The Best NEUTRAL Paint Colors With Pink Wood Stains -

Oak, maple, cherry: Pink or pickled wood update ideas

Tickle me pink…or not. If you’ve been looking for the best paint colors to update and coordinate with your red oak, maple, pink stain, or pickled wood finish, you might have found yourself in a tough spot (I was going to say ‘in a pickle‘, but it seemed too obvious). This is because pink and pickled woods are some of the hardest wood finishes to update.

Why?

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Because they’re pink. End of story.

Seriously, though, of all the colors I deal with in my Online Paint Color Consulting, pink is the most feared – as a color, undertone, or finish. Sure, some pink party pirates are out there, but they’re few and far between.

For many people, pink is a four-letter word.

For example, check out these maple kitchen cabinets with a strong pink undertone. Notice how this warm gray-taupe complements their orange-pink stain color…

NOTHING will make your red or pink stain go away other than painting or restaining it.

This is important to remember because your wood stain is what it is—you can’t change it unless you…well, change it.

But have no fear; your favorite Ginger is here (I better be your favorite…).

One of the best ways to update your pink wood cabinets, trims, or flooring is to lean into them—humor them. But, of course, there is an alternative…

Notice how the green contrasts with the cabinets’ pink (and orange). While this is an option, when it comes to pink woods, most people want them to disappear or at least blend in a little more.

Now, there can be a fine line between what some see as pink-toned woods and red ones. If you think your wood stain caters a bit more to red (which means it’s darker than most of the examples in this article), I have a blog post for that, too.

You might find that some colors that suit a red wood stain also suit a pink one, so explore those colors, too!

WHICH WOODS HAVE A PINK UNDERTONE?

Almost any wood can have a pink undertone, depending on the stain you apply. However, these are the most common ones…

oak (both red oak and white)
maple
cherry
mahogany
cedar
birch

In the average home, oak, maple, and cherry are the most popular for pink-toned cabinets and flooring. As for furniture, mahogany and maple are huge. You’ll likely find cedar in wood accent pieces like beams or ceilings.

As for pickled finishes, they’re most often oak.

So, without further ado, let’s find the hue for you…

Of course, I provide as much free information as possible to help you on your way. If you need personal help, I offer Online Color Consulting!

TAUPE PAINT COLORS WITH RED OR PINK WOODS

Taupe is one of my favorite colors to coordinate with pickled oak and pink-toned cabinets, trims, furniture, and floors.

Woods with red or pink undertones are warm-toned, so it makes sense that a warm paint color with similar undercurrents would look good.

Here are the maple cabinets previously shown. Look at how subtle and simple this subtle warm gray-taupe looks against them…

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams City Loft

This wall color is Sherwin Williams City Loft. City Loft is a gentle, soft shade of warm gray/taupe and a great color with pink wood stains. With muted violet-pink undertones, it’s a great option that leans into the wood’s undertones without putting you too deep in the color pool.

City Loft reads more like a warm gray in some lights. This means it could be a touch too cool (or warm!) for some spaces, depending on your room’s exposure, interior lighting, and surrounding finishes. Sample and compare similar shades to see which best suits your wood finishes.

Sherwin Williams Egret White
Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Sample and compare some of my FAVORITES here

Here’s a look at another beauty, Sherwin Williams Modern Gray, a flexible neutral, in this kitchen with maple cabinets (1990s)…

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Modern Gray

Modern Gray does a fantastic job tapping into the taupe hue in these peach-pink-toned cabinets.

What about Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray? Oh, I knew you’d ask..

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray is a hit-and-miss paint color with pink wood stains. If your wood has a reasonable amount of pink, Edgecomb Gray could fall a bit flat and even look a wink green in comparison (barely).

And for you men out there, if Edgecomb Gray makes your wood look green rather than pink, you might want to see a doctor (wink wink).

Long story short, Edgecomb Gray is worth sampling, but it’s not a ‘for sure’ thing.

In this next image, the oak cabinets have a reasonably strong pink undertone. Luckily, so does the backsplash, which means they both humor similar shades!

