Should your kitchen floor match your countertop or your cabinets? These are the three major components of the room. We've researched to find out the best practices for this design decision and have some answers for you.
Though the kitchen floor, cabinets, and countertops don't need to match, it's great if they work together. If you want to go for bold granite, you might choose simpler flooring and cabinetry. Or, if you love things light and bright, then you might choose to match some of your cabinets with a light countertop. We'll look at some examples of great pairings.
In addition to examples of great combinations, we'll also explore how exactly you go about making these choices if you can mix countertops in your kitchen, how do you make the floor work with your cabinets, what floors look best with white cabinets, and if floors should be lighter or darker than the cabinets. So please, keep reading.
The Best Matches For Kitchen Floor: Countertop: Cabinets
Because these materials are all different, it's never going to be an exact match, but there are ways to coordinate these three components for looks that are of the moment and attractive. We've gathered some good examples to show you.
Light Countertop And Cabinets With Medium Colored-Flooring
One way to think about your materials in the kitchen is in terms of tonality. If you want light and bright but also want some warmth, this combination is a winner. Bright, light kitchen cabinets are paired with a slightly grained marble countertop. On the floor, mid-tone hardwoods give a similar grain as the countertops but also provide warmth with the oak's coloration.
Use Greys And Whites In Various Combinations
Greys and whites have been popular for a while now, and though the peak of their popularity may be waning, this combination is evergreen. Here, grey cabinets are combined with white upper cabinets, backsplash, and a sweet little tile configuration of grey and white. The countertops provide a bit of warmth with the butcher block.
Here's another take on the grey and white theme. This more modern look brings in the rich charcoal color onto the overhead beams and lower cabinets. The floor is a wood tile with brown and grey tones that blend nicely with the cabinet colors and the waterfall granite island countertop.
Wood Tones And Whites For Farmhouse Appeal
This modern farmhouse kitchen takes the warmth of natural wood and the lightness of white paint and stone to create a homey and more transitional kitchen space. In this kitchen, the floors and parts of the cabinets do match very closely in stain colors, as do the cabinets and the countertops. This idea of matching with two materials can be configured for many different kitchens.
White, Natural Wood, And The Color You Love
We're starting to see a resurgence of color, particularly blues and greens, in kitchen spaces. So one way you can think of your cabinets, flooring, and countertops is in this grouping of three. The kitchen above the island has been painted a lovely bluish-green, which is reflected in the variations of the countertops and the backsplash. The rest of the cabinetry is white, and the floors are light-medium wood flooring.
Here's another example of adding in a bold color. This time a rich navy blue to the island door fronts. The countertops match the rest of the white cabinetry, and a lovely white oak is on the floor.
How Do I Match My Kitchen Floor And Countertop?
If you want to have a close tie between your kitchen floor and countertop, think of tones. A strong grey variation in the stone countertop in the kitchen above is a great tonal match to the grey wood floors. It also ties in with both the stainless appliances and the kitchen chairs that were chosen.
If you love the look of natural wood, then why not choose a gorgeous butcher block to match natural wood floors. Chances are they won't be an exact match, but they'll give the feeling of continuity and sameness.
Can You Mix Countertops In A Kitchen?
When mixing up countertops in a kitchen, it works best when you think in terms of zones. Like in the kitchen above, the island is one material, which is separate from the other countertops. The other countertops are a different color finish. It works because they are separated.
You could also change it up if you had a small area separate from your other countertops, like a wet bar or coffee station. It might work well to add a different countertop to define the space with a different function.
How Do I Match My Kitchen Floor And Cabinets?
We rarely see a kitchen floor that matches cabinets because the materials are different. So think of matching in terms of color. In this kitchen above, a beautiful walnut finish floor is paired with white cabinets. However, the island's base is a close match in grain and tone to the rich-looking floor.
In this kitchen, the dark color of the island perfectly picks up and matches the darkest tone in the wood floor. This is another way to think of matching cabinet color to flooring. Pick a shade that is mirrored back in the flooring color.
What Color Floors Look Best With White Cabinets
For white cabinets, it's best to stick to medium-toned or lighter floors. Whether you choose white, grey, or wood-colored flooring doesn't matter. Just keep the contrast from being too stark.
That being said, if you want to go for high drama, then you could choose a deep charcoal slate with white cabinets and get away with it just fine.
Should Wood Floors Be Lighter Or Darker Than Cabinets
Whether your wood floors are lighter or darker than your cabinets depends on your cabinet colors. If you have white cabinets, pretty much any color you choose will naturally be darker than the white of your cabinets.
But let's say you have wooden cabinets. Do you go darker or lighter on the floors? In this sleek, modern kitchen, the floors are a shade lighter than the wood of the cabinets. This is a great way of thinking about it. Choose a shade of flooring that is a smidge darker or a smidge lighter to create some interest without it being too glaring.
In this kitchen, a rich medium blue has been chosen for the cabinets. Is the wood floor lighter? Or darker? Well, really, it's neither. The shade of wood flooring is also a medium tone which is why it works so well with this medium blue and lighter countertops.
Inspiration For Your Three-Part Kitchen
As you can see, the decisions you make around countertop, flooring, and cabinets are pretty crucial to your kitchen's design. Whatever your taste, remember they must relate and not be so jarring that the space is uncomfortable visually.
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