What Paint Colors Go With Cherry Wood Cabinets?

Gary Evans
by Gary Evans

Pieces of furniture or fixtures made from hardwood can be stunning. Cherry wood, in particular, has this distinctive appearance that makes it a terrific addition to any home. They can work well as a showcase or complementary pieces.

You can do more with cherry wood fixtures and pieces of furniture if you coordinate them properly with paint colors. Homeowners can bring to life all kinds of design possibilities by picking the right color combinations.

Paint colors such as blue, green, and red excel at complementing the appearance of cherry wood. Meanwhile, colors like beige and gold frame the cherry wood incredibly nicely. If you want to keep things simple, you cannot go wrong with cherry wood and white paint pairing.

Bring the best out of your cherry wood home elements by using the right paint colors. Learn more about how to do precisely that by continuing with this article.

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How To Best Match Wuth Cherry Wood

In order to understand which paint colors go with cherry wood, it’s essential first to understand the material you’re working with. Cherry wood is not like most other types of hardwood that are commonly used in homes. When it comes to aesthetics, cherry wood manages to stand out.

Arguably the most standout quality of cherry wood is its color. This very distinctive hue is best described as rich brown blended with a warm red tone. The color of cherry wood is evocative of warmth in just the right ways.

The red is an essential element because you’re not getting that easily from other types of hardwood. Cherry wood may be the only suitable material to use for specific applications. Note that what we just described refers to the heartwood variants of cherry wood. The colors vary if you’re using sapwood.

Sapwood Cherry Wood Pieces

The sapwood pieces of cherry wood feature lighter colors. They feature a shade closer to orange, although you can also consider it a combo of yellow and light brown. Sapwood pieces of cherry wood veer closer to more conventional wood options in terms of appearance.

Cherry wood is also known for its clean grain. Its grain has a smooth appearance that doesn’t take away from the unique colors of the material. The grain won’t get in the way of your design plans. You may also see some patches of brown here and there, but those are uncommon. They won’t dominate the pieces of cherry wood in your home.

What Paint Colors Go With Cherry Wood Cabinets?

Colors can be combined in a wide variety of ways. You can create all kinds of spectacular outcomes by choosing the right colors.

Paint colors can be utilized in two ways when paired with cherry wood. You can either use the colors to complement the natural appearance of the material or try to showcase the cherry wood. Either option is undoubtedly well worth considering.

Red

Red is often the color that first comes to mind for many when they look at cherry wood. That’s probably because that is the color of the material itself.

Notably, though, red remains a good choice as a complementary color for cherry wood. Dark red, in particular, is a great accent color for cherry wood, but you have to use it sparingly. Using too much opaque red risks drowning out the qualities of the cherry wood.

Light red is more brutal to work with because it struggles to stand up to the cherry wood’s appearance. You may not get much out of it.

Blue

Homeowners can pair blue with cherry wood in two distinctive ways. First off, they can go the accent route.

Darker shades of blue work exceptionally well at accenting cherry wood. You’re getting the warm notes from the cherry wood blended with the dark blue. The combination almost has a kind of regal feel to it.

Light blue creates more contrast with the cherry wood, but the result is still appealing. It’s a splash of light color that doesn’t dampen the trademark warmth of the cherry wood.

Green

Compared to red and blue, green is a bit tougher to pair with cherry wood. That’s mainly because your options are limited.

Going with bright green is a no-go if you have cherry wood furniture and fixtures in your home. The contrast is too stark, and it won’t be easy on the eyes. On the other hand, using dark green risks clashing with the cherry wood. Both of the colors will fail to pop, and the result will be something unsightly.

The shade of green closer to sage is what you want to use. Sage works because it has a presence, but it’s a softer kind. You can pair it with cherry wood floors and create something beautiful.

If you want to add pops of brightness, feel free to use some plants. Place them strategically inside a room to introduce the pops of color you’re looking for.

How Do You Showcase Cherry Wood Using Paint Colors?

Using paint colors to showcase the cherry wood is also an option. You can do that by using the colors below.

Beige

Let’s be honest. Beige is not precisely the most exciting color choice. However, it’s still often used in homes because it works so well at allowing other elements to stand out.

Use beige as a background color and feature your cherry wood cabinetry or floors. The contrast is going to turn out great, and you’ll be glad you invested in cherry wood.

Gold

You don’t think of gold and often see it as a background color, but it can work in that capacity. As long as you don’t go for anything too shiny, gold will work well as a cherry wood backdrop.

Gold is somewhat similar to beige, although it has a livelier feel to it. Cover your walls with light gold color to make its cherry wood contents pop.

Keeping Things Simple With White Paint

If you don’t want to overthink things and use something that will work, go with white paint. Similar to beige and gold, white color will work to showcase the beauty of the cherry wood.

Notably, though, you can create more contrast by painting a room primarily white. Doing that makes both the white paint and the cherry wood the stars of the show.

Regardless of how you decide to use the white paint, it will pair effortlessly with cherry wood. Use it early on if you need more time before settling on a long-term color scheme.

Other Ways To Bring Out The Beauty Of Cherry Wood

Relying on paint colors is not the only way to make your cherry wood furniture and fixtures stand out. Here in this section, we’ll highlight other methods of showcasing cherry wood.

Use Stainless Steel Appliances In The Kitchen

Do you have cherry wood cabinets or countertops in the kitchen? In that case, you’ll want to use stainless steel appliances in there.

Stainless steel creates a nice visual contrast with the dark cherry wood. The added luster stainless steel brings only works to enhance the depth of the cherry wood color even more.

Most stainless steel appliances are going to pair well with your cherry wood fixtures. The only ones to avoid are the black stainless steel appliances. Black and cherry wood don’t go together, so you’re not doing either color any favors by combining them.

Feature Different Materials

Going back to the kitchen, you can create a space with more visual intrigue by combining different materials. We’re particularly fond of cherry wood cabinets positioned on top of granite countertops. That combination is simply exquisite.

If you cannot find granite, marble works too. As we’ve already discussed, stainless steel also offers some nice contrast when paired with cherry wood. Feel free to use any of those materials to create a more beautiful setting.

Combine Different Types Of Wood

You can also try to pair cherry wood together with another type of wood. The contrast in colors will be noticeable, and the varied grain patterns will stand out too.

For cherry wood, you want to use pairings that feature either hickory or mahogany. Hickory and mahogany also feature warmer colors, making them ideal pairings with cherry wood.

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Related Questions

How does cherry wood age?

Unlike many other types of wood, a cherry may undergo a bit of a transformation as it ages. To be more specific, its color can develop over time. Continued exposure to sunlight over an extended period will cause the cherry wood to darken.Whether the cherry wood darkening is a good or bad thing will depend on your home décor. It’s possible that you may have to change things up to accommodate the cherry wood’s new look.


What is the difference between Heartwood and Sapwood?

Heartwood refers to the core portion of the trunk. Because of where it’s taken from, heartwood often features a dark color. In cherry wood, the heartwood portion appears dark red with some brown added into the mix.Pieces of sapwood are taken from the outer portions of the tree. In contrast to the heartwood, sapwood appears lighter in color.

Gary Evans
Gary Evans

Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.

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