White counters with oak cabinets

Cherry, espresso wood, and white painted cabinets are all the rage, but if own or have just bought a home with cabinets that aren’t the “wood-of-the-day,” you may feel frustrated trying to update other features of the kitchen when all the decorating magazines and websites assume you can just buy new cabinets to fit the latest trends.

Don’t worry! There are a few easy ways to incorporate your existing Oak cabinets into modern trends. Choosing the right granite color is a great way to give any cabinets a contemporary look (and beautiful natural stone counters will be the visual center of the room, taking attention away from the cabinets).

Oak cabinets, in particular, are found in a lot of older homes and aren’t included in the mainstream decorating how-to’s. Good number of homes in the country including St. Louis area that were built during last 10 to 20 years had Oak cabinets in the kitchens.

But we think more homeowners should be enjoying their oak cabinets. Oak is a solid, timeless wood that can look great in a fresh, updated kitchen if you pick the right countertop. Here are ten granites that will bring out the best in your cabinets (and look pretty good on their own as well).

Snowfall Granite

Like the bright white kitchen style that’s so popular? There’s a way to have that with oak cabinets. Choose a granite like Snowfall that is white and gray with splashes of burgundy and caramel. These bits of color tie in the granite with the color of the wood.

To finish off the look, choose a backsplash that accentuates those highlight colors that the granite and oak cabinets have in common.

Hawaii Granite

Hawaii Granite works with oak cabinets in almost the same way. This granite has a creamier background with touches of rose, burnt orange, light brown, and a bit of black. It will create a more subtle contrast, while maintaining that fresh, bright look that everyone is trying to get.

Try painting your kitchen walls in one of the accent colors of the granite to create a consistent palette in the room. For a similar color palette with a more subdued composite pattern, see New Venetian Gold Granite.

Netuno Bordeaux Granite

And another shade darker…Netuno Bordeaux Granite, as the name suggests, is in the desirable Bordeaux family of granites. These Brazilian stones are known for their sumptuous wine colors. Netuno Bordeaux has a dusty rosé background with darker colors overlaid.

With the right oak cabinet, some simple travertine tile, and neutral accents, this stone can turn a sturdy oak cabinet into a warm, inviting amber backdrop for a show-stopping granite. If you like this granite, you’ll also enjoy Crema Bordeaux Granite.

Titanium Granite

How about a black and white kitchen? Add a little gold to the mix and you have a trendy kitchen without replacing your oak cabinets.

Titanium is an exotic black granite with swirls of gray and a caramel gold that create the perfect tie in for oak cabinets.

Choose a white or light tile floor with a white backsplash tile and you have an eclectic play on the classic black and white kitchen. For a black granite with a more subdued pattern, see Black Pearl Granite.

Coffee Brown Granite

Moving firmly into the earth-tone family, we have the understated composite pattern of Coffee Brown Granite. This granite has black and dark brown minerals distributed in a small, even pattern.

For those looking for a more traditional look, this is a great match for oak cabinets. For another earthy contrast, see the dark, forest-green Uba Tuba Granite.

Giallo Fiorito Granite

This affordable stone has a medium composite pattern with a warm palette of cream, tan, and earthy peach tones. Pairing Giallo Fiorito with oak cabinets will give you a consistent color scheme throughout the room.

Play up the hints of oak in the stone or make the most of its bolder colors to accentuate the naturally rich colors of oak. Finish off the look with black appliances, a neutral backsplash, and black accents to add a bit of contrast.

Ganache Granite

This granite has a similar pattern to Hawaii Granite and Netuno Bordeaux. It fall in between them in lightness and has more earth tones instead of reds. Like those stones, it has oaky colors sprinkled in among the more obvious tones.

The best way to find a granite that brings out the best in your oak cabinets is to visit a fabricator that will show you a wide variety of granite and take the time to help you find a stone that works with your cabinets and your style.

A great way to visualize how a countertop will match your cabinets is to bring along a cabinet drawer when you go granite shopping. You can easily slide it out when you are ready to go and get a real sense of how it looks up against different granite counter types.

Arch City Granite has installed hundreds of kitchens with Oak cabinets in St. Louis area homes and we can share our experience and expertise when you visit our showrooms. You can view all the seven granite colors in full slabs at our facility. Call us at 314-426-3100 for expert granite advice.

Featured image source: houzz

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