While I’d love to give you EVERY color I’ve got up my sleeve, my Online Color Consulting clients paid me to pick colors for their homes and their particular needs personally! An image like this is great for getting the creative juices flowing, and you can use my blog (or my services) to get where you need to go!

The Best Light Taupe & Greige Paint Colors

And remember, it’s not just about your pink or pickled wood finish…

You need to humor and pay attention to the needs of other finishes, including countertops, tiles, furnishings, and your room’s EXPOSURE!

This is my client’s BEFORE photo of their pickled oak cabinets; I can’t wait to see the AFTER!

BEIGE PAINT COLORS WITH PINK OR PICKLED WOOD/OAK

While many are opposed to beige with pink, the right shade of beige can go a long way with red oak or similarly toned maple or cherry finishes.

Check out this next image, which shows oak closet doors similar to the pickled oak you often see on kitchen cabinets and trims.

Let’s take Benjamin Moore Muslin to start. Being beige, it centers on an orange undertone but has some flexibility without hitting it hard on the pink front.

Get the best color advice…

Let Kylie Choose Your 3 Best Colors with Online Consulting!

My Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Muslin

The maple trim shown above has some orange, pink, and purple tones. This is another good reason to check out colors that suit red-purple woods—they could be perfect for your home, too!

I started getting nervous (again) with colors like Benjamin Moore’s Feather Down…

Sure, it’s a stunner, but it has a subtle bit of cream (yellow) that makes it an iffy color with the average pink wood finish. As shown in the above sunroom, the flooring has a passive enough pink hue that Feather Down settles in perfectly. If the wood were any stronger, it would be a hard no from this color cowgirl…

Instead, take a gander at Sherwin Williams Natural Linen. While it’s shown in this next bathroom with a tile floor, it’s a wood-look one with a notable pink hue…

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Natural Linen

I have MAD love for Sherwin Williams Moderate White, too. This gentle shade of off-white beige is awesomely versatile for the average home.

Check out Moderate White in this dining area with a traditional red oak dining set…

Here it is again with maple cabinets with a distinct red-pink hue (and travertine tile floor)…

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Moderate White

But Moderate White isn’t the only amazing shade of beige to explore. You find your best paint colors by sampling and comparing similar shades.

I also suggest Benjamin Moore Maritime White, which looks bangin’ with this red oak dining table, green-gray buffet, and hutch…

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Maritime White

And you can’t sample those two without Sherwin Williams Divine White, which completes the perfect off-white beige trifecta of magic.

My 12 Best Off-White Paint Colors

When updating pink wood, a color that often comes up is Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige. Most of the time, Accessible Beige doesn’t have the pink (or orange) that most red-oak, cherry, or pickled finishes demand. This can result in a bit of a mismatch regarding undertones.

An exception is this next kitchen, which has beige walls and off-white cabinets. While the flooring and island have pink undertones, neither is ‘traditionally’ pink (e.g., pickled oak cabinets or red oak flooring from the 90s). These are more updated, modern wood finishes with subtle red-pink hues.

The same goes for this foyer and its pink-hued wood flooring. A color like Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White is amazeballs with many kinds of wood, but if your cabinets, trim, or flooring are any pinker than this, it’s a no from me, Dawg.

Instead, aim for beiges that seem a bit more balanced. They may not cater to pink, but they don’t lean overtly toward yellow, and absolutely no green!

And just because it’s such an IMPORTANT point to make, I’ll say it again…

NOTHING will make your red or pink stain go away other than painting or restaining it.

Moving on from taupe and beige, this blog post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the hybrids.

MY FAVORITE HYBRID COLORS WITH PINK STAINS OR PICKLED OAK

While several shades of taupe and beige have my heart, hybrids often hit the spot in a home with pinkish wood.

What’s a hybrid?

It combines the best beige and taupe paint colors, politely nodding to both without 100% commitment to either.

Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe (here’s my REVIEW)
Benjamin Moore Cedar Key (here’s my REVIEW)
Sherwin Williams Kestrel White
Benjamin Moore Alphano Beige
Sherwin Williams Simplify Beige
Sherwin Williams Bungalow Beige

Shall I go on?

Check out this beautiful hybrid in this 1980s home: a wood ceiling (pink hues) and a stone fireplace with a pink-stained wood mantel.

Here’s another beautiful beige-taupe that looks smashing with a pink-hued dining set…

And because it’s not ALL about the wood (something I tell Tim every Friday night), this color coordinates with the linoleum floor, too!

The above shades could also be beautiful with a darker, richer stained wood.

THE BEST GRAYS WITH PINK-RED WOOD STAINS

If you’re wondering which grays coordinate with your pink-toned wood, that’s almost a blog post unto itself. But since we’re already here and I LOVE to hear myself talk…

Generally speaking, grays are tricky with pink woods, more so than taupes.

Why?

Some grays are too icy cold for pink woods (which are warm woods)
Gray will have green, blue, or purple undertones. These can be a hot mess depending on the blend and how pink your wood is.

From there, it’s about whether you want to HIGHLIGHT your pink wood or SOFTEN it.

WARM GRAYS WITH VIOLET-PINK UNDERTONES

There are a number of warm grays with purple-pink undertones that coordinate with pink wood finishes. While nothing will make your pink wood disappear, these colors can help soften and blend it in.

I love Benjamin Moore Collingwood. It’s a warm gray with a soft purple undertone (and since it’s warm, that purple is purple-pink). Look at how it works with this stunning red oak dining table…

My Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Collingwood

This next oak floor has a ton of pink and purple, making colors like these instant wins…

My Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

Benjamin Moore Classic Gray Paint Color Review

OTHER SHADES TO SAMPLE & COMPARE

Check out these similar shades to see which exact blend suits your wood and interior finishes (and personal tastes, too!).

Sherwin Williams Alpaca (here’s my REVIEW)
Sherwin Williams On the Rocks (here’s my REVIEW)
Benjamin Moore Nimbus (REVIEW)
Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray (REVIEW)
Sherwin Williams Versatile Gray (REVIEW)
Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (REVIEW)
Sherwin Williams Popular Gray (REVIEW)

If you want a LIGHTER, more subtle look, Benjamin Moore Silver Satin and Sherwin Williams Eider White are two interesting shades, as long as your wood has a ton of purple in it as well. This is most common with white-washed or gray-washed wood floors.

GRAYS WITH BLUE-GREEN UNDERTONES

If you want to accent your red oak, pink, or pickled wood finish, a gray with blue-green undertones is a great choice.

As shown in this next home, while the floor isn’t QUITE the type of pink we’re talking about today, it still has pink and looks lovely with Sherwin Williams Lattice…

With its more subtle undertones, Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray looks great with this violet-pink wood bathroom vanity…

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray: IMAGES, Info, & More

Here’s a whitewashed pine ceiling with a distinct pink hue (whitewashing tends to make woods look pinkish) and Stonington Gray walls. While the purple of the toy baskets is a bit abrasive for this palette, that’s an easy fix…

If you’re so inclined, you can even drop more gray and lean a bit more toward the blue-green.

If you love this last approach, check out The Best ACCENT Colors with Pink-Red & Pickled Woods or The Best Blue-Green Blend Paint Colors

COLORS TO SAMPLE & COMPARE

Including the above two, check out these similar shades to see which settles best in your room…

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl
Sherwin Williams Front Porch
Sherwin Williams Argos
Benjamin Moore Quiet Moments
Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray
Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray

This next image is a good one. While there’s not a ton of pink-toned wood to compare, the red-oak floor and pink-violet tones in the mirror give you the general idea.

The above shades can be great happy mediums between neutrals and colors.

Phew, we did it! Do you have questions? Leave me a comment! If it has enough mass appeal, I’ll try to answer!

NEED HELP?

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The Best ACCENT Colors with Pink-Red or Pickled Woods

My Favorite Off-White Paint Colors