Cherry is going to darken over time no matter what you do. I once had a couple of cherry scraps in the back of my truck that were crisscrossed, and they significantly darkened over the course of on day.
If you want a more contemporary look, go with the dark stained finish. You may save some money by going with maple rather than cherry, and also get a more consistent finish.
The natural cherry is going to look somewhat rustic and country over time.

Cherry will darken just as everyone says but after about 6 months, it stabilizes and stops. For example, I have natural cherry cabinets and I had a trash can placed at the end of an island. After a few months, I noticed a precise outline of it on the cherry cabinet side it was up against. I moved it to another spot for about 1 month. The lighter area "caught up" very quickly and I put the trash can back. Now, years later, that area still matches the rest so the darkening is done.

Brandon O'Hanlon - Great advice! If you choose Cherry, make sure you like the look as it gets darker. If you only like the look as is, you will need to choose a different wood species and a stain that will give you a more "cherry" look. Mandi @ Dura

@Brandon-That all depends, my man, on what manufacturer we are discussing.

I don't think I agree with cherry looking country or rustic. It can also look modern depending on the kitchen design.
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Contemporary kitchen design is using clean strait surfaces with little to no variation. If you use a natural cherry, your going to get a ton of variation in the grain and shade. Cherry is absolutely beautiful, I agree. If you stain cherry, you will hide some of that variation depending on the way the cherry is stained (spray vs. wipe). Ann, the top left kitchen you mention is a contemporary kitchen. The natural cherry kitchen from Los altos is more of a transitional kitchen; the blending of contemporary and traditional because of wood selection.

True that river valley, not all cab companies are the same.

@select hardwood floor... That wasn't very nice.

Okay @razzelberry...
The 3 Blind Mice? Lady Justice?
Let me know which is "acceptable" and I'll substitute in my original comment, which was posted in a lighthearted spirit.

Cherry can be just fine in a contemporary or eclectic kitchen. You do need to be careful about your cabinetry supplier, though. Your sample door has sapwood in that middle panel. The sapwood won't darken along with the heartwood, and in an otherwise contemporary kitchen, streaks and patches of sapwood will look like budget-driven mistakes.

@select hardwood floor, it's ok. I just didn't realize what a problem that middle panel is. I really love the variation in the wood but I didn't realize that it won't darken with the rest of the cabinets or that it was a sign of poor craftsmanship. I guess I will try to find another manufacturer with natural cherry shaker. This sample is from mid continent cabinetry. Does anyone have experience with that brand?

@razzelberry...
I was just being a "wiseguy" anyway... I removed my "offensive" comment.
I have no business commenting on CABINETRY anyway... I'm a simple hardwood floor hack!
That being said... I've done a LOT of cherry flooring, and I'm familiar with how difficult it is to keep the color consistent.
In our biz... the more consistency one wants, the higher the numbers creep.
I'd have to assume the same rule will apply in cabinetry... but a LOT of the control is in the hands of the person "assembling" the various pieces.
I'm sure Al Fortunato & River Valley Cabinets here on Houzz would be much better suited to offer advice in the cabinetry department.
Just ignore me... haha

razzelberry - lol - I like the color variation too. I have a few cabinets with quite a bit of color variation and I think they're my favorites.

Anytime you use wood or other natural material you will have variations. Cherry changes more over time than other woods. On floors with area rugs and furniture, you will have light or dark patches where sun lightens or darkens the floor around those items. On cabinets, that shouldn't be a problem. There are no finishing products I know of that will completely keep those changes from happening. I love the soapstone or the lighter colored marble or granite with a more naturally grainy pattern, rather than the speckled one you show on your last picture.

Don't forget lighting. Use a low voltage product; look at techlighting.com. I'm attaching some pictures of projects of mine where I used the tech lighting products. Also, there's a section on houzz with many ideas; just search for the company name. Lighting is one of the most under used design elements that, if done correctly, will put your rooms on stage. You need all levels of lighting - ceiling, tabletop, wall. Kitchens work well with tracks so that you can hang at different levels and combine them with recessed. Stick with the small lamps, MR16 halogen (later when LED's are further developed, you can switch out the lamps). Currently LED's are not quite as bright as the halogens, and Tech's fixtures are interchangeable on those "bulbs."

We've had our natural cherry cabinets since we built our home over 15 years ago, and I still love them. They are classic--we updated with Peacock green granite and a new island with a glazed vanilla. If you're worried about fading, get the UV coating on your windows.

Nat at all. Just seal properly and keep the rest of the kitchen simple

I really like the finish on the cabinet door in the photo. Is it stained or natural? I would do whatever you have to do to have that look, as the finish is quite beautiful. Cherry is beautiful, and one or my favorite woods. Have fun, and please share when you are finished.

Even with bad UV damage it still couldn't look as bad as the "red wine" era of cherry from the 90's.

What is the "red wine" era from the 90's? I have never heard this phrase before.

