your home, and whether your cabinets are new or original to the house, If you’ve been wondering what on earth to put with your wood cabinets, these ideas should help.

Granite counters and gray-green glass tile. These red birch cabinets look warm and rich against a grayish-green glass tile backsplash and granite counters with gray tones. Try this classic look with midtone wood cabinets, like honey-toned oak or cherry.


If you liked the last look but have dark cabinets, consider giving it a slight twist — the deep tone of walnut cabinets looks stunning against light marble counters. Gray tile floors in a herringbone pattern and a watery gray-green glass tile backsplash offer contrast for a fresh, contemporary look. This space has white walls, but gray would also be smashing.


Marble counters, wood floors and statement lighting. Dark stained oak cabinets, marble counters and backsplash, and crisp white walls could read as a bit cold, but the gleaming pendant light, wood floors and wood island counter add warmth. If you have dark wood cabinets and want wood floors too, choose floors a few shades lighter than the cabinetry — a medium amount of contrast is easiest on the eyes.

Cabinets: rift-sawn white oak with custom stain; lighting fixture: a DIY project


Amethyst pendant lights. Shades of purple work well with nearly any shade of wood, and amethyst-tinted glass is especially easy to coordinate. If you want to update your kitchen without changing the major features, hanging new pendant lights is a quick and easy way to make a big impact, even if you rent.

Pendants: Lung light shade


Wildcard: rich teal and red. If you are a color lover, don’t hold back! The kitchen is actually a great place in which to experiment with color, because even a small accent can make a big impact. The stained bamboo cabinets shown here have an almost tropical feel alongside the rich teal walls and tiles. Red is a vibrant mate for teal — try red stools at your kitchen island or red pottery on open shelving. Egyptian pendant lights add an exotic touch.


Soapstone counters and buttery walls. A classic farmhouse sink, a subway tile backsplash and butter-yellow walls are charming with cherry cabinets. Vermont soapstone counters offer contrast to keep the look crisp. Keep in mind that walls in the yellow range can make lighter oak cabinets look washed out — the lighter butter yellow works here because the cabinets are a richer hue.


Marble counters and white subway tile. If you have naturally beautiful wood in your kitchen, like these reclaimed chestnut cabinets, consider complementing them with marble counters and white subway tile. Dark grout with white subway tile is more sophisticated than white — and easier to keep looking clean. Repeat the dark grout color with dark cabinet hardware and a black light fixture.


Wildcard: charcoal walls. If you love deep, dark colors, charcoal walls in the kitchen can be striking. You might worry that darker walls in the kitchen might be too much, but most kitchens actually don’t have much wall space to paint, particularly if there are upper cabinets — so the darker color won’t overwhelm.


Wildcard: lime accent wall, aqua island. Pecan cabinets with lime walls peeking out from behind open shelving look fresh and light. Green paint colors can be tricky to get right, and how a particular hue looks in your space may be quite different than what is shown on a computer monitor. The best way to be sure about a color is to use a sample pot to paint a large board and prop it up in your kitchen before committing.

An aqua island with a concrete-colored Caesarstone counter adds another splash of tropical color to this cheerful space. Light- to medium-tone wood cabinets will work best with the colors shown here; go a shade or two deeper with the wall color for dark wood cabinets.

Accent wall paint: Parakeet, Sherwin-Williams


Cream walls, blue tile. Cherry cabinets look warm and welcoming with blue tile, cream walls and wood floors. An apron-front farmhouse sink and a schoolhouse light fixture are charming vintage touches.


Taking a closer look, you can see that the tile is a grayish blue. The counters are by IceStone, and the deco-style pulls are in keeping with the style of the 1930s home.

Tile: Blue Fog, Heath Ceramics; sink: Fireclay apron front, Rohl; wall paint: Philadelphia Cream, Benjamin Moore; cabinets: custom, cherry; counters: Alpine White, IceStone


Blue walls, black slate counters. Nickel-gap wallboards are painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Topsail blue in this charming cottage kitchen. Heart pine floors and simple white knobs are homey; the black slate sink and counters keep the look crisp and sophisticated. Blue walls, from pale sky blue to grayish blue, work well with midtone wood cabinets. For dark wood cabinets, go with either a very soft blue or a very rich blue on the walls.


Blue ceiling. If there is hardly any available wall space in your kitchen but you want to add some color, consider painting the ceiling instead of the walls. This kitchen with white oak cabinets has far more personality, thanks to its blue ceiling, than it would have had with a plain-Jane white ceiling.

Tell us: Do you have wood cabinets in your kitchen? How do you decorate around them? Share your photos and tips in the Comments!

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