Kitchen Tile Ideas with Wooden Cabinets – 14 Clever Combinations

Kitchens are one of the most important areas of our homes. No longer just a place for cooking and cleaning, kitchens have become multifunctional spaces, incorporating living, dining and even office areas.

Whatever the size and configuration of your kitchen, the cabinets and tiles are a crucial part of the design. Get both right, and you’ll create a beautiful, functional space that’s a pleasure to spend time in.

Painted kitchen cabinets have dominated the kitchen showrooms for years but more traditional, warm wooden cabinets are making a stylish comeback.

Tipped to be one of the hottest design trends this year, the beauty of natural wood grain is hard to beat. Solid oak, maple, cherry and even bamboo are popular and practical choices for kitchen cabinets. Natural wood cabinets are a timeless choice and will work with all kitchen styles. They’re ideal if you want to create a chic, homely and luxurious kitchen environment, they’re also an excellent, sustainable option.

Whether you’re fitting a new kitchen or looking for tiles to complement your existing natural wood kitchen cabinets, keep reading to discover some of the most beautiful bare wood kitchen cabinet and tile combinations.

Natural wood kitchen cabinets are easily complemented by an abundant choice of wall and floor tiles, easily matched with numerous colours, textures and designs.

Image credit: @myhomeus

What tiles go with wooden kitchen cabinets?

If you opt for natural wooden cabinets, you can pair them with virtually all types of wall and floor tiles. Wood will bring warmth and texture to a kitchen and it works well with all tile colours, textures and sizes. Depending on the overall look you want to achieve, we recommend the following tiles:

Traditional looking kitchen

Look for timeless tile styles like metro and square designs and opt for natural materials like stone and terracotta.  Coloured and patterned porcelain tiles will work well in traditional kitchens too.

 Modern kitchen

Large format tiles in stone and stone effect porcelain will complement wooden cabinets in a modern setting. Wood-effect and textured tiles are a great choice too.

 Industrial-style kitchen

 Opt for traditional metro tiles, dark tiles and tiles with bold black and white prints.

 Minimalist kitchen

Plain wooden cabinets are a perfect choice for minimalist kitchens. Keep the colour palette neutral and opt for simple, understated tiles.

 Luxurious kitchen

 Choose tiles in marble, natural stone and materials like glass and metal to help you create a luxurious-looking kitchen.

14 Kitchen tile ideas with wooden cabinets

With so many choices, selecting tiles to match wooden kitchen cabinets can be tricky. Let us guide you with our pick of the most inspiring kitchen tile and cabinet combinations:

1. Metro tiles

A firm favourite of ours, metro tiles are incredibly versatile and they’ll create the perfect, understated partner for wooden cabinets.

White metro tiles are one of the most popular tile choices, and you can vary the look by opting for white or black grout. You don’t have to stick to white though, look for ice-cream-coloured pastels, rainbow brights or dramatic dark shades, they’ll all work well next to wood grain.

Marvelous metro tiles in white, are an ideal choice and for a sharp, clean and stand out finish.

Image credit: @siamcarpentry

Recommended Tile: Rio Blanco

2. Zellige style tiles

Layering different textures is an effective way to add an element of rustic luxury to your kitchen area. Zellige-style tiles are an excellent option for kitchen walls. These characterful tiles have uneven textures and subtle imperfections and sit perfectly beside natural wooden surfaces.

Use texture to create a rustic and homely finish in your kitchen, simply stunning.

Image credit: @powell_brower_id

Recommended Tile: Kesha Bianco

3. Marble tiles

One of the most elegant tile materials, marble is tough, durable and beautiful. Another natural material, marble will look good with all colours and textures of wooden cabinets.

Marble can be highly polished, honed (polished, but with a matte texture), or tumbled for a more rustic look. You can effectively combine different marble finishes and tile sizes to achieve the perfect look.

Recommended Tile: San Babila

4. Neutral coloured tiles

Warm colours are starting to replace the cool whites and greys that have become so popular in interior design. Wooden cabinets will work well with all neutral shades, particularly ivory, cream and beige.

This kitchen demonstrates the effective combination of small, mosaic wall tiles which bring texture and interest to the walls and larger format floor tiles.

Neutral colours combined with interesting patterns, textures and designs work wonders with wooden cabinets.

Image credit: @lygiaharkins_interiors

Recommended Tile: Warwick White 

5. White tiles

If you love a clean, minimal-looking kitchen, classic white tiles are always a good choice.  Practical, budget-friendly and available in a huge range of shapes, sizes and different textures, white tiles are ideal for adding subtle interest to your kitchen area.

Design tip: Use glossy tiles to create an attractive contrast against natural wooden cabinets.

For an understated look, you can’t go wrong with wonderful white tiles, available in numerous sizes, textures and finishes.

Image credit: @chervinkitchen

6. KitKat tiles

So-called because of their likeness to the popular chocolate bar, KitKat tiles are making waves in the tile design world. These stylish mosaic tiles are a great alternative to metro tiles. Easy to fit and gorgeous to look at, these tiles work especially well with simple wooden kitchen cabinets.

Mosaics are available in many neutral shades and plentiful designs, combine with wooden cabinets for a crisp and polished finish.