@susan I have to apologize for being rather bashful, I consider the ultra dark, deep red cherry wood that was very popular in the late 90's to be one of the most un-appealing finishes a person could have in a kitchen. Cherry is a beautiful wood, the character and the depth of the wood in my opinion is completely lost when you stain the wood such a deep color. And even worse, was when you coupled that look with black appliances- http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/50/70/e4/5070e4ff0adefbadf985ed9e497007c1.jpg

The granite is being installed today a I'll post a final after picture when we are done twig the remodel but I think it is going to work out.

Very pretty. The cherry tones will help make the green veining pop. This combination will certainly help keep your kitchen area nice and light. I can't wait for the wood to darken so the granite can show off a bit better. I think you've done a nice job with this.

@razzelberry: Can you post a current photo or 2?

Custom Craft, you would definitely hate my cherry entertainment center. I bought it in 2005, but it definitely has the reddish hue you dislike. I mix woods, as I don't like "sets", and there are many different kind of woods in my home. I especially love the exotic woods from tropical areas of the world. and that is reflected in my décor.

Razzleberry, your countertop is gorgeous. I love the way it compliments the cherry. I can't wait to see your finished kitchen.

I took these at 7am so the lighting isn't great but here is what
It looks like now. I love it!!! All it needs is a new window and backsplash and we will be done with the room. Thanks for all of your help!!

Looks great! congrats on a lovely kitchen... the character of the wood is very nice!

Please post when you have the back splash! Here is my natural cherry cabinets with mesquite granite. I love it!

Gray stains look incredible on Cherry! and take away more of the reddish hue if you're looking for a more neutral stain. Mandi @ Dura

Hi,

We're huge fans of cherry for cabinets and don't mind the fact that the wood darkens a little over time. Suggest that you cull out the sap wood to make the cabinets, doors and drawers less "busy."

Good luck with your project.

Thinking about changing out my kitchen floor. I think the black granite tiled ribbon outdates the kitchen. Any suggestions?

I too have been struggling with the natural cherry and countertop issue. You did a nice job. Our cabinets are in and the room has lots of natural light. Does anyone know how Cambria Fairbourne might look with the natural cherry?

Wow hipsters. Go to unplugged furniture in Littleton & see the cost of natural solid cherry vs quartersawn oak. Look up aged WW2 horsehide bomber jackets. Cherry will patina & age in a manner that only appreciates. Guessing by profile pic you're not from Colorado. Cherry is a heirloom American lumber, love it like natural teak or mahogany & never look back. Everything else in your kitchen will look dated in ten years.

Love this combination.

I have natural cherry cabinets with maple burl insets and black granite counters. I love the cherry haven't noticed a drastic change in color over many years. One caution, I have cabinets you push on to open. Don't get that because there is oil on your hands even if you wash them and the cabinets got stained in spots. Make sure you have pulls and knobs on your cabinets. Glad to see someone dares to do something other than a white kitchen!

how did your kitchen come out? I'm considering natural cherry also. do you have pictures?

Cherry patina'd out, even though kitchen gets no sun. Slate imitation tile backsplash, only regret the metal pulls. Should have done a cherry cabinet pull and might bang out some nifty ones with my woodworking tools. If next owners replace with a boring painted cabinet, I'll lose my mind. Natural cherry is the top end of American hardwoods for it's ability to age gracefully.

what are options for a lighter countertop for natural cherry cabinets? I still want a contrast. also whats a good floor tile color and backslash? any pictures will be appreciated

The counter isn’t light, but thought you might like to see the tile. It is Quarziti by Mirage. I love it - looks more gray in person and looks the most like stone of any tile we saw. That said, it is a textured surface, so it’s not for everyone.

Thank you for the pictures. I love the cabinets. What color and brand is that? I'm considering natural cherry by Omega. I was worried about it being to light or variations in color of the wood being to extreme, but in your pictures it looks really nice.

Melissa,

Not sure where you are located, but these are Metropolitan frameless cabinets - their pr

Oops - hit post when I wasn’t finished☺️. Metropolitan is a New England company. They have two levels of cherry - we went with the select, which means they work to keep the matching as good as possible. It is a natural finish - no again.

thank you

I love my natural cherry cabinets which I’ve paired with soapstone counters and maple flooring. They have darkened but after twenty years I still love them.

Razzleberry, the kitchen looks good......make sure you have the proper bulbs to avoid a yellow glow...

mhuling, do you have a picture?

The tape represents future floating shelves.

very nice. is that natural cherry?

I too am considering natural cherry. I see photos labeled natural cherry that are drastically different in color, some quite dark, others very light. I don’t know if some are mislabeled as natural when they’re really stained, if it’s the lighting, or if the color of counter, floors, makes a difference in how the color appears. I like the lighter look of the natural cherry, and I’m worried about them darkening too much. I do have UV coating on my windows, but I like a bright kitchen so interior lights will be bright when on. Does anyone have a before and after photo of their natural cherry after it has darkened?

slate ties together well with cherry

slate goes well with cherry