Light wood kitchen cabinets are surging in popularity as homeowners want to break away from traditional white cabinetry and introduce more neutral tones. If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, light wood cabinets definitely need to be on your shortlist since we don’t see this trend going anywhere.
While dark woods were all the rage in the early 2000s, light-colored wood tones have now taken over. The neutral hues exuded by light wood cabinets make them the perfect choice for a warm and inviting space.
The most common light wood cabinet materials are driftwood, maple, and white oak. Unfortunately, these materials are typically more expensive than traditional plywood cabinets. To achieve this look on a budget, try a two-tone design that combines traditional painted cabinets with wood cabinetry. As you’ll see from our inspirations below, we love mixing white and light wood cabinets for a bright and airy look. Or, for more contrast, combine navy cabinets with wood accents that will jump off the walls!
Scroll through our favorite light wood kitchen cabinets to find your inspiration!
1. Floor to Ceiling Light Wood Cabinets
This kitchen’s floor-to-ceiling cabinets add a luxurious feel that accents the hardwood floors in the space. White countertops brighten the room and contrast the brass hardware on the cabinets.
2. Marble Backsplash and Natural Wood Kitchen Cabinets
Light wood kitchen cabinets add warm tones to this space, complementing the marble countertops and backsplash. To create contrast, black stools are placed at the island, made out of light wood material. Sliding glass doors provide plenty of natural light and let this kitchen create an indoor/outdoor space during nice weather.
3. White and Grey Countertops with White Oak Cabinetry
White pendant lights hang over the light wood island with white marble countertops in this stunning kitchen. Around the room’s perimeter, glossy white subway tile is used as a backsplash extending to the ceiling. A polished tile is a great way to reflect light and looks fantastic with lighter wood cabinetry.
4. A Light Wood Cabinet Kitchen with Black Accents
This kitchen with an L-shaped island features natural wood cabinets and black hardware that create a farmhouse style. Under-cabinet lighting is added to highlight the black chevron tile backsplash, which stands out against the light cabinets and white quartz countertops.
5. A Modern Wood Kitchen Design with Sleek Cabinets
Light-colored flat-panel cabinets give this space a modern feel, complemented by the large frameless windows. A grey granite countertop on the island accents the concrete tile floors, adding an industrial touch.
6. Grey Granite Countertops with Light Wood Cabinets
Light wood-colored cabinets brighten this kitchen and add neutral tones balanced by the grey granite countertops. While white oak cabinets with a matte finish have become popular recently, natural cabinets are still great for adding warmth to a space. When choosing light wood cabinets for your home, it’s essential to understand how much natural light your room gets. For darker areas, you’ll want to choose a lighter wood that helps brighten the kitchen.
7. Black Marble Countertops With Wood Cabinets
Black marble countertops contrast this kitchen’s light wood floors and cabinets, adding a modern flair. The black accents are continued with the appliances and stools that stand out against the wood cabinetry.
8. Modern Light Wood Cabinets with a Classic Twist
These light brown kitchen cabinets add a classic feel to this space and are accented by the farmhouse sink with an antique faucet. Using inset cabinetry, where the doors rest flush against the frame, adds to the high-end look of this kitchen.
9. Brass Handles With White Pendant Lights
Photo: luxdeco
This kitchen bar area uses light brown natural cabinets and a marble countertop to create a dreamy space. Adding open shelves across the two upper wall cabinets and a mirrored backsplash helps keep the area feeling open and larger. When designing a kitchen with wood cabinets, add design elements like these shelves to help accent your color scheme.
10. An Industrial Look with Light Cabinets
This industrial kitchen design proves you can use light wood cabinets in any style. Polished cement floors add a commercial feel, while the black countertop is accented by metal shelving across the space. When designing an industrial area with lots of black and grey tones, it’s important to add warmth using neutral colors and woods like oak.
11. A Two-Tone White and Wood Kitchen
Farmhouse light wood kitchen cabinets add neutral hues that break away from the traditional black-and-white design. Open butcher block shelves with glassware help add to the country feel of the space.
