Oakwood is not only very durable and resistant to water, scratches, and dents but also can be used as a completely modern material whose raw form will provide the necessary dose of sophistication and elegance to every room. Thanks to all of this, oak cabinetry is one of the most common types of furniture in our homes.
However, the room’s aesthetics aren’t just the responsibility of the oak cabinets. It’s necessary to choose the appropriate type of flooring to achieve the full aesthetic experience. It is not a trivial job as there are various types, such as marble, granite, ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, hardwood, vinyl, and laminate flooring.
In this article, we will deal with the matching of oak cabinets with vinyl plank flooring since it is one of the most popular types of flooring due to its durability, waterproofness, and affordability.
But choosing the type of flooring is only half the job because after selecting the type of material, you also have to choose the appropriate color or colors. Keep reading to discover what color vinyl plank flooring goes with oak cabinets!
Achieve Harmony
When pairing a piece of furniture with flooring, most people go for the option of blending the two with similar colors because they want to create a harmonious atmosphere in which the cabinet and floor color work well together.
However, you should be careful not to choose shades that are too similar or even the same since the room will look like one big piece of furniture.
The best way to determine which vinyl plank flooring colors go with the chosen color of oak cabinets is to look at the undertone of the material.
Once you’ve decided on a base shade, apply the principles of the color wheel to choose colors that complement your cabinets. How to do this? Well, you need to look for colors that sit side by side with the color of the cabinet on the color wheel.
Read on if you want to hear some ideas regarding which vinyl flooring colors go well with specific colors of oak cabinets.
1. Dark Oak Cabinets
If you want to achieve an antique and luxurious look on one hand and elegance and chicness on the other, the dark oak cabinets are for you.
However, before pairing them with flooring, you need to consider how much you want the cabinets to pop. If you want them to be the star of the room, then choose some lighter shades of brown or red. Contrastingly, in case you prefer a calmer and more natural look, go with something that has hints of black or orange.
2. White Oak Cabinets
When it comes to white oak and achieving compatibility between the cabinet and the flooring, it is essential that the vinyl flooring is not too bright.
White oakwood already provides enough subtlety, texture, and aesthetics with its gray and blue undertones, so choose shades of purple or green for the color of the floor. If you don’t like that, a red or yellow palette might be a better option.
3. Honey Oak Cabinets
Honey oak cabinets are yellow/orange, so colors such as gold, red, yellow, and orange go best with them. These colors will help you match the warm tones of your cabinets and blend in the flooring with them. If you want to lighten the room a bit, choose vinyl planks that feature brighter hues of the aforementioned colors.
4. Red Oak Cabinets
Red oak cabinets have the warmest look out of all oakwood cabinetry thanks to their reddish or pinkish undertones in the grain. To make the room even cozier, you can opt for shades of brown, orange, or yellow.
Opposites Attract
A room full of oak cabinets and floors in similar colors may seem too heavy, which is why some people decide to “dress” this couple in opposite or complementary colors. Complementary colors are any two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel.
Of course, this does not mean there is only one right “answer” for a particular color. When you find the complementary color to the primary color, which is the cabinet’s color, look at the neighboring colors as well and not just at the hues of the complementary color.
It is important to pick colors that emphasize each other but not to the extent that they will fight for attention. Here are our selections.
1. Dark Oak Cabinets
For many people, the first instinct is to go with white because it contrasts nicely with any color. However, it’s not such a good idea when it comes to oakwood with darker hues because you could easily make your kitchen look like a chessboard. So instead, go with a jelly bean blue or an earthy green!
2. White Oak Cabinets
You won’t have too difficult of a job if you want to achieve contrast with white oak cabinets, as the possibilities are practically endless. However, if you want to create a little bit of cool temperature, choose a color like blue, violet, or some blue-green combination.
3. Honey Oak Cabinets
In case you want to enhance the honey or golden oak cabinets, as they are called in some places, look at the other side of the color wheel, and you will see blue and green. Bright blues, soft greens, and purples will make the yellow and orange undertones of, for example, honey oak kitchen cabinets stand out.
4. Red Oak Cabinets
Red oak cabinets catch the eye wherever they are placed. If you would like to tone that tone a bit, contrast them with green, blue or purple.
Which of these colors works best with red oak depends on the undertones and shades of the oakwood itself. Green tends to work well with truly red oakwood, while blue will nicely oppose red oak cabinets with orangy shades. Finally, pair purple vinyl floors with red oak that features yellow.
Go Neutral
Many people don’t like to experiment with colors but still want to decorate their living spaces in an effective and somewhat glamorous way. In order to achieve not only this but also a more contemporary look, the best option is to go with some kind of neutral color.
Simplicity makes the neutral palette so special, and thanks to that, it can be used in all rooms. The palette of neutral colors includes gray, black, and white. When it comes to some of the more famous neutral hues, those are stone, greige, beige, taupe, and cream.
The beauty of neutral colors and their hues is that it is difficult to go wrong with them, and easy to achieve balance, unobtrusiveness, calmness, and smoothness everywhere.
Go Outside Of The Box
Your house, your rules! We can give you thousands of ideas here, but in the end, you will still have to decide on the color of vinyl plank flooring. What if you haven’t liked anything so far? Well, you can always choose not to adhere to the rules of color theory.
You know what you will like best. That’s why you can go with something that isn’t harmonious, neutral, or complementary at all. The danger of going this route is that you can choose something that really looks ugly, but again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Before Making The Purchase
We talked about matching colors of only the cabinets and the floor, but to make the best possible decision, you should take into account other items in the room, such as tables, chairs, backsplash, countertops, etc.
Another thing to consider is the cabinet-flooring color duo.
Let’s say you went to a home improvement store or online and found a vinyl plank color that you like and think best suits your oak cabinetry. Before you buy as many vinyl planks as you will need for the entire room, it is important you take a sample of that plank home and see how it really matches the cabinets.
Looking at photos on the Internet or samples in the store and picturing the duo in your head is one thing, but seeing their synergy in person is entirely different. You don’t want to buy all the material and then, after installing it, realize that it doesn’t match the cabinetry.
Conclusion
Pairing dark, light, honey, or red oak cabinets with the appropriate vinyl plank flooring color is not easy.
If you want to achieve harmony between the two, choose a similar color or hue to the main one to harmoniously suit the cabinet. In case you would like to have some kind of contrast, pick a complementary color to the cabinet, which is the one on the other side of the color wheel.
Go with a neutral color for the least risk and perhaps the biggest gain. Finally, choose something according to your own taste if you don’t like being constrained by rules.
And don’t forget to check in person how the color of the cabinet matches the color of the vinyl plank flooring.
Comments and questions regarding the topic are welcome, as usual!