When it comes to your kitchen, matching your granite countertops or else material with cabinetry is a huge component of the style of the room. Making sure the design comes together successfully not only makes for an aesthetically pleasing room, but it will also increase your home’s resale value.
By following the tips in this article, we hope you’ll find it easier to tie your newly remodeled kitchen together by pairing your countertops and cabinets in a way that will set your home apart from the rest—simply because of the style and beauty factor.
Keep reading to find out our five best tips on matching your countertops to your cabinets.
1. Keep three colors in mind.
This is a great place to start when you’re in the beginning stages of remodeling your kitchen. Here’s the trick: Think of three colors—two main colors and one for an accent. Keep it simple when it comes to the two main colors—a loud and brash kitchen isn’t easy to match or style. Though the main colors should be simple, you have the freedom to go bold with the accent. This keeps the eye’s interest!
If your countertop includes multiple colors, you can choose your accent color from one of those. For example, if your slab of granite has flecks of deep blue that you want to highlight, you can use that blue as your accent color.
We recommend using one of the simpler colors for the cabinets because they’re a major item in the kitchen. With accessories, appliances, and smaller details, though—that’s where the accent can shine.
A further example is if your three colors are black, white, and green—it’s probably a good choice to stick with white or black for your cabinetry and allow accessories to pop by making them green, instead of inundating your kitchen with more green than it can handle. This creates a balanced look in your kitchen with details that offset each other perfectly.
2. Start with the countertops.
Many people have the misconception that cabinets should be the first choice when designing a kitchen because they catch the most attention. We can see where this thought comes from, but we’re here to tell you that the process will be much easier if you choose your countertops first.
There are more countertop options to consider than there are cabinets, and this will give you more color options for your kitchen as a whole. Building your kitchen around your countertops gives you the freedom to explore different themes, styles, and feelings of the room.
3. Don’t forget the lighting.
We’ll always recommend visiting a showroom to check out samples in person, but you also can’t go wrong with taking the next step and bringing certain samples home with you—this is how you can test out how the samples look in the light of your own home.
Take a look at your choice for cabinets and countertops in the lighting of your kitchen, and make sure that the two coincide. This is a great way to choose patterns that complement each other and your kitchen as a whole.
4. Choose between contrasting or complementary.
We’ve gone over how important color choice is—but you still might not know where to start. That’s okay! We’re here to help. To choose your three colors from step one, first you must ask yourself—do I want my kitchen to have contrasting or complementary colors?
Contrast is used to create visual interest in a room, and it’s a common theme with modern kitchens. Popular choices for this style are black and white for this style, but traditional styles can contrast too—using warmer, more neutral tones for a more subtle effect.
You can add to that contrast with your cabinetry. Warm wood cabinets and light-colored countertops provide crisp definition in a well-rounded kitchen.
As for complementary colors, look for selections that are close to each other in the color wheel, like light brown, beige, and cherry, for example. This creates a more consistent look rather than one that contrasts.
5. Keep in mind the grain and the cut.
These are two style details that you should keep in mind when matching your countertops and cabinets because the grain of the cabinet and the cut of the countertop have the potential to go hand-in-hand or completely clash.
If you’re interested in a modern and contrasting look, we recommend sharper edges and a more dramatic grain. If you err on the side of complementary and consistent, you might choose to go with soft edges and a light grain.
Your Countertops and Cabinets
If you’re still not sure about what you want for your kitchen, our best advice is to keep it simple. Start with a solid base like black or white and go from there; you’ll find your way as you go along—and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact Marble Unlimited at (919) 596-2325.