When you are rebuilding your kitchen, the possibilities are endless. New cabinets, new countertop, perhaps even a new floor will transform your kitchen completely. You have the choice in where to put your sink, how high to mount your oven, and design your built-in cabinet organizers. But the most important decision you will make is the combination of your cabinetry and countertops.
If you’re thinking granite for the counters, no doubt you’ll want to beautifully match the color and grain of your granite with the warm wood tones and stain of your cabinets. Natural wood and natural stone together share an elegance that carries the weight of history and authenticity. With so many colors and grains to choose from, it can be hard to select just the right pairing of tones, undertones, and grains.
Don’t worry, we have more than a few inspirational ideas to help you coordinate the perfect wood and granite kitchen design. Each pairing creates a unique style while also providing an example of the principles behind matching stone and wood together.
Solarius granite with primary Gold color in it is paired with dark wood colored kitchen cabinets
Matching Natural Stone and Wood
- Complimentary contrast vs Smooth color match
- Match the granite grain to the wood tones
- Use wood stain for a perfect match
The key elements of matching your granite to natural wood cabinets is in the color. The most beautiful combinations often compliment each other. The wood tones should highlight natural brown, gold, and red hues in the granite itself – unless you are going for a cool modern contrast. In this case, choose cool granite colors to contrast with warm wood tones.
You should also remember that most cabinet wood is stained and finished. This means your choice of stain can also play a role in matching the perfect granite to create a beautifully color-balanced kitchen design.
1) Green Granite and Walnut Cabinets
Want a kitchen that takes you back to nature? Choose an elegant muted green granite slab for your countertops and combine with the rich, dark brown hues of walnut cabinets. Walnut is the darkest of the natural cabinet woods and can stain to a deep gray-hued wood or a rich red-brown in the darkest range. This brings to mind the great trees of ancient forests and can make the inside of a home feel older and more timeless than you would think possible in a newly remodeled kitchen.
Paired with green marble in a soft grain, your kitchen will feel like the elegant canopy of an ancient tree. A few flecks of warm brown in your green marble countertop will be perfect to highlight the beautiful brown hues of your walnut cabinetry.
2) Bamboo with Gold-Grain Granite
Warm, pale cabinets offer a completely different palette to choose from. If you are excited about your new sustainable bamboo cabinet installation, you need a beautiful warm countertop to go with it. Bamboo counters can contrast beautifully with dark countertops, but will look best with any granite that features a golden grain detail. Pale or dark, the gold grain in the granite will pop when placed next to soft yellow bamboo cabinets.
Likewise, the elegance of the gold in the grain will make your bamboo look more beautiful, bringing out the sense of elegance and opulence in your sustainably designed kitchen.
3) White Birch Cabinets with Soft Blue Granite
Going for a cool, clean look with pale birch cabinets? Birch is on the opposite end of the spectrum from walnut, with an almost ashy hue that is only faintly yellow on the spectrum to brown. This makes Birch your ideal natural wood alternative to a white or cream painted kitchen. The perfect counterpoint for a modern design style is soft blue granite or white granite with a blue grain. Blue makes the room feel cooler and more modern, suggesting stainless steel and clean edges.
For a kitchen that gleams, combine your soft blue granite and birch cabinets with matching blue accents. A little blue in the backsplash and blue-accented canisters or utensils on the counter will really make this color scheme pop. You may also consider silver or blue handles on the cabinets themselves.
4) Warm Oak and Cream White Granite
For a warm, traditional kitchen, consider pristine white granite combined with warm-stained oak cabinets. Oak is typically the second darkest wood, with potential to be polished and stained to a truly cheerful brown that glows with natural warmth. Dark oak with that wonderful golden untertone can make any kitchen feel like home. Make the cabinets the color focus of your kitchen design by combining with beautiful white granite countertops with a faintly golden grain to really make the highlights in the oak cabinetry pop.
Warm oak also looks excellent in a darker color scheme with black or even dark green cabinets that are shot with a brilliant gold grain. That combination of gold grain and warm oak will make a kitchen feel welcoming even with a dark palette.
5) Cherrywood and Red-Grain Granite
Speaking of combining your granite grain and your wood tones, cherrywood has some amazing potential when it comes to counter-cabinet pairings. Cherry wood is faintly red and often features a stain that brings out that auburn or deep maroon hue. This combines perfectly with red granite – a soft rust red is often a good choice – or granite with brilliant red grains that shine through when highlighted by surrounding cherrywood cabinets.
If you are in love with the idea of a cherrywood kitchen but aren’t sure which granite countertop to choose, look for those matching red hues. An all-red countertop or a beautifully contrasting benchtop with grains of matching red can both be brilliant choices to complete your kitchen.
6) Hickory and Caramel Granite
Finally, there is the soft, creamy look of hickory cabinets combined with a caramel-toned countertop. This approach abandons contrast for smooth color matching. Hickory is known to be a softer brown, closer to the color of caramel than any other wood. If you want a beautiful kitchen where the countertops and cabinets are almost the same color – but not “modern white” – then hickory and caramel granite might be the perfect combination.
Hickory is a sturdy and warm-toned wood in the softer range of hues that looks perfect with a soft-toned marble of the same color. Speckle grain may even be better than wood-like or flowing grains for this particular combination to create that subtle change in texture that marks where the cabinets end and the granite begins.
Not sure where to get started on choosing the perfect slab of granite? Check out our online granite gallery to explore the many colors and grains available in marble countertops today. We’ll help you consult on the ideal wood-granite combination, how to find the granite you want, and how the details of each slab might enhance or accent your desired kitchen design. Contact us today to learn more.