What Colours Go With Oak Furniture?

What colours go with oak furniture?

‘Oak’ itself is often referred to as a colour, but it doesn’t just adhere to one simple block or shade of colour, with its varying grain and richness in tone that can change with the age of the tree. So, is it enough to just ask ‘what colour walls go with brown furniture?’ It’s not just a simple block ‘brown’ like a child might colour but it does have those woody tones, so where to start? Well, like most things, personal taste also comes into play.

Hues It For?

Being a natural wood, the undertones of oak typically tend to lend themselves to warmer colours like dark reds or yellows which can help deepen and accentuate those tones. If you can utilise your palette to bring out those reddish tones it will make a feature of the oak and bring it more to the fore. It’s also quite likely these tones will become more pronounced as the wood ages, as oak will darken over time. This will work particularly well for pieces in our Winchester Oak range. 

However, this doesn’t apply to every piece of oak furniture. Paler oak, like that found in our Bergen Oak collection, will have a lighter, more green hue and so olive greens, yellow-greens and lighter shades in general may be more suitable as colours that go with oak.

Style For the Settings

Do you want a bold contrast of your furniture against your décor, or would you prefer something subtler when walking into a room? If you want something with a lot of energy, bold, block colours can work very well with darker oak and allow for each piece of furniture to really stand out in the space.

For something more subtle, pastels can complement light oak extremely tastefully to create a feeling of airiness and space, and should you want to have a darker oak with pastel décor, you’ll find rustic styles will create a more diverse look.

Consider the Space 

Consider the room in which your furniture will sit. For example, a rich and earthy oak piece will look fabulous in a monochromatic room with it being able to be boldly picked out against whites, greys, and blacks, and offering a warmth that juxtaposes itself nicely against the darker shades. 

However, that sort of décor is an extremely bold choice for a bedroom where one would want to relax. As such, you might want to opt for soft neutrals when it comes to bedroom colour schemes with oak furniture and revisit the more striking options when mulling over dining room colour ideas. Natural colour and floral prints work particularly well in the bedroom when trying to create a laid-back atmosphere.

Dining room colour ideas could also revolve around whether you want to accentuate the warm tones found in oak or if you’d prefer to neutralise them. Warm creams, beiges and browns will help with the latter, while blues, greys and greens may well be better for accentuation. This would also work for living room ideas with oak furniture.

From Floor to Ceiling

It’s not just a case of looking at paint colours that go with oak wood trim and furniture, but how the whole room can contribute to the look and feel you want. For example, your flooring plays a massive part in creating the right ambience and so, if overhauling a whole space, you might want to look at what flooring matches oak furniture.

Wooden floors are a natural and obvious fit, being able to reflect and emphasise the tones of the wooden furniture. However, you may want to also protect this against scratches and scuffs from the aforementioned furniture by using foot protectors on the legs of your cupboards and cabinets.

Tile and stone are also an underutilised material that can really complement wooden tones, with slate and darker tiling helping contrast the warmer oak tones, while lighter choices like sandstone and limestone will work better if trying to match the oak. Great in bathrooms and kitchens, be careful when considering the right fit for each room.

Explore our oak collections today to find the right furniture to fit your home. Click here to view now.