When it comes to modern-style kitchens, wood usually not be the first priority for the cabinets. However, mixing natural beauty with modern flair has become a new trend in recent years.
That’s why in today’s modern interior decor, you can find a lot of homeowners or interior designers trying to incorporate some wooden elements to warm up and make the entire space feel comfy and cozy.
For a kitchen, cabinets are a perfect place where you can add those wooden twists to make the kitchen feel fresh and natural. However, keeping the kitchen’s visual appearance on the modern track can be a bit tricky. Thus, choosing the right kind of wood will be essential, or you will potentially make your modern-themed kitchen shift to traditional or classical ones.
One of the most important things is looking at the wood character: the colors, texture, and grain. For a modern look, you may need to choose any wood with lighter, neutral colors instead of the bold and vibrant ones. You may also need to choose any wood with simpler texture and grain, rather than the rich ones.
And since there are a dozen different kinds of wood available on the market for kitchen cabinets, the selection process may be overwhelming.
So. what is the best wood for modern kitchen cabinets?
To make this process much easier, our expert designers recommend maple, birch, cherry, walnut, white oak, ash, and hickory. These woods have smooth fine grain and neutral color, providing a contemporary and minimalist aesthetic that blends perfectly with modern design. Their neutrality effortlessly adapts to the other kitchen elements, while achieving a sophisticated and up-to-date ambiance in the heart of your home.
Read on as our expert will give some practical advice and recommendations, added with real-life picture examples, so you can confidently choose the best wood for your modern kitchen cabinets. Let’s dive in and explore all of the options :
1. Maple
With tight, uniform grain, maple can bring a sleek and clean appearance that will suit perfectly for a modern-style kitchen.
Its smooth looks emphasize clean lines and bring a minimalist twist while still feeling as fresh and natural as any other wood choices.
Its neutral tone is another advantage of this beautiful wood, giving you plenty of flexibility to use it alongside any other colors.
2. Birch
With pale color and finishes, birch can be a great alternatives for a modern, contemporary kitchen. It will emphasize simplicity and sleekness, making your kitchen looks clean and crisp.
But don’t worry, even though it’s not as vibrant as any other wood, birch can still bring some warmth to make your space feel welcoming and inviting.
3. Cherry
If you want to bring strong richness to your kitchen, then you can try using cherry. Cherry wood has a rich, warm color that gives a unique and distinctive appearance, creating an artistic look for your kitchen.
To get the most out of it, you can finish your cherry kitchen cabinets with glossy stain and make it a glam yet fresh addition to your kitchen.
4. Walnut
Even though walnut has a deep and rich color, it can still look neutral, and that’s why it can look great inside any modern-style kitchen.
With beautiful brown hues, walnut will add character to any kitchen without becoming a distraction, and can help any other kitchen elements to stand out.
5. White Oak
White oak is the best oak variant when it comes to modern decor. It had a light finish with a clean, consistent grain pattern that blended perfectly with contemporary kitchen design.
With strong durability, white oak has a great resistance to moisture, making it a good choice for modern cabinets that are potentially exposed to high levels of humidity.
6. Ash
With bright color and texture, ash not only will fit inside any modern-themed kitchen, but it can also blend with any other colors, including dark or vibrant ones.
That’s why you can use ash for your kitchen cabinets if you prefer simple and clean modern cabinets without too much drama.
7. Hickory
Hickory is a unique wood that has a wide spectrum of colors, making it a great vibrant choice if you want wooden kitchen cabinets that stand out and become a main focal point for your kitchen.
And as the second hardest hardwood in North America, hickory can be a great investment in the long run.
8. Mahogany
If you are looking for a wood that can fit into your modern luxurious kitchen, then this is the best option for you. With strong, rich, and vibrant dark colors, mahogany can create a big statement wherever it’s used.
You can combine the mahogany cabinets with some glam hardware for an even better visual appearance.
9. Teak
As one of the strongest, and most durable wood, teak has been a popular choice for wooden outdoor furniture. However, it can also become an awesome choice for any interior elements such as kitchen cabinets, giving you a great return on investment.
Moreover, its simple grain pattern will keep your kitchen looking sleek, while its exotic golden-brown color adds a pop of color to bring your modern kitchen feel alive.
10. Bamboo
Most people may be using bamboo because of its environmentally friendly features. However, as you can see in the image above, bamboo can also provide a beautiful vibrant look that will fit perfectly inside any modern kitchen.
Another interesting feature of bamboo is that it can be finished in a variety of ways, so you can choose any kind of finishing that you like most.
11. Ebony
While most of the neutral wooden choices tend to be light, you can go to the opposite side and use this ebony wood for an elegant and bold black color.
Thus, this can be a great alternative for you who want to have bold kitchen cabinets that still spread some natural and earthy vibe as any other wood.
However, since this kind of wood is quite pricey, you should allocate more budget compared to any other wood in this list.
