Cherry cabinets are a fun and lively way to introduce color with wood in your kitchen. However, before installing rows of wall and base cabinets, it’s essential to understand their relationship with the floor. As such, we have carefully researched what color floors will pair well with a set of cherry cabinets.
The natural color of cherry wood cabinets can range from pink to red and is a popular choice for the kitchen. There are a few different floor colors that can be especially consistent with the style and warm undertone of the cabinets and your space.
A few of our top ideas for your flooring include:
- White
- Brown
- Beige
- Tan
- Wood
- Yellow
- Red
- Gray
- Black
Considering that wall and base cabinets tend to take up most space in your kitchen, it’s important to get them just right. Keep reading to learn how to balance your cabinets with your floor, what color flooring will make effective pairs, and if cherry cabinets are too expensive.
Should Cabinets Be Darker Than The Floor?
Before selecting a floor color for your cherry cabinets, it’s important to understand that they shouldn’t “match” in the traditional sense.
Rather than making the floor identical to your cherry cabinets, keeping them at least two or three shades apart is best. The cabinets can be lighter or darker, depending on which feature you want to highlight.
If the cherry cabinets have a lighter temperature than your floor, they will feel less noticeable. If they’re darker, the floor will recede while the cabinets pop.
Ordinarily, a room gets brighter from the floor to the ceiling so that the décor and furniture have a clear base and do not seem to be unsupported. However, keep in mind that kitchens, in particular, will generally use a light floor to make the area feel more spacious.
You can read more about the relationship between your cabinets and flooring in our post Should The Kitchen Floor Be Darker Than The Cabinets?
Our Floor Suggestions For Cherry Wood Cabinets
White
The staple of any kitchen, white is a hot neutral that will trick the eye so that your room feels more open and airy. That’s because white reflects all colors, making sure it will agree with anything and brighten up the area.
This is important for kitchens, which are generally small and busy rooms. However, a white floor will also show all its damage and dirt. Even if your flooring is an easy material to clean, like vinyl tiles, the upkeep might grow tiresome.
Still, white has a high temperature that will pair well with the sweet brightness of cherry wood. It’s guaranteed to look lighter than the cherry cabinets, so the cabinets will become the central focal point.
Brown, Beige Or Tan
Whether you have used a wood stain, your cherry cabinets will look like natural wood. Wood always has traces of brown in it, so brown tiles or vinyl are an easy match.
It’s also an easy way to reinforce nature themes without letting a wooden appearance become overwhelming. Brown is a neutral color, making it as flexible as white, but without the loud temperature.
There are many shades of brown, so you can use darker flooring options to soften the brightness in your cherry cabinets.
Or, you can use beige and tan. These are both pale versions of brown, making them appear lighter. Beige has elements of gray, making it cooler, while tan is closer to orange.
Wood
You can manipulate the shades of a wooden floor very easily, using the proper wood stains and finishes. This will keep the wooden features in your kitchen from becoming too unbalanced.
The wooden look is unique, with streaks and knots and grain. This may limit your design options. But you’ll still be able to create rustic, homemade interior designs. For example, country home scenes prefer warm woods like cherry.
The finish will protect the wood and adjust how glossy it appears. You can use a high level of shine to double down on the brightness in your cherry cabinets. Or, you can subdue them with a flat matte.
Yellow Or Red
You can use wood stains to change the temperature and look of your floor altogether. That means wood will allow you to incorporate solid colors like yellow or red without feeling too rich and distracting.
For example, pine wood usually has pale yellow tones, and mahogany has natural red. These are florid, airy colors that reflect a lot of light. That will make your kitchen feel like a garden, which is a perfect fit if you already have cherry cabinets.
Gray Or Black
Instead of agreeing with them, these neutrals will create a strong contrast with your cherry cabinets. It may also make your kitchen feel a bit smaller.
However, gray and black have no true color, so the cherry cabinets won’t be distorted. Mainly, you can use these options to modernize the kitchen with a clean or industrial look.
But gray is more flexible than black because it’s warmer. Although gray is mainly associated with metal, it also has ties to nature, such as rain clouds and stone. Many types of wood even have natural gray tones.
So, gray won’t limit you to minimalist scenes the way black might. It can work with rustic interior designs like cottage, farmhouse, or lake house styles.
How Do You Lighten Cherry Cabinets?
Cabinet space takes up most of the kitchen. So, the easiest way to make cherry cabinets appear brighter is to adjust the surroundings, such as the kitchen floor, appliances, and décor.
For example, bright flooring and countertops will make dark cherry cabinets pop out and appear even darker. If the décor colors are closer to the cabinets themselves, the cherry won’t seem so dark.
You can also use natural and artificial lighting to your advantage. Many kitchens already include some line of sight with windows to help open up the area.
Using café curtains on your kitchen windows will let in more sunlight, bringing out more of the pinkish hues in your cherry cabinets. You can read more about essential kitchen curtains by reading our post 8 Types Of Kitchen Curtains To Know.
You might also add sconces or a lower lamp to your kitchen, preferably with a dimmer, so long as they meet your building codes. This is another way to emphasize the brightness in your cabinets.
See this wood stain on Amazon.
But the most common way to lighten your cherry cabinets is to use a glossy wood finish or a brighter wood stain.
If your cherry cabinets have a high reflective gloss, they will appear brighter. And if you use a lighter wood stain, you can freely adjust the temperature as you see fit.
Is It Okay To Paint Cherry Wood Cabinets?
Yes, it’s alright to paint any finished wood. However, installing cherry cabinets usually shows off their rich and unique natural colors.
View this interior paint on Amazon.
Like any kitchen painting project, you’ll need fundamental tools like primer, interior paint, a brush, and sanding blocks.
Click here to find this primer on Amazon.
First, you’ll need to repair any damages, clean the area, and prep the cabinets. If the cherry cabinets are already finished, you’ll need to remove the existing finish by sanding it down.
Keep in mind that some stains have a built-in finish to save time. You can use a stripping formula if necessary. Then, begin sanding with a lower, stronger grit level. Gradually use higher, softer grits. This ensures a stable bond between the primer and paint.
Apply the primer, then the paint, and reinstall the cabinets. Paint is considered a wood finish, but it doesn’t soak into the wood as a stain does. It will only cover the surface, which may be desirable or not. But paint can protect your wood the way other finishes do.
Are Cherry Wood Cabinets Expensive?
Genuine solid wood is always more expensive, while a veneer or image layer is cheaper for something artificial.
Specialists such as Kitchen Cabinet Kings agree that solid cherry cabinets tend to be more expensive than popular alternatives like oak or maple wood.
This is generally due to cherry wood’s signature durability and shock resistance. These features can be especially useful in a kitchen, where sharp tools and heavy appliances are used daily.
But cherry wood also has an appealing look, which is valued highly. For example, a big retail store like Lowes sells a single cherry cabinet door for around fifty dollars.
To Finish
Cherry cabinets are a bright and fun addition to any kitchen, but they’re also pricey. So, it’s crucial to learn what flooring colors will make a good partner for them.
Now that you understand how some floor colors highlight or soften the cabinets, you can transform your kitchen into the perfect interior design.
![Small modern kitchen with grey cabinets, 6 Colors That Go With Gray Cabinets [With Pictures]](https://kitchenseer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Small-modern-kitchen-with-grey-cabinets-250x250.jpg)