Image credit: @mccormackjoinery

Recommended Tile: Eclipse White Decor

7. Scandi-style tiles

Known for its simple and elegant aesthetic, the Scandi style embraces all that is clean, bright and clutter-free.

Complement simple, fuss-free kitchen cabinets with plain, large-format floor and wall tiles. Large format tiles have few grout lines so are perfect for creating a flowing, almost seamless look. Large, plain tiles will also help to enhance the feeling of space in your kitchen area.

luxurious large format tiles create a greater feeling of space and add a modern touch to a classic kitchen.

Image credit: @solakitchens

Recommended Tile: Elements Titanium

8. Coastal blue tiles

If you want to add a little colour to your kitchen, blue tiles are an excellent choice. Blue is a colour that’s easy on the eye and easy to live with and it’s a natural choice for coastal-inspired kitchens.

Blue is one of the most popular tile colours so you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of solid-coloured ceramic, glass and attractive patterned tiles.

A splash of colour will really make your kitchen pop and there are so many options when combining with neutral wooden kitchen cabinets, so get creative.

Image credit: @studiodearborn

Recommended Tile: Dorset Smooth Duck Egg Blue 

9. Colour-pop tiles

Wooden cabinets will bring warmth to your kitchen but you can ramp up the wow factor by adding an injection of colour with brightly toned splashback tiles.

Warm shades like pink and red are perfect for adding a playful touch to your kitchen and choosing brightly coloured tiles for a sink or oven splashback is an excellent way to introduce colour on a small scale.

Get the wow factor and make an impression in your kitchen by adding a splashback or feature wall in your favourite colour.

Image credit: @kwantzbelgium

Recommended Tile: Emilia Cherry

10. Black and white floor tiles

One of the best ways to transform a kitchen area is by replacing the floor tiles. Whether your kitchen is large or small, adding an area of bold, patterned tiles will lift it like nothing else.

Large black and white floor tiles are an ideal solution for smaller spaces. Laying a diagonal chequerboard floor pattern will help to widen the room, a clever trick for compact galley kitchens.

Redesign your kitchen floor using colour and pattern which is easily combined with wooden kitchen cabinets and transform your space.

Image credit: @apartmenttherapy

Recommended Tile: Damask Black and White

11. Wood-effect floor tiles

As beautiful as wood is, it’s not the most practical solution for kitchen flooring. Inevitable spills, leaks, scratches and stains can permanently damage wooden flooring, leading to costly replacements.

Fortunately, wood-effect porcelain tiles are the perfect alternative. Waterproof and durable, they look as good as real wood and are available in a huge range of shades and sizes.

Wood effect floor tiles are a wonderful counterpart to wooden cabinets, creating a rustic yet modern finish. Wood effect porcelain is durable, easy to maintain and hard wearing and always offers a beautiful result.

Image credit: @settingforfour

Recommended Tile: Naturae Wood Effect Willow 

12. Stone floor tiles

Natural materials work wonders together so pairing wooden cabinetry with natural stone floor and wall tiles is a smart move that will help you to create a timeless, effortlessly chic kitchen area.

Large-format stone tiles are the ultimate space-enhancers and will work to boost the feeling of space in both small and large kitchens.

For an enduring finish combine stunning stone with wooden cabinets and create a classy, elegant kitchen area.

Image credit: @karina_heaslip

Recommended Tile:

13. Slate floor tiles

Attractive and durable, natural slate is an excellent option for kitchen flooring. Like all stone, slate is compatible with underfloor heating so it can be cosy underfoot in winter and refreshingly cool in summer.

Slate makes a striking contrast against wooden cabinets and it’s also suitable for outdoor use, so a good option if you have large sliding doors and want a seamless transition from your indoor to outdoor living areas.

Combine splendid slate with your wooden cabinets and create an unmistakable and distinctive finish. Slate will offer a cooling feel in the summer and warmth under foot when combined with underfloor heating, in the winter.

Image credit: @stevengambrel

Recommended Tile:

14. Patterned floor tiles

Patterned floor tiles can provide welcome character and interest and work especially well in smaller kitchens.

Add a vintage feel to your kitchen with bold black and white floor tiles. Neutral colours go particularly well with warm, wooden tones, creating an effective contrast.

Make a bold and beautiful statement with a patterned kitchen floor, adding a dynamic finish to a neutral kitchen.

Image credit: @beckiowens

Recommended Tile:

Top tips for choosing the right tiles for your kitchen

There’s no shortage of tiles to complement neutral-coloured and wooden kitchen cabinets, but the choice can be overwhelming. Here are our top tips to get you started:

• Grab some tile samples – one of the most important things to do before settling on your final tiles is to get some tile samples. It’s also worth seeing the tiles in the showroom if you can, especially if you’re choosing large-format tiles.
• Create a mood board – this is a brilliant way to see how your chosen colours, patterns and textures slot together.
• Get inspiration – Have a look at our other blog posts, leaf through magazines and scroll on Instagram to find the looks you love.
• Think about contrasts – bright colours, patterns, different textures and glossy tiles will all work effectively with natural wood cabinets.

Atlas Ceramics has a vast range of wall and floor tiles to match natural wooden kitchen cabinets. Browse our online selection or call one of our experts for advice.