• Maple is a common hardwood.maple image by Victor Trajkovski from Fotolia.com
  
  Maple is a hardwood often used for fine furnishings like cabinetry. It has a warm appearance that will grace any kitchen or room, and, depending on the type of stain used, can present itself in a range of colors from a light blond to a rich medium-brown. Like all natural wood furniture, maple has a neutral aspect due to its primarily brown color. Given that, it is an easy color to match with, offering a pleasing combination with anything from colors of warm intensity to more traditional, homey hues.
  
  

Warm Colors

• The natural warmth of the maple works well with the warmer colors of the spectrum, such as red, orange and yellow to produce an inviting interior. These colors will work well no matter what your stain choices, although the richer stain color will probably work best with the darker colors of the warm spectrum, like red and russet. Lighter stains produce a brighter aspect for the room and can be enhanced with yellow or yellow-orange. Very intense colors, like magenta, however, may overwhelm the natural beauty of the wood.
  
  

Pastels

• Pastel colors, or colors that have a significant admixture of white, are a good accompaniment to maple, especially for stains or coatings in the lighter end of the spectrum. The whitish colors will pair naturally with the maple and enhance the brightness of the room. Since pastels have less impact due to their softer tones, it opens up the palette to colors like sage, pastel mauve or even a pale violet.
  
  

Neutrals and Earth Tones

• Earth tones like tan, taupe and umber are natural companions to maple. You can heat them up a bit by going for fall shades that add a touch of red or orange. Neutrals can work well, too, although colors tending to the gray, without any color aspect beyond that, can be sterile and take away from the natural warmth of the wood. For these colors, a more restrained palette for the walls and floors lends itself well