Flooring ideas for kitchens with white or cream cabinets

To contrast against your linen cream units, consider bringing wood effect floor tiles into your home. They’re hugely popular and no wonder, as they’re easier to maintain than real wood, but offer a similar unique and natural grained aesthetic.

A cottage country style can be created with soft grey linen coloured tiles, especially when laid in a herringbone effect, which not only visually elongates the room, but adds real charm. Team your kitchen cabinets with contrasting antique cup handles and dark marbled quartz worktops to create a neutral yet stand-out statement.

On the other hand, a darker vintage oak flooring adds a warming touch to those cooler cabinet colours and sits perfectly in a Shaker style kitchen.

For an ultra-modern flair, create a blanket look and mirror your cabinets with a lightwashed wood. Don’t forget to accessorise it with warmth and texture such as throws on seating and blinds on windows, as well as pops of colour in kitchen accessories such as coffee machines, kettles and toasters.

Picture-perfect for contemporary or country kitchens alike, earthy toned tiles such as tans, burnt oranges, terracottas and deep reds bring a warming glow to neutral cream kitchens.

Rustic styles are an ever-growing trend within home design, and instilling this can help create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, making it ideal for the kitchen. There’s a variety on the market from oversized to patterned and square to oblong.

These hues can be matched with nature-inspired elements such as thick timber or marbled quartz worktops, golden splashback or rattan lantern light shades. Blush pinks and earthy greens balance this style and can be splashed on kitchen walls or in soft furnishings such as rugs, cushions and blinds.

Drawing inspiration from traditional tile patterns, a strong geometric repeat pattern revives a shaker style kitchen. A statement flooring can make a huge difference, and this style is making a comeback and we can see why, as it offers a real retro yet modern look which perfectly balances a modern Shaker kitchen.

As your cabinets are super neutral, have fun with the pattern to really showcase your personality. There’s a patterned tile to suit everyone’s taste, but the most popular is grey and white, which looks stunning against not only a Shaker kitchens, but also a creamy country design, or even Handleless.

You could also add interest by creating a feature wall with bricks and Tek Wall, but remember not to choose another patterned wall tile as this will create a chaotic look.

To create a grand, sleek space white marble tiles are the go-to. Large format tiles have the ability to make spaces look larger than they are, so they’re fantastic at elongating smaller kitchens too.

If you have a lot of natural sunlight, white marble tiles will bounce the reflections and this gleaming elegance makes them look truly special.

These mesmerising marbles look spectacular in a contemporary Contour style kitchen especially when co-ordinated with matching veined quartz worktops such as Calacatta Gold or Bellagio finishes. It creates a ‘wow’ appearance with a blanket of white across the design, especially when highlighted with gold or copper accents such as handles and taps.

If you want to make a contrasting statement with your white kitchen units, any bright and vibrant tone for your kitchen floor tiles will look fab, but a deep royal blue is a trend that’s here to stay as it’s top of the charts in modern interior design.

This grand, sophisticated colour looks stunning in a Shaker kitchen, reminiscing a playful twist on old meets new. Gold and blue are a match made in heaven, so be sure to accessorise your kitchen with gold or brass handles, splashbacks or light fittings.

A wonderful white Belfast sink will bring the look together, as it drops the eye line bringing a contrasting feature to the room.

A timeless yet impactful direction has to be the classic grey tile, which perfectly complements white kitchen cabinetry. It brings luxury into any cooking space, especially if you opt for an oversized slate style.

If you have a lot of light in your space, don’t be afraid to choose a darker shade of grey but remember to colour your walls with a neutral shade so it doesn’t overpower the room.

Grey stone effect tiles bring a natural contrast to the space, especially when using textured matt styles. This understated glam look is extremely flexible with any style kitchen. However, for a lustrous look, opt for sleek glossy styles which act as a mirror bouncing light around the room.

This white and grey marriage can be teamed with black appliances, dark edgy handles and metallic accessories.

Lovely laminate flooring has moved on in leaps and bounds over the years. It mimics the grains and patinas of real wood so much so you can hardly tell that it’s not real!

From retro teak to beautiful pine and white-washed versions, there’s so much choice it suits all types of kitchens. As the kitchen is a heavy traffic area, we’d advise fitting a laminate flooring with a long guarantee as quality varies massively in the market. It’s super durable and suitable for those on a budget. It’s also easy to maintain with a quick sweep or mop with a small amount of soapy water. But it is susceptible to moisture damage, so be careful not to oversoak and minimise splashes around the sink area.

Vinyl flooring has come a long way from old-fashioned vinyl sheeting. Modern designs are exceptionally hard wearing and can replicate the look and feel of anything from wood and stone to zinc and glass. They come in either sheets or tiles.

It can also be warmer and quieter underfoot than the real McCoy and it’s less expensive than many other flooring options. It’s durable and low maintenance, however furniture such as chairs can gouge or scratch it and it’s difficult to repair unlike laminate, tiles and wood flooring.

A real long-term investment, natural wooden floors will last a lifetime and it’s perfect for spaces which you use every single day. It’s said that real wooden flooring adds considerable value to your house compared to other flooring options, however it is one of the most expensive.

It’s visually elegant and appealing and it only gets better with age, bringing character and charm to the space. Scratches and stains can easily be restored with a little bit of TLC by sanding and varnishing the area; but most people enjoy this wear and tear as it creates a majestic worn look. However, every three to four years it does need maintenance with a polish to bring out its natural beauty.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our kitchen design planner, which will give you a helping hand on what you want to achieve. Or if you’re looking for an expert to bring your ideas to life, why not book an appointment to have a chat.