Maple is a rustic style wood with warm finishes ranging from light reddish to brown tones. Maple cabinets are often paired with colorful backsplashes to enhance their beauty.
When remodeling your kitchen, it is important to choose the best countertop color for light or dark maple cabinets. But this task is often a confusing one since there is a wide variety of mixed tones and colors that can give your kitchen an entirely different look.
To help you decide on the best countertop color pairings for your maple cabinets, take a look at our suggestions right here:
Best Countertop Colors for Light and Dark Maple Cabinets
Maple cabinets are one of the most affordable options as they stain well and are highly durable. Even if you choose to leave your maple in its natural form, it will provide a neutral backdrop when paired with the right countertop colors and materials.
For example, you can pair your maple cabinets with onyx or granite countertops in bold or neutral tones to create a luxurious look in your kitchen.
Here are more examples of countertop colors that go with maple kitchen cabinets:
Aqua Blue
Aqua blue is a dusty soft hue with a green undertone. This countertop color is a subtle contrast to the golden wood hue of maple cabinets.
The color palette also works very well with cool gray backsplashes so you can warm it up with bronze or copper accents.
White And Cream
Neutral countertop colors are often used for smaller kitchens. Light colors like white and cream provide contrast with warm wood tones of maple cabinets.
What’s more, light colors reflect light around the kitchen and make it feel more open and spacious.
When deciding on neutral color countertops, opt for veined stone to tamper down the starkness of white.
For kitchens that are too small or dim, pure white countertops can look a little harsh or overpowering against dark brown cabinets so it’s best to opt for veined white in order to soften the harshness.
Black
Lighter maple cabinets look great against black countertops. Black is a good contrast in a modern kitchen. It also works well with stainless appliances to soften the look. In smaller kitchens with dark flooring, black countertops can make the room appear even smaller and darker so you should only consider this color if your maple cabinets are in a light tone, such as reddish-brown or cream.
Some people may find black granite or marble countertops too much of a contrast against light maple cabinets. If this is your concern, consider veined granite to soften the look.
Tan or Brown
A tan or brown colored granite countertop is an attractive choice with light brown maple cabinets. However, it is best to opt for countertops in brown or tan color that are unveined granite.
The type of stone finish you choose will also affect the look. To avoid design clashing, go for a mixture of colors that lean toward the lighter neutral shade spectrum, such as muted beige tones. This will ensure your light maple cabinets won’t clash against brown countertops.
Slate Gray
Slate gray is a deep color that is a subtle alternative to brown and black. Slate gray can look beautiful with light maple cabinets. The dark tone of this shade adds an appealing contrast to the overall lightness of maple.
What’s more, slate gray goes hand in hand with stainless steel appliances to give the kitchen a contemporary and clean look.
Keep in mind that the color combination of light maple with slate gray can make the kitchen appear darker so it may not be a good choice for small kitchens or ones with low levels of natural light.
Medium Gray
Medium gray is a darker version of slate gray and works just as well in both rustic and contemporary kitchens.
Since this shade of gray is less stark than black countertops, it doesn’t make the kitchen darker and it certainly won’t clash with any appliance colors. Lighter shades of maple cabinets will generally work well with medium tones of gray.
Green
There is nothing more refreshing than nature-inspired colors, especially in a traditional kitchen. Green is a crowd-pleasing color and comes in many different shades, thus providing a beautiful contrast to both dark and light maple cabinets.
To continue the green theme throughout your kitchen, why not add some potted plants in a mix of bold colors to create a bright and cheery look. If you wish to make a striking contrast, consider choosing dark green granite countertops. These are often paired with light maple cabinets.
Red
Bold granite countertop colors such as rich red hues can easily be paired with neutral colored maple cabinets. This is because red countertops look similar to reddish maple, thus both colors complementing each other.
In fact, you will often find red granite countertops in traditional kitchens with light maple cabinets. This bold tone will look just as good against darker cabinets, as long as your kitchen is large and airy.
If you love the idea of red countertops for your maple cabinets but weren’t sure if this color combo is a good idea, you’ll be pleased to know that dark red granite offers a warm and homely atmosphere, especially when it’s paired with maple.
Other Bold Colors
Purple, yellow or orange countertops are the other bright and bold colors that coordinate well with maple cabinets. You can either go with light or dark maple to pair with any of these colors.
But the color palette is most commonly used for modern kitchen designs thanks to the rich, jewel tones of yellow or orange. The combination of such bold colors with maple will bring an elegant and old-fashioned look to an otherwise contemporary kitchen.
