Floor colour help needed to match benchtops

[Malissa1]

Hello!

We have just finalised our Bunnings kitchen design, and have gone with Hazelnut  V bench tops. We will be replacing our existing floorboards and had originally picked Palomino oak as our colour (floor select laminate range). Now I am second guessing whether those colours will go with each other? Or if we should go with a colour like Gessami oak? I guess what I’m asking is it okay to have contrasting floor/kitchen benches. 

Thanks in advance for any wisdom offered!

[EricL]

Hello @Malissa1

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's magnificent to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your flooring and benchtop.

Design rules and colour coordination practices are meant to be broken in favour of personal preference. I always emphasize to my kitchen clients that personal preference wins over any fixed rule. I can make recommendations and suggestions, but in the end, it's the colours and finishes that you like that must go into your kitchen. Otherwise what happens is that you are building this kitchen for someone else and not yourself.

Going with a trend is often a minefield of "what if". Let's say for example that the Palomino Oak was your first choice. It gave you a feeling of warmth because you knew that if this was the first thing you saw in the morning it would make you happy. Although the benchtop is a bit darker, it still goes well with the flooring and again gives you a feeling of satisfaction.    

Waking up every morning with "I should have gone with my first choice" is not something you want to experience. Second guessing yourself is normal and is part of the renovation game. To settle your mind, I suggest getting a sample of the Palomino Oak and Gessami Oak, buy the packet if you have to and purchase several sample panels of the Hazelnut benchtop. 

Layout the samples in your house and look at them for a day or two. Once you've decided which one to go with, just return the flooring packet that you don't want. Just keep in mind that you need to inform the In-store kitchen specialist of your decision. 

Let me call on our experienced members @redbournreno, @prettyliving and @craftyhopper for their recommendations.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the start of your kitchen renovation.

Eric

[redbournreno]

Hi @Malissa1 ,

Mixing timbers is a challenge for many people and it isn't straight forward.  Not everything has to be matchy matchy, just not jarring.

Firstly I would say that your flooring is the biggest and most important decision to get right first.  It will often continue to other parts of the house and is a higher price commitment.  There is also less choice than benchtops in most cases.

So this is what I would recommend.

1.  Choose your floor based on a tone that you love, that suits your lifestyle, and works well with other important existing items (like dear old Grannies massive dining table that you will never throw out, for example).

2.  Thinking of the style or theme that you have in mind for your kitchen, the next biggest decision is the cabinetry. I presume you have already selected that but didn't tell us what it is.

3.  Once your cabinetry and flooring is chosen, look at those samples together and against a shortlist of benchtop options.  Usually the most clashing will jump out at you and you can discard them quickly. Keep your overall style in mind and just choose what you love!

Without seeing the home, your other furniture, the kitchen design etc then it's difficult to suggest one type of timber over another for you.

Best of luck.

[MitchellMc]

Many thanks for your detailed reply @redbournereno! I trust @Malissa1 appreciates your expert advice on their project.

Mitchell