What Tile to Put on a Floor to Make Oak Cabinets Look Darker?

Light-Colored Ceramic Tile

• Choose light-colored ceramic tile to make oak cabinets look darker. Ceramic tile is made from durable clay products and synthetic finishes that protect it from weathering, chipping and fading over time. Tile is designed to resemble natural stone so it purposefully reflects color and texture variations. Opt for ceramic tile colors in white, off-white, eggshell, beige, tan or sand to make oak cabinets appear darker. The contrast between the light flooring and your darker woodworking will make your oak cabinets appear darker. Light-colored ceramic tile will also visually increase the size of your living space.

Low to Moderate Color Consistency

• Select floor tile with low to moderate color consistency to strengthen the depth of color in your oak cabinetry. This consistency means that the color and texture variations in the tile remain relatively similar throughout, allowing your flooring to retain its light, unspeckled appearance. High-contrast tile incorporates dark, modeled variations into a floor design, making the flooring appear darker and heavier and your oak cabinetry appear lighter.

Matching Grout Color

• Opt for sanded grout that closely matches your ceramic tile. Matching grout increases the uniformity of your flooring and provides a solid, non-checkerboard appeal that focuses on the depth of color in your oak cabinetry rather than your floor design. The World Floor Covering Association recommends choosing a color that blends with the overall color of the tile to minimize the appearance of grout. Light-colored grout provides added contrast between the flooring and the cabinetry, making the cabinets appear darker. Avoid solid white grout in high-traffic areas that tend to show dirt and grime.

Medium to Large Tile

• Install medium to large tiles to decrease the number of grout lines and focus attention on your oak cabinetry, not the flooring. Select 4 1/4-inch or 12-inch square tiles to visually expand the uniformity of the flooring and force the eye upward to the oak cabinets. Small tiles require many grout lines, creating a complex and busy floor pattern. Medium and large tiles decrease the number of squares and grout lines, making the floor appear more continuous. The contrasting floor and cabinet colors and the smooth transition between the floor and oak cabinets make the dark wood hues in your oak cabinets stand out in your room design.