Paint Colors That Work Well With Oak Finishes

Last week we talked about some tips and tricks to help give your oak cabinetry/trim/accent pieces a nicer, more updated look. Now let’s talk about finishing that look off with some good paint colors!

The same article I referenced last week went in-depth about this as well. Each oak accent usually has an undertone: red, orange or yellow. When you look at a color wheel each of those have a complementary color across from them. Or as you will notice, even some of these paint chips show a complementary color at the bottom.

As you can see, the color wheel gives us a guidance of colors that will complement the undertone of your oak (or any wood) really well! Now, I am not saying go paint yourself a Barney Purple wall! But there are "neutrals" that have a little bit of a color coming through. In the Sherwin Williams fan deck this is my go-to section; it’s labeled "neutrals".

Here are some examples of rooms where we used the above colors. I still can’t get over the transformation we achieved using the rich color behind the oak bedroom set my client had purchased many years ago. They didn’t want to let it go and we gave it a new life just by selecting a new paint color behind it!

Here is my go-to light and totally neutral color, SW Creamy! It is great for the walls around oak accents or even to use as your “white shade” if you are painting some oak accents!

I hope this helps give you a starting point and maybe even makes you like your oak finishes… just a little at least!

-Sara Fink