How to match colours with oak furniture
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Oak has always had a timeless quality about it and it's one of the many reasons we're passionate about it here at Oak Furniture Land. It has the ability to marry with nearly any style and its natural attributes mean it can work with almost every colour scheme.

However, if you are struggling to grasp how to marry your oak furniture with your existing rooms and what colours work well with oak, and will bring out its best qualities, our post today will help.

Whether your style is bold and dramatic or stylishly subtle, steeped in period details or on the cutting edge of contemporary design, you can find a colour that works beautifully with oak furniture.

Looking at Oak's Undertones

Bed with red Curtains

Warm colour palettes bring out the natural warmth of oak.

Bed / Bedside Table

Let's first look at oak as a natural product. More often than not, oak furniture will have warm undertones, from subtle reddish hues to deeper yellow tones. Stain colours will affect the final look and so darker shades tend to deepen those undertones, bringing out the reddish quality of oak. While paler and more natural stains tend to bring out tinges of yellow or orange. Either way, you're working with a warmer undertone.

Oak Bedroom furniture with dark walls

Cooler colour palettes contrast with oak, creating a subtle balance.

Bed / Bedside Table / Wardrobe / Chest of Drawers

When pairing this warmth with other colours, you have two very different choices. By working with similar undertones, you'll be bringing out the natural warmth of wood. By contrasting it with cooler undertones, you'll be creating more contrast in your space.

Saturation plays a role as well. From deep, dramatic shades to bold brights, soft neutrals and subtle pastels, each brings with it a chance to bring out oak's best qualities.

Dramatic Contrasts with Oak Furniture

Console Table / Lamp

For those that like their furniture to stand out, consider choosing a saturated dark colour to go with your oak furniture. Natural textures stand out beautifully against darker shades like aubergine, navy or forest green and can look equally as dramatic with darker greys.

Bar cart with purple accessories Sideboard / Lamp

Soft Neutrals with Oak Furniture

Rustic hallway with furniture

Console Table / Tallboy / Lamp

If you aren't looking for a dramatic stand-out look for your home and prefer a subtler approach, look for colours that share similar earthy undertones with your oak furniture. Warmer beiges and taupe shades will allow your pieces to blend in, making your room appear larger and more open.

Bevel Bookcase with neutral accessories

Bookcase

Look to your accessories to provide texture and subtle contrast here to ensure the room still has character. Woven baskets, knotted rugs and knitted fabrics will add depth to a neutral scheme without taking away from a softer look.

Bold Bright Colours with Oak Furniture

sofa and nest of tables

Sofa / Nest of Tables

When working with bold colour, oak furniture can be a perfect pairing. While darker shades will give a room a cosy vibe, more saturated hues create energy and life in a space. Colours like cherry red, ochre yellow, lime green or rusty orange will bring out those warm hues in oak for a zesty palette that warms up a space.

Bookcase with colourful accessories

Bookcase / Lamp Table / Lamp / Armchair

With cooler brights like vivid blue, deep teal or raspberry reds, oak will bring in the warmth to these spaces, balancing out the cooler palette and grounding the space.

Using Pastels with Oak Furniture

Alto Living Room furniture, yellow colour scheme

Coffee Table / Bookcase / Console Table / Sofa

Natural, paler oak finishes blend beautifully with pastel shades, creating a light and airy home. This will also provide a more contemporary style, perfect for those who love an on-trend look.

Rustic coffee table, pink accessories

Coffee Table

If you're looking for more contrast with your pastel palette or want to give your space a more traditional feel, then rustic and deeper oak finishes will create a more diverse look, adding subtle energy to the space by way of contrast.

Kimberly Duran

A Social Media and Content Marketing Editor, Kimberly Duran is an Interior Design-obsessed American ex-pat, who chronicles her decorating journey in her personal blog, Swoon Worthy. When she's not helplessly drooling over blogs, design sites and adding things to the imaginary 'shopping basket' in her head, she likes to get messy tackling DIY projects with her partner in crime, Wayne, stalk eBay for bargains, take Instagram pictures of her cats and invest time in her on-going love affair with gold spray paint.

Oak Furnitureland

Bringing you the latest style advice, buying tips, how to guides, inspiration and ideas for your home. Whether you're looking for a complete change in decor or want to pick up few handy tips to give your home a refresh, sit back, relax and have a read through our blog posts.

Related Topics
  • Accessories
  • Bedroom
  • Beds
  • Dining Room
  • home interiors
  • Living Room
  • Oak Furniture
  • Sofas

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