Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring? (2024)

Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring?

In recent years, the Portland housing market has had notably low inventory. As a result, more and more homeowners are remodeling their current residences instead of moving – and increasing their home’s value along the way. For many, kitchens and bathrooms are at the top of the renovations list.

If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, you’ve got a lot of choices to make! From wall paint and appliances to countertops and window coverings, selecting all the right materials is a major task. On that note, you might be wondering if your kitchen cabinets should match the flooring.

Mix, Don’t Match!

Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring? (1)When it comes to floors and cabinetry in a kitchen, you might think you have to find materials that are an exact match. However, as interior design experts recommend, the idea is to mix complementing materials, not match them.

For example, if you’re selecting hardwood flooring and want unpainted wood cabinets as well, they don’t have to be the same color. Dark and light woods pair well together, as do painted cabinets and natural stone floors.

Coordinating Kitchen Cabinets and Flooring

Are you set on wood for both the floors and cabinetry in your kitchen? If so, you might be wondering, Should wood floors be lighter or darker than cabinets? Luckily, there is no right or wrong answer here.

Light-color hardwoods look excellent with dark wood cabinets, and vice versa. On the other hand, matching the colors isn’t out of the question, either. For example, if you opt for white-tiled luxury vinyl flooring, you may want to get white painted cabinets. While the colors are the same, the materials are different, which will add just the right amount of contrast.

5 Steps to Selecting Flooring, Countertops & Cabinetry for Your Portland Home

For those starting fresh with all aspects of a kitchen, following these steps will be helpful when selecting materials:

  1. Start with countertops, which are often the most expensive component of a kitchen remodel. Make sure you have a photo or a physical sample of the material before choosing anything else.
  2. Next, pick out your flooring. We suggest coordinating the finish of your counters with your floors. If you’re installing high-gloss countertops, get a shiny finish for your floors. If your counters are matte or satin, go for a muted flooring finish.
  3. One option is to get countertops and floors in the same color and shade. You don’t have to worry about an exact match because they won’t be the same material.
  4. Alternatively, you can get contrasting shades for your countertops and floors. Then match your cabinets to either of those colors.
  5. With samples of both your chosen countertop and flooring materials, you’re ready to select cabinets. Consider custom cabinets, as they will match your design vision perfectly.

Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring? (2)The main thing to keep in mind is to avoid clashing — you don’t want to combine too many colors or patterns in one room. For instance, let’s say your kitchen floors are black and white checked tiles and your cabinets are painted bright blue. You’ll want to opt for neutral shades for your cabinets, window coverings, and backsplash.

Countertops are generally easier and less expensive to replace than floors. Also, they can be painted with a new color to change the look of your kitchen. For these reasons, we recommend going for neutral floors and counters that can evolve with the space.

Cabinets might be a better choice for a bold design or color. Better yet, opt for neutral tones for both your flooring and cabinetry and accent your kitchen with art or wall paint.

Floor Factors’ Kitchen Remodeling & Flooring Materials

As a full-service residential and commercial renovation resource, Floor Factors is a one-stop-shop destination for all your kitchen needs. In addition to a wide range of floor-covering materials and custom cabinets, our locally owned Portland flooring store has a massive inventory of countertops and window coverings.

Floor Factors specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodels, but our high-quality products can be installed in any room of your home. To see and feel the materials for yourself, we welcome you to visit our expansive showroom conveniently located in the Pearl District.

Want to get started today? Contact us or request a free estimate.

Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring? (2024)

FAQs

Should Your Kitchen Cabinets Match Your Flooring? ›

Mix, Don't Match!

Should flooring match kitchen cabinets? ›

Pairing Kitchen Flooring & Cabinet Materials

Just like you want to avoid matching flooring and cabinet color directly, material contrast helps produce the ultimate balanced kitchen design. Wooden cabinetry is a common fixture in many homes and thankfully, wood flooring visuals pair exceptionally well!

