Rug Pairing Guide: How to Choose a Kitchen Rug to Match Your Cabinets

Choosing a rug to match your kitchen cabinets may sound overly specific in theory, but your decision really matters. After all, a rug that complements your interior aesthetic — no matter how big or small — is the icing on the cake when it comes to ensuring your space feels complete.

Our biggest piece of advice? Don’t overthink it, but don’t under-think it either. There’s no need to obsess over matching a rug to your cabinets. Instead, it’s important that it feels thoughtful and cohesive. As you peruse designs, consider different rug colors and patterns that will enrich your whole kitchen. 

Want some inspo? Keep scrolling for tips and photo inspiration to help you choose a kitchen rug to match your kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Light Wood Cabinets 

Light wood cabinets evoke an earthy and timeless feel. For a rug style that complements this aesthetic, opt for a neutral-toned option, like the versatile Re-Jute rug seen here. Notice how the kitchen runner’s sleek lines and geometric shapes give this mostly monochrome space a focal point.

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Black Cabinets

Black cabinets make a statement in their own right, but they look best when balanced with a patterned rug to breathe life into the space. You can’t go wrong with a Persian-style rug like the runner seen here, which adds a dose of elegance. While a dark rug with dark cabinets is a risk, it works in a space like this one, which is balanced out with white walls and light wood flooring. 

Kitchen Rugs That Go With White Cabinets 

It may seem like the options are overwhelmingly endless when choosing a rug for a kitchen with white cabinets, but one major factor that can influence your decision is the smaller details. Take, for example, the black hardware and black open shelf seen in this space that pop against the white. The brown and tan 3×5 rug playfully draws the eye to all of the room’s dark touches while adding a hint of sophistication. 

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Tan Cabinets

Now this is how you match tan kitchen cabinets to a patterned rug. Take note of how the earthy neutral colors in this Southwestern-inspired runner pair perfectly with the tones throughout the room. It even mimics the texture of the wooden cabinets. For a coastal vibe, try a blue runner rug instead, which will work well with the light tan and white tones in the room.

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Grey Cabinets

Less dramatic than black and softer than white, grey kitchen cabinets are the perfect happy medium. They’re also incredibly versatile, meaning when it comes to choosing a kitchen rug, the options are limitless. If you’re a neutral lover, you can do what the designer did here and opt for a cream runner rug with a subtle Persian-style design that gives the space an elegant, monochrome look. 

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Green Cabinets

When styling dark green cabinets, you have a few different rug options. The green tone here, with its grey undertones, acts almost as a neutral. You can add a pop of color to add personality, keep it moody by opting for a monochrome design, or go light as an eye-catching contrast. This homeowner opted for the latter, choosing a neutral Persian-style runner rug to balance the kitchen’s mix of light and dark colors.

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Teal Cabinets

Teal cabinets are captivating, to say the very least. If you want to go for a maximalist, artsy aesthetic like this designer, skip incorporating a teal rug to avoid a visual overload. Instead, consider a design with pops of complementary colors, like orange or red seen in the abstract rug here. If you want to take a more simple approach, opt for a neutral-colored design. If it were up to us, we’d choose a cream rug with a geometric pattern that mirrors the kitchen’s backsplash.

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Pink Cabinets

Gone are the days when pink was only used on nursery walls. Nowadays, the color is no stranger to the kitchen. This peachy-pink tone gives off serious quirky vintage vibes and looks great with an equally statement-making rug. The multi-color fruit runner seen here adds to the charm of this truly unique kitchen. A bold black and white striped rug would also play well off the colorful surroundings. 

Kitchen Rugs That Go With Colorful Cabinets

In a kitchen this colorful, anything goes, but we especially love the matchy-matchy look between the cabinets, flooring, and rug. The gradient orange, yellow, and white cabinets look right at home when paired with an equally vibrant rug, like the runner seen here with citrus slices in the same color palette. A room this bold deserves a rug that packs as big of a punch, so choose accordingly.