12. A White marble Island And A Detailed Ceiling
White-painted walls surrounding light wood cabinets accent the marble island in this stunning kitchen. Warm natural wood hues continue throughout the room with chevron hardwood floors and white oak shelving. This minimalist design adds contrast with the pendant lights and dining areas that jump off the page in this light space.
13. Sage Green and White Oak Kitchen Cabinets
Since light woods are neutral, don’t be afraid to combine cabinet colors in your kitchen design. This two-tone space uses green cabinetry with a light wood cabinet accent wall that helps break up the monotony of the design.
14. A Built-in Fridge with a Wood Island
The built-in stainless steel fridge gives this open floor plan kitchen with an island a luxurious look. Plenty of natural light only brightens the light oak kitchen cabinets even further while the marble subway tile backsplash reflects light creating a stunning effect. When installing matte finish cabinets in a kitchen, we recommend using a high-gloss subway tile to create contrast in finishes.
15. Modern Light Wood Kitchen Cabinets with Built-in Shelves
This light grey kitchen with tile floors adds modern light wood cabinets that add neutral tones without overpowering the design. When choosing the color of your cabinets, it’s important to consider the style of your kitchen. For example, a rich white oak cabinet wouldn’t support this kitchen’s modern grey and white color tone. Instead, sticking with lighter wood blends this design with neutral matte tones throughout the space.
16. Wood Beams Matching A Light Wood Cabinet Kitchen
Wood beams spanning this kitchen accent the light wood cabinetry with brass hardware. Since this space doesn’t have upper cabinets, the white walls and marble backsplash play a pivotal role in the design. Staining the wood beams the same color as the cabinets help connect this kitchen’s upper and lower sections.
17. Sleek European Style Kitchen with Two-Tone Cabinets
Black and gold accents throughout this kitchen with light oak cabinetry add a luxurious contrast while letting the wood be the focal point of the space. White countertops and marble backsplash brighten this kitchen, further accentuating the white-washed wood floors.
18. A Black Window With Natural Wood Cabinets
A black window over the farmhouse sink in this kitchen adds contrast against the warm neutral hues from the cabinetry and hardwood floors. While we often focus on creating accents with decor, this is an excellent example of using your home’s architecture as a part of your design. In addition, stainless steel appliances add a modern and luxurious touch to this space.
19. Light Wood Ceiling that Matches the Kitchen
This space evokes a sense of serenity, mixing various natural stones and textures throughout the kitchen. Natural stone tile with white and grey tones are continued with the marble backsplash and pillar, while the medium-tone wood cabinets offer warmth. We love using natural stones like the ones pictured, but it is important to balance your designs. For example, if this kitchen used white cabinets instead of light wood, it would take over the design and start to feel too modern. Instead, this space feels intriguing and inviting.
20. Green Walls and Light Wood Rustic Cabinets
Using the same light wood kitchen cabinets throughout the three distinct areas of this kitchen helps create a cohesive design that makes the space feel larger. When building open floor plan kitchens with cabinets on separate walls, it’s essential to incorporate design elements that tie them together. This home does a fabulous job of using the same cabinetry while changing the countertops for a bit of contrast.
21. White Backsplash with Walnut Cabinets
A white backsplash on this kitchen’s main wall helps break up the walnut cabinets that add a neutral aesthetic to the space. These tones are continued throughout the house with white oak hardwood floors and a matching front door.
What Countertops look good with Light Wood Cabinets?
White, grey, and black countertops look best with light wood cabinets since they complement the neutral tones of the wood while still creating contrast. Since wood cabinets offer natural warmth to your design, it’s important to introduce traditional neutral colors like whites and greys.
Are Light Wood Kitchen Cabinets in Style?
Yes, light wood cabinets have surged in popularity over the last three years as homeowners have transitioned away from white and black farmhouse designs and are now looking to introduce warm neutral tones. In the next few years, we’ll continue to see light woods prevalent in design, especially mixed with traditional colors like navy and white in kitchens.
Our favorite designers are using light wood upper cabinets mixed with traditional base colors like white or black to create contrast and balance hues.
What goes with light wood cabinets?
Soft grays, bright whites, bold blacks, and moody navy blues are the best colors to match with light wood cabinets. While other colors can look great since light wood features neutral tones, these colors compliment the hues best.