How to coordinate kitchen cabinets and flooring? ›

The key is to choose different shades and textures of the same hue and then opt for one or two contrasting colors. For instance, you might go with ivory cabinets, light oak flooring, a cream-colored backsplash, and brown quartz counters.

Should a kitchen floor be lighter or darker than cabinets? ›

This depends on the style you're going for and the color of your cabinets. Are you looking for a sharp contrast to create dimension, or do you want a soft, complementary color palette? Darker flooring will give your kitchen a dramatic and moody flair, especially when paired with lighter cabinets.

What should kitchen floor match? ›

As mentioned previously, your flooring choice should complement your countertops. By choosing one of the colors within your countertop, your flooring will compliment it well without directly matching it.

Should cabinet be the same color as floor? ›

Mix, Don't Match!

For example, if you're selecting hardwood flooring and want unpainted wood cabinets as well, they don't have to be the same color. Dark and light woods pair well together, as do painted cabinets and natural stone floors.

What is the best color for a kitchen floor? ›

White and yellow tend to be the most popular colors for kitchen floors. Both colors create a light and airy ambiance in the kitchen and make the space feel more relaxed. Stencils are another way to spruce up your kitchen floor.

What is the best color for kitchen cabinets? ›

Some good neutral colors for kitchen cabinets include light gray, dark gray, or greige (a mix of gray and beige). These neutrals will help ground your space and give you freedom to incorporate more playful colors via accessories and appliances.

Should a kitchen backsplash match the floor? ›

Some of the advantages to coordinating a floor and backsplash include: Harmony: When your floor and backsplash work together visually and texturally, they create balance in your interior design. This makes your room feel more put together.

Does flooring usually go under kitchen cabinets? ›

Cabinets should generally be installed before vinyl plank flooring. Install flooring after installing cabinets because floating floors need room for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Installing cabinetry over vinyl planks might restrict movement causing buckling or separation issues in your floor.

What color flooring makes a kitchen look bigger? ›

Light vs Dark Colours

Lighter Shades: Enhance natural light and give an open, airy feeling. Ideal for smaller rooms that need to feel more spacious. White: Perhaps the most effective colour for enlarging a space. White flooring options are versatile and can complement a variety of design styles.

Is it OK to have dark floors with dark cabinets? ›

Can You Pair Dark Cabinets with Dark Floors? While it is more difficult to successfully pair dark cabinets with dark wood floors, it is possible. If you choose this route, pick a hardwood with a stain that's at least a couple of shades lighter than your cabinetry.

Should countertops be lighter or darker than cabinets? ›

Experts recommend working with a lighter countertop than a cabinet for the perfect color blend.

How to pick flooring to match cabinets? ›

To choose the perfect flooring for the cabinetry in the kitchen, consider complementary colors and styles to ensure the kitchen's visual appeal. Most design experts would suggest that you avoid carrying the same pattern and color from the cabinets to the flooring; strive for a similar but not identical look.

What is the most desirable kitchen floor? ›

Engineered Wood Flooring - This is by far the most popular type of flooring for kitchens in 2024. Engineered hardwood has all the beauty of real hardwood, but is more durable as it has a thicker top layer, also known as wear layer.

What kitchen floor is in style? ›

According to Good Housekeeping experts, some of the best flooring options include hardwood, vinyl, laminate, stone (think marble or slate) and tile. Browse these gorgeous kitchen designs, each with creative flooring, to gather inspiration for your space.

What comes first kitchen cabinets or flooring? ›

The general rule of thumb with kitchen remodels is to follow this order: lay the flooring, install the kitchen cabinets, glue down the countertops and install backsplash, and then bring in the appliances, sink, hardware, light fixtures and backsplash for the final touches.

Should the floor be lighter or darker? ›

Light flooring will help give the illusion space and make your room feel larger and darker flooring will create a more dramatic ambiance.

Should flooring from kitchen to living room be the same? ›

Matching flooring is often recommended because it creates a seamless finish and better flow throughout your home. But there are no rules when decorating your home — if you like mixing flooring or you think your interior design could benefit from it, go for it.

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