What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets

Oak has always been a popular choice for interior designers for its durability, sturdiness, and a wide variety of shades. In design, whether you are to choose a color for furniture, flooring, or accessories, every color choice matters to create a coherent scheme for your design to stand out.

Similarly, finding the right floor color for oak cabinetry may be challenging. Therefore, it is important to plan ahead to decide on what color flooring goes with oak cabinets.

Here are some important things to consider before selecting the right color flooring for a kitchen with oak cabinets:

  • Style– The first thing you need to know is what design theme you want to establish using oak cabinets. Do you enjoy a sleeker flooring look for a modern design appearance or a classic flooring look with traditional oak cabinets?
  • Wood Tone and Colour– Oak has many different shades from brown, and yellow to orange tones. Depending on the oak cabinetry you have, you need to decide which color flooring looks best. For example, with honey oak cabinets you can go with a multi-toned flooring color whereas cool-toned floors with a hint of the oak color can match perfectly with medium oak cabinets with more brown tones.
  • Countertop and Backsplash Colour– You also need to consider other elements such as the countertop or backsplash color. The countertop is usually the center of attraction in the kitchen and determines what color flooring should be selected. If you have a busy or colorful countertop or backsplash, go quieter with your flooring, and pick one that matches your countertop, so it ties well with your oak cabinets as well.
  • Cabinet Sheen– The fourth point to consider is your cabinet finish. If you have high gloss cabinets, avoid using floors with a lot of texture that will make the room feel busy. Go for a simpler flooring style and color. If your oak cabinets have a matte finish, you can play with more flooring options such as the textures of your flooring.

If you have your heart set on oak cabinets and are confused about what color flooring will look great for your interiors, our guide on the 7 Best Flooring for a kitchen with oak cabinets makes the choice easier for you.

7 Best Flooring for Kitchen with Oak Cabinets

Oak Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with oak floors

Using oak flooring with oak kitchen cabinets can give you the traditional kitchen style you adore. You just need to make a choice on which oak flooring will complement or contrast your oak cabinets since they both have the same brown undertones.

For a gentle and clean appearance, white oak cabinets look best when matched with lighter flooring, such as maple. If you have any dark oak cabinets, this creamy color also works well as a good contrast.


Light Wood Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with light wood floors

If you want to go all natural with your kitchen, light wood flooring looks best with light oak cabinets. They create a sense of openness and airiness and also work well with medium to dark-toned oak cabinets.

This combination brings out a luxurious yet traditional style kitchen look. Upon entering the kitchen, a visitor gets drawn to the soft, calm overall appearance of the space.


Gray Stone Tile Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with gray stone floors

If you have flat, matte-finish oak cabinets, you can never go wrong with selecting grey stone tiles for your flooring. From a refreshing afternoon shower to a cold slab, grey is a neutral color that gives you relaxing vibes.

Additionally, its variegated look ties your oak cabinets to it well bringing out a textured, fascinating floor appearance.


Beige Tile Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with beige tile floors

Beige tile is one of the most popular tile flooring. It is a neutral color with various shades including a touch of natural wood color, making it a top pick for rooms with oak cabinets.

Its light hues brighten the space and are easy to clean giving them an edge over white tiles.

Another reason oak cabinets are an excellent combination with beige floors is that they have warm tones.


White Tile Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with white tile floors

White tile flooring is a simple and elegant option making it the perfect pair with oak cabinets. It makes small kitchens appear larger and have the ability to reflect any color making it a canvas for any style.

White tile flooring can effortlessly contrast against any oakwood cabinet color. White is a safe and flexible option to use for your flooring making it easy to pair with all other kitchen elements.


Terracotta Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with terracotta floors

Terracotta flooring never goes out of style. Its versatility makes it trend always. If you want to combine nature with creativity, this is the way to do it.

The earthy red tones from the baked clay tiles bond perfectly with nature’s oak. The terracotta tiles and oak cabinets are the best marriage for a timeless design and warm kitchen look.


Dark Brown Wood Flooring

What color flooring goes with light oak cabinets
Oak cabinets with dark brown wood floors

Dark brown wood flooring can exude a bold, luxurious feeling when combined with light oak cabinets.

If you have dark oak cabinets, it would be wiser to use a brown that is a shade or two lighter for your flooring to avoid the space looking boring.

Dark brown wood flooring adds a natural and historic character to your kitchen. Besides that, its dark color helps hide dirt or debris making it easier to maintain.


Oak cabinets are an attractive addition to any kitchen. Oak is an expensive natural material so that is why it is important to choose the right flooring to act as a base, so your overall design stands out.

You can go for an oak-on-oak or oak-on-grey stone tile look depending on the temperature of your oakwood.

Implementing the above-mentioned flooring types with oak cabinets can elevate your kitchen design to another level.

What floors go with light oak cabinets?

Go for a dark tile floor to contrast with light or honey oak cabinets. This sleek option is favorite and really updates the space. Colors like dark grey, charcoal, and black are great choices to keep the room neutral.

What color goes with light oak cabinets?

Because light oak cabinets have many earth tones, soft green is an ideal coordinating color because it also has natural, earth-inspired hues, reports Upgraded Home. Sage green, gray-green, asparagus, olive, jade, muted hunter green, moss and sea green look appealing with oak cabinets.

Should cabinets be lighter or darker than floors?

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.

What Colours go with light oak flooring?

According to design experts, the best wall colors for light hardwood flooring are cooler white, neutral off-whites, and soft grays. Avoid warm neutrals with yellow or brown pastel undertones that clash with warmer light flooring tones.