Dark cherry is out of fashion in my area. Natural cherry is more often used. YMMV.

What do you like?

Do you actually like.cherry - what is this business about "my designer wants". I just finished a gut remodel using a designer and GC and it was a collaboration. I sent her pictures of stuff I liked and she translated those into what would work with my space - with lots of input from me along the way.

FWIW, I have Quarter Sawn White Oak millwork (lots of cabinets, large room divider; extensive wall unit/desk in my office and it is a stained a warm medium tone.

My floors are a natural finish red oak and they contrast beautifully with the medium tones of the woodwork.

While I don't think trends should be a factor in terms of personal taste - my current remodel is pretty much the antithesis of what is on trend (not gray or white) - I do think one should approach cherry with caution. I had originally considered natural cherry - keep in mind that natural cherry will change color as it is exposed to light and air. Stained cherry reads extremely traditional - which is fine if your house and the stuff in it also reflects your extremely traditional taste.

IMO cherry and black granite is a dated look. Dark or fake cherry is also pretty bad. Natural cherry is much nicer, but does change colors. What's your designer's reasoning for going that route? (In your inspiration picture they used oak cabinets) These days most people are opting for white oak over red oak as well to avoid red or pink undertones.

To answer your question, the rule of thumb is to have the cabinet and wood about two stains lighter or darker than each other. That way there is still some contrast. As for which to dark is up to you. Darker floors will show EVERYTHING, but if you're going for dark countertops you'll want some contrast between the cabinets and them.

If you're able to use white oak for your floors I would. The cost will be higher, but it's a much more neutral base. I like your inspiration kitchen, but don't know that you'd be able to accomplish that look with cherry and black granite. Has your designer explained why they've chosen cherry?

We’re finally done with demo, and we’re starting to build. Natural cherry cabinets (clear coat), 96 year old red oak flooring being rescued from tile cement, dark grey soapstone counters, handmade 3x12 sort of wavy ish white subway Ivy Hill Catalina), lots of new windows, stainless steel appliances, buckle hardware, and a few splashes if copper. What little bare wall there is will be something in the mint green/ sage green vein.

I picked things I like and truly could not care less what anyone else thinks.

In other words, pick what makes YOU happy. It’s your kitchen. If you like the oak cabs in your inspo, do that.

I 2nd the recommendation of white oak floors. We just installed white oak (engineered) and they are fabulous! I could go any direction with the rest of the choices, they are not bossy at all.

White oak is much preferred over red oak as it allows for a wider range of stain colors. Be sure you fully understand all the ramifications of using cherry wood for cabinetry (color change in general and color change with exposure to sunlight).

I'm typing this atop a natural (unstained, uncoated) cherry chest of drawers that I bought from Room & Board 20 years ago. I loved how the color aged ever so slowly...until the past year when it turned a good deal darker (red). We only oiled it maybe once every 5-6 years (lazy us).

p.s. @lucky998877, what kind of engineered white oak did you get?

Mittens, it's a wire brushed, matte, wide plank, 4 mm wear layer, with black filler in the knots.

No cherry . I like walnut and white kitchens with walnut floors and IMO that would look awesome with the inspo pic you posted Please no cherry

Red oak doesn't necessarily always look pink. I opted for red oak floors deliberately as I had a lot of quarter sawn WHITE oak cabinetry and I wanted something more neutral and less "brown". My floors read very neutral blonde to me. I did opt for the higher grade oak which had less grain and fewer knots and so that might also be a reason that my red oak is more neutral. I just wanted my wood floors to be a neutral background for my rugs and furniture as well as providing enough visual contrast while also complementing the wood cabinetry.

FWIW, I was going for more of a period style kitchen but in another life - or another home - I love the more contemporary look of walnut cabinets with white counters.

Helen i LOVE your cabinets!

^ those really are great!

Chandler Grant, I love your inspiration kitchen, both the floor and the cabinets!

My nearly 80 year old red oak floors were refinished some 20+ years ago in a natural finish (unstained) -- they are not red or pink at all. They have darkened, though, to a golden hue - yes, very like a jar of honey. The color seems to go with all of the eclectic medium- to-dark woods and colors in my home, but might be too strong for a wheat shade like your inspiration cabinets.

The only other rule of thumb I would say is to be sure to choose stains that are in the same tone family -- that is, don't have a reddish "undertone" in one stain and gray in the other for an extreme example. Browns occur in a wide range of shades from warm to cool and they need to complement each other or you might end up with a result that makes you vaguely dissatisfied with the overall effect.

Browns occur in a wide range of shades from warm to cool and they need to complement each other or you might end up with a result that makes you vaguely dissatisfied with the overall effect.

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio "Vaguely Dissatisfied" is spot on. I must have tried a forest's worth of flooring samples against my "golden" walnut cabinets and nothing looks right.

Re your red oak, I wonder if there is a significant hue difference (or some other color difference) between red oak harvested 80 years ago versus modern day red oak. Because all the newish red oak floors I see seem to lean pink or red when unstained.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, I also LOVE natural walnut floors. I keep pondering that species as a way to distract from our "golden" walnut cabs, but DH prefers lighter over darker flooring. (Plus, the $$.)

@lucky998877, thanks. Your floors sound lovely--and made to last! Good luck with your choice!

Chandler, sorry for the hijack. Hope everything worked out great! :)

Interesting comments about red oak floors looking pink.

Ours definitely have a warm gold hue, but then they are 96 years old. All they have is clear poly, no stain. The kitchen is still bare studs, but my natural cherry dining table looks great with the floors.

Maybe modern red oak behaves differently.

Whoops: posted before reading all of Mittens Cat’s reply above