How to Make Oak Cabinets Look Darker With Tile

Choose a dark tile to enhance the color of unstained oak cabinets. Natural oak is a light yellow or cream color and naturally reflects the light from other colors around it. Installing a dark colored tile, such as a walnut, black or slate floor, will help change the overall color of your cabinets by reflecting the darkness of the floor. The effects are more subtle in kitchens with less light, but if you have a well-lit kitchen you will see the difference.

Install a light-colored tile for stained oak cabinets to contrast the darkness and help it stand out. If your preference for oak cabinets runs towards a stained surface that is already dark, you can use a light-colored tile to bring out the contrasts between the two and help the stained oak stand out. Cream colored marbles and travertines are ideal, but any type of light-colored tile will work.

Affect the overall color of the cabinets through strategic use of grout. Grout not only helps tie in a tile installation, but the various colors help complement, enhance or otherwise affect the overall theme of the kitchen. If you have unstained oak with dark tile, you could use a color to match the cabinets, thus helping to showcase the reflective property of the tile. With light tiles you can use a darker grout to throw off the color and put the focus on the similarities between the grout and cabinets to enhance their darkness.