How to Lighten up a Kitchen with Cherry Cabinets

If you have cherry cabinets and you’re looking to lighten up your kitchen, there’s a few things you can try.

But let’s not take away from the beauty of cherry cabinets – they’re stunning and pair nicely with a light maple or dark acacia hardwood floor. 

Although they look great, they can often deprive a kitchen of natural light and, in some cases, may make the kitchen feel smaller.

So, how to lighten cherry cabinets? This article has all the answers, from providing a fresh coating on your cabinets to focusing on other areas of the kitchen – here’s everything you need to know. 

Makeover your cherry kitchen cabinets

Instead of replacing your kitchen cabinets entirely, which can be costly, why not try a makeover? 

You can apply a new finish to the cabinets, perhaps a shade or two lighter to attract more natural light. 

If this is not your area of expertise, then you can always bring in a professional to help. It’s much more cost effective than buying all new cabinets.

Try re-painting your walls to lighten up a kitchen with cherry cabinets

If you currently have darker-colored walls, it could be time to re-paint.

Consider using lighter shades, mainly whites, to attract more natural light.

If the walls are already painted white, they may also benefit from a fresh coat of paint – you’ll be surprised just how good a freshly painted kitchen looks.

What color hardwood floor with cherry kitchen cabinets?

If you’re replacing the floor in your kitchen, a light maple or dark acacia hardwood pairs nicely.

You also have other options, such as country farmhouse slate tiles.

Typically though, hardwood flooring pairs best with cherry kitchen cabinets. But if you’re not keeping the cabinets, then feel free to play around with other options.

Related: Kitchen cabinets and flooring: should they match?

Add new light fixtures to your kitchen 

If lighting is a problem in your kitchen, consider adding new light fixtures.

Sure, it won’t add natural light, but a new lighting set up could work wonders – ensure to choose something that matches your current style but is plenty bright.

Replace your cabinets

If re-painting the cabinets has not worked and neither has re-painting your walls, it could be time to replace your kitchen cabinets.

We recommend this as a last attempt – replacing your kitchen cabinets can be expensive, as previously mentioned.

But when you choose Designer Cabinets, you receive high-quality, stunning cabinetry at affordable prices.

If you are in the market for new cabinets, we’d recommend choosing a lighter-colored design – think white, ivory, or gray.

Choosing more natural colors, as opposed to cherry, attracts more natural light into your kitchen.

Furthermore, lighter colors allow for plenty of color pairings, allowing you to mix things up as the years go on – you might never need to buy new cabinets again (that is, if you take good care of them). 

Shop the Designer Cabinets range 

If you’re looking to replace your cherry kitchen cabinets, shop the Designer Cabinets range.

We offer Designer Cabinets at affordable prices, with endless styles and color choices to lighten up your kitchen once and for all. 

Shop the Designer Cabinets range.

FAQs

How to make cherry cabinets look less red?

You can apply a new finish to your cherry cabinets to make them look less red. Alternatively, use grays and blues to distract from the “red” look. 

How to tone down cherry cabinets?

We recommend using grays and blues in your kitchen to play down the striking color of the cherry cabinets.

Are cherry kitchen cabinets outdated?

Cherry cabinets are not going out of style. But many homeowners are choosing to switch things up to attract more natural light to their kitchen.

What color cabinets are most popular?

Currently, white cabinets are the most popular. We suggest choosing neutral colors when purchasing new cabinetry – it opens up more options for color pairings and is sure to stand the test of time.