Choosing the Perfect Wood Color for Your Kitchen

Entry #232, August 2, 2010

When choosing wood colors for your kitchen do you know where to start?  When we choose the dark espresso wood cabinets for our kitchen remodel, I just chose a color that I loved.  In hindsight, I realized that choosing the right wood color can make the difference in how large the kitchen feels, as well as if the kitchen needs warmth added to it, etc..

Our kitchen remodel using dark espresso wood cabinets

Southern Living has an article about choosing the right wood color for your kitchen.  Here are some tips to help you choose.

Which Woods Work for You?

Light woods:

To make a small kitchen appear larger, consider pale yellow and tan woods.

Light wood kitchen

• Oak: strong hardwood that resists wear and tear
• Maple: uniform color with a tighter grain than oak
• Pine (Southern Yellow): inexpensive wood with a bold grain pattern; accepts stains and paints very well
• Ash: used in curved cabinets because it bends easily; good to stain

Medium woods:

Casting a pinkish, light brown, or tan hue, these woods bring warmth to a room.

Medium wood kitchen

• Beech: fine, even texture with straight, sometimes interlocking grain
• Cherry: reddish-brown; expensive

Dark woods:

From medium brown to black, these woods make a statement.

Dark wood kitchen

• Butternut: straight-grained with a satiny luster; stains well
• Mahogany: high-priced with a variety of grain patterns
• Walnut: sought for high-end paneling and cabinetry; has a straight grain and uniform texture

Quick Color Tip: When in doubt, choose a lighter wood such as oak or maple. It’s much easier to darken lighter woods than to make dark woods lighter.

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