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Flooring Design Dilemma Kitchens

Flooring....contrast or match cabinets

5 years ago

We are going to get ready to remodel the kitchen, and I'm conflicted on the flooring. The flooring is going to go in the kitchen and living room since the rooms flow into each other. I really like the color of my cabinets we have picked out (walnut) and all of the flooring I like is the exact same color. (Hey, I know what I like!) Does the flooring really have to contrast from the cabinets? I can't seem to find what is a complimentary color, and I don't like the light flooring options out there. Also, my heart is set on laminate planks, but I need to know the pros/cons to LVP, which is more waterproof since I'm kind of a spiller. (full disclosure, our ceiling is also paneled, in a dark color.....it's a mid-century modern house with a vaulted ceiling with beams)

Featured Answer

cpaul1

5 years ago

Your flooring should absolutely NOT match the cabinets. There needs to be a noticeable difference/contrast.

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Comments (13)

SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
MCM would do well with natural cork flooring, natural marmoleum (the gold stuff), natural maple, natural birch, natural beech, etc.

With all that walnut/dark paneling, a white floor or terrazzo product would certainly look amazing. What you are trying to avoid: dark on dark on dark with some dark stuff on the ceiling.

Photos of what you are working with would be a great help.
Becky thanked SJ McCarthy
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soonerhouse2007 I totally understand your issue. I have spent so much time talking about wood finishes with the cabinet company and our builder it is crazy! Anyhow, I did decide to do many different finishes in our open floor plan. Most of our cabinets are now installed and I'm very happy I used a mix of woods. I think it defines each room in an open floor plan and adds interest. That being said, I would follow your gut, if you are a matching person - you might want to match. I'll post a picture of our great room built-in's (they are cherry with an espresso stain) and it is open to our kitchen that has a black stained island and bordeaux (brownish) stained with a black glaze on clear alder. The floor is hickory that I hope will be stained a shade or 2 lighter than my kitchen cabinets. The baseboard is birch and will be stained the same as the kitchen cabinets. All the casing and crown molding on the main floor is dover white. Probably more than you wanted to know, but I understand your issue - I never knew I would spend so much time on wood type and finishes! Good luck, Tara
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lucky998877
5 years ago
Another vote for NON matching. You don't want your floor to "climb" up...that is how I felt when we installed wood floors in the kitchen 13+ years ago. I painted my cabinets the very next day.
Becky thanked lucky998877
Fori
5 years ago
One can sometimes (but rarely) get away with matching flooring to cabinets, but not with matching real and fake wood--skip the LVT and get something nicer, like real linoleum.
Becky thanked Fori
jhmarie
5 years ago
I have wood cabinets and floors. My floors are a tad lighter. I like the way my kitchen looks, but I also do not have a ton of cabinetry - I have an L shaped kitchen with a small island. So, there are two walls without cabinets - areas without wood.

This is my wood kitchens idea book - you will see many of these have a wood floor:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

Dark flooring shows scratches and dust much more than the natural tones. You feel you don't like the lighter floors - you might when you consider the big picture - and need to Swiffer daily with a darker floor:)
Becky thanked jhmarie
Becky
Original Author
5 years ago
thanks for the answers! I will try to get pictures on here, but we are still in the planning stages.
stir_fryi SE Mich
5 years ago
100% yes, there needs to be a contrast. My flooring is Brazilian cherry hardwood and medium maple cabinets. I have dark, shiny wood floors and yes, they show every smear and drop of water!
Anne Duke
5 years ago
My house was tiled a few years before the kitchen redo with a medium tone brown. The cabinet stain I chose is a mid tone brown/walnut. All of my wood furniture is similar. I’d have loved to change the tile when doing the kitchen, but that wasn’t feasible. It’s not awful, just not perfect. You have the opportunity to get both right. Go with more contrast rather than less, make the floor lighter.
Cheryl Hannebauer
5 years ago
my vote would be different for the contrast
User
5 years ago
It could be a lot of wood depending on how big and the design of the kitchen is.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I love walnut and white together maybe think about mixing walnut uppers with white lowers and then having walnut floors or a different colored island if you have one to give some contrast. IMO walnut goes best with more walnut but the fact that you are mixing real wood with fake wood bothers me more. Could you maybe post some pics of the materials you are using. IMO a white kitchen would probably be better with all that wood either real or fake.
Becky thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Becky
Original Author
5 years ago
Here’s what the living room ceiling looks like. He picked out this flooring, which has some gray in it (pic doesn’t translate well).
Becky
Original Author
5 years ago
Once the kitchen gets done it will flow all the way through to the living room. Currently we have a wall in the way.

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