Why Oak Cabinets Are a Great Choice For a Modern Kitchen

Oak cabinets are a classic feature in traditional kitchens. Their rich tones and striking aesthetics make them a highly desirable kitchen cabinet material choice. This timeless, unmistakable appearance, along with the wood’s sturdy physical properties that make oak resistant to warping, ensure that this trend isn’t likely to subside anytime soon. 

While oak has more than stood the test of time in kitchen design, and is naturally suited for a traditional-style space, introducing them into more modern kitchens can present something of a challenge if not given due consideration. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can incorporate stunning oak freestanding cabinets into your contemporary kitchen.

Choose a painted cabinet!

A superb way of harmonizing gorgeous oak into a modern space is to choose a light and bright painted cabinet. Here at Hugo & Blake, we offer our customers a wide range of painted oak cabinets, stretching all across the colour spectrum, so there’s plenty of scope to find the right tones for your freestanding kitchen. 

Utilize whites and creams shades wherever you can, and avoid darker hues like browns and blacks. As we offer sprayed, brushed, lightly distressed, heavily distressed, industrial and washed finishes for our oak cabinets, there’s always an aesthetic to suit your modern kitchen.

Keeping things light!

If you’re a traditionalist, and can’t bring yourself to abandon the dark tones of natural oak, make sure you combine them with light walls and countertops to create contrast for your contemporary freestanding kitchen. 

There’s a whole range of materials to choose from for your worktops and freestanding kitchen islands surfaces—including marble, quartz and granite—so you’ll have no trouble finding the most suitable finish to blend with your traditional oak cabinets. A vibrant white quartz countertop, for example, will contrast beautifully with the dark tones of oak. As ever, our design team will always be on hand to offer advice and suggestions for your dream kitchen layout.

Go neutral with your colours

If you don’t want to limit yourself with your colour palette, there’s certainly an opportunity to venture out into other neutral tones, just as long as you’re keeping the aesthetics light and breezy. Muted greys or tans can look beautiful combined with oak. Elsewhere, to offset the rich and earthy tones of wood, think about introducing greenery and plant life into your space to extract and highlight the natural shades of the wood.

Freestanding cabinets with open shelving

Another excellent method of modernizing the traditional oak cabinet aesthetics is to opt for some beautiful open shelving. A freestanding open-shelf cabinet can be a unique feature for your kitchen, and will not only enhance your space, but offers plenty in the way of practicality. Display your favourite crockery sets or statement pieces on the open shelves to add a personal dynamic to your kitchen. 

Open shelving, elegantly decorated with sculptures, ornaments and eye-catching pots and pans, can help with the flow of your kitchen design, and create an interesting visual focus for your space. There’s a litany of cabinet, shelving and drawer combinations to choose from when it comes to designing a freestanding kitchen with Hugo & Blake, and we can tailor the build to suit your exact needs and tastes.

How can we help?

Oak cabinets can be a beautiful addition to any kitchen, and, when implemented with care and forethought, can suit a variety of design styles—both modern and traditional. If you’d like any expert advice on the best oak cabinet to choose for your kitchen, or to discuss the many different finishes and fixtures available, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.