Dark furniture is the choice of people with extraordinary thinking and an individual vision of a comfortable living space. Wherever you dreamed of installing cabinets in black – in the kitchen, in the living room, dining room, and possibly in the bedroom – you will immediately feel how stylish and unusual the environment around you has become.
However, this is possible only in one case – if the colors surrounding the dark furniture are chosen correctly. Such cabinets require extreme caution in finding a color balance. In this case, it is worth starting from the floor since the perception of the situation begins precisely with their interaction. If we are talking about tiles or linoleum, then there should not be any particular difficulties. But what if you only see a wooden floor in a room – and no other flooring?
Indeed, the palette of hardwood shades used for flooring is not very extensive. However, this does not mean at all that among them, you cannot choose the perfect one for your dark cabinets. So, let’s figure out what kind of wooden floor should be in a room with such furniture.
Lighter, darker, or matching: how should be the wood floor for dark cabinets?
Generally speaking, the floor in a room with dark cabinets should really be lighter than the furniture. And there are at least several arguments in favor of such a decision:
If you decide to stay on light wood floors and your cabinets are dark, then make sure that they diverge more than 2-3 tones in terms of lightness. If their color differs slightly, there will be a feeling of chaos and a severe flaw. Often this happens with cherry wood cabinets, for which, in principle, it is difficult to match colors. In this case, make a choice in favor of grayish or cream floors – maple will be a perfect solution.
In fairness, it cannot be said that dark furniture with a floor of the same color is a solution that will have to be completely ruled out. If the room has spacious windows and enough reflective metal or glass surfaces, you can easily use this technique. In this case, you will be able to create a stylish interior with a slightly gloomy but stylish atmosphere in the spirit of high-tech.
But what to do in no case is to choose a wooden floor that is darker than the furniture. The rich wood texture, enhanced with dark tones, will draw attention to itself and add massiveness: in such a room, you will feel highly uncomfortable and, possibly, somewhat depressing.
Floors for dark kitchen cabinets: suitable wood species
As we learned earlier, dark kitchen cabinets should be matched with light wood floors. Now let’s find out from what material they can be made – we offer you the most suitable options.
Maple
The key feature of maple wood is a surprisingly harmonious and delicate pattern of veins and a very light, almost white, color with a pronounced yellowish tone, and sometimes with a departure to cream (European and Canadian maple) or subtle reddish. A maple floor can become an extremely successful companion for dark furniture because, with sufficient lightness, it looks very expressive and rich. Against its background, all the richness of dark shades is revealed, and the lines of the cabinets seem more explicit and clear.
Oak
Oakwood attracts not only with unparalleled durability but also impressive aesthetic properties. It has a porous texture, beautiful pattern, and a relatively wide range of shades – from yellowish-brown to dark brown. Some varieties of oak can have a noticeable reddish tint.
Oak floors and dark cabinets provide an opportunity to balance the fine line between modern and classic. Contemporary furniture colors interact with more traditional flooring textures to create a surprisingly cozy and respectable yet not old-fashioned interior.
Ash
In terms of its strength characteristics, ash wood is practically comparable to oak, but many also like it for its soft brown color and even pronounced pattern of veins. Also, very light, almost bleached wood is often used for flooring.
Designers consider ash flooring to be an excellent choice for combination with dark cabinets since wood surprisingly balances massive furniture, and against its background, it looks less bulky.
Hickory
This wood species is distinguished by a range of shades from light yellow to brown with a slight reddish undertone, and all tones can be present in the flooring at once. In some cases, this charming and unobtrusive variegation is emphasized by darker veins.
Hickory floors are also used in designs with dark furnishings, but for more casual interior styles – predominantly country and farmhouse. In this case, the uneven color of the floor will add lightness and charm.
Birch
The birch flooring has a very unusual color, including cream, yellowish, and cool gray tones. If you install dark brown cabinets (primarily cherry), birch floors are a great way to adjust their slightly conservative look and make the interior more modern.
You can also look at tinted wood floors in various shades of gray – they make the perfect backdrop for very dark, almost black cabinets. If you prefer a cool palette or your room windows face the sun, this combination can be pretty interesting.
In addition, varnishes or glazes will help to add the desired tone to your floors. If you want a whiter and cooler color, use the lighter and translucent varieties, while oil-based formulations will give you a warm yellowish undertone.
Wood floor and dark cabinets: how to choose the countertop color in the kitchen?
If everything is more or less clear with dark furniture for the living room, then in the case of the kitchen, questions may arise since the kitchen cabinets also contain such an essential element as the countertop. So, how to choose it correctly – according to the floor or the furniture?
Designers recommend two ways – to stay on the “bright side of power” or to be neutral. In other words, you can choose countertops to match the floor or choose materials in neutral shades. In the first case, you will achieve absolute lapping of furniture and floor. In the second, you will create a heterogeneous, textured, and balanced space relevant to modern interiors. At the same time, it is not necessary to choose wood for the countertop: it can also be marble or artificial stone.
As you can see, the combination of a wooden floor and dark cabinets is a task that can be solved quite simply. After carefully considering all possible options, you will surely quickly find the perfect combination of your furniture and flooring.
