Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes 

White oak has grown in popularity over recent years. From hardwood flooring to kitchen cabinets, white oak is a hot commodity.

At Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, we specialize in high-quality, functional cabinets to enhance any kitchen. In doing so, our clients often ask us about different ways they can include white oak in their kitchen design. 

With that, we’ll detail 5 ways you can implement beautiful, natural white oak into your dream kitchen. 

Let’s get started! 

The Difference Between White Oak and Red Oak 

Technically speaking, there are two major types of oak: red oak and white oak. 

At Deslaurier, we offer both traditional red oak, as well as rift-cut white oak. While both are from the oak wood species, the two offer distinctly different characteristics. 

White oak is stronger (1360 to 1290 on the Janka hardness scale) and rot-resistant, making it a highly durable wood that is commonly used outdoors or for boats. That being said, white oak has become increasingly popular over the years for elegant (and more expensive) hardwood flooring and kitchen cabinets. 

Here is white oak (left) and red oak( right) side by side: 

To compare the two, white oak is a lighter colour than red oak, has a smoother surface, and also has a more open grain pattern with similarly straight lines.

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the design potential of white oak.

1. White Oak Kitchen Cabinets

The most noticeable way to include white oak in your kitchen design is to outfit your kitchen cabinets. 

Whether your entire kitchen will be outfitted with white oak cabinets, or you plan on using them as one piece of a two-tone kitchen, white oak is one of the most stunning and elegant cabinet materials available. 

Displaying their light, airy wood tones is a great way to modernize oak cabinets. While it is most commonly chosen to display its natural appearance, white oak is actually a paint-grade wood similar to maple and birch. Thanks to its smooth surface, much smoother than red oak, white oak offers a quality finish for painted cabinets. 

It should be noted that white oak is also one of the most expensive raw cabinet materials on the market. At Deslaurier, our rift-cut white oak cabinets can be roughly 40% more expensive than its red-oak counterpart, pricing it up with luxury cabinet materials like walnut and cherry.

While price doesn’t always indicate the quality of a material, in the case of white oak, it’s worth the investment. 

Looking to incorporate white oak into your kitchen? Kickstart your kitchen design process today and book a free consultation with a Deslaurier kitchen expert!

2. White Oak Floating Shelves

While white oak cabinets are fantastic, they can also be extremely expensive, especially if you plan on furnishing your entire kitchen with them.

If you merely want a dash of white oak in your kitchen, incorporating floating shelves into your design is a great way to accomplish that.

For instance, if your primary cabinetry is painted, you might want a touch of white oak’s light, natural wood qualities to pop as an accent piece next to solid colour cabinets. 

A floating shelf is a shelf attached to a wall with no visible method of support. That means there are no screws or brackets shown affixed to the shelf, merely the shelf “floating” against the wall. 

Floating shelves are implemented for easy-access storage, presenting eye-catching kitchen objects, or merely as a design aspect themselves.

3. White Oak Pantry Unit

A custom pantry unit is a great addition to any home. It provides valuable additional kitchen storage in a convenient location. 

Pantry units are often affixed next to a kitchen fridge, or designed to embrace the fridge with pantry storage on either side. 

Aside from the obvious functional uses, a pantry unit can also operate as its own separate entity when it comes to design aspects. Think of it as a kitchen island; contributing to the comprehensive kitchen ambiance while at the same time an isolated, solitary feature.

What that means is the pantry is not confined to match the rest of the kitchen cabinetry. This grants the ability to integrate another colour or material into your kitchen space without clashing with your primary aesthetic. 

Orchestrating a custom pantry unit made out of white oak is a unique way to integrate the wood species into your kitchen design. 

4. White Oak Island Panelling 

Another method of implementing white oak accent pieces into your kitchen is to employ paneling. 

While paneling is commonly used for cabinet ends or for built-in appliances, those are best suited to be outfitted with panels that match the rest of the cabinetry. Rather, we’ll focus on encompassing a kitchen island with white oak paneling. 

Just make sure the panel meshes well with the rest of your design. When done correctly, effective island paneling with a material as eye-catching as white oak can be a prominent addition to your kitchen.

Take a look at this natural wood panel affixed to the back of a kitchen island.

The wall cabinets and island fronts are both painted in white and blue, respectively. Adding a back island panel with natural wood effectively turns this kitchen into a three-tone design.

Of course, if you don’t have an island in your kitchen, the same concept can be administered to a kitchen peninsula. 

Regardless of your kitchen layout, employing white oak back paneling is a simple detail that can play a large role in your kitchen’s overall appearance. 

5. White Oak Hardwood Flooring 

Kitchen flooring is perhaps the most popular way to utilize white oak wood. 

For decades, hardwood flooring has been revered for its elegance and refinement, becoming an integral piece to consider during any kitchen design process. Not only is the look of natural hardwood a classic kitchen design element that will never go out of style, but the flooring itself is quite literally timeless. 

Without exaggeration, genuine hardwood flooring can last centuries with proper maintenance and care.

White oak has become one of the most sought-after hardwood flooring products in recent years. Thanks to its blend of stunning natural beauty and incredible strength and durability, white oak provides both a visual statement and a long-lasting product.

Its light colour lends itself perfectly as a means to brighten up kitchen flooring with gentle, natural wood tones; while its hardness and water resistance makes it perfect for the foot traffic and potential messes that can occur in the kitchen. 

While the cost of white oak cabinets is near the top of the pricing scale, the more commonly used white oak flooring is quite reasonable. 

Good quality white oak flooring will cost you roughly $9 per sq. ft. The average price of hardwood flooring is between $7 and $10 per sq. ft., with some high-end selections reaching as high as $14! 

When you take into account the beauty, quality, and lasting impact of white oak, it’s difficult to find a better bang-for-your-buck hardwood flooring option.

Discover Deslaurier Custom Cabinets 

From cabinets to flooring, white oak can be incorporated beautifully into any kitchen design. 

Interested in how your dream kitchen would look featuring white oak? Book a free consultation with a Deslaurier kitchen expert at our Jupiter, Florida showroom today!

If you have your eye on custom cabinetry, Deslaurier Custom Cabinets has everything you need. With over 40 years of experience to our name, we provide our clients with a fully customized design process with our talented team of designers. 

Interested in becoming an authorized Deslaurier dealer? Visit our Become a Dealer page to learn more! Live outside the area? Find a Dealer to connect with a Deslaurier dealer near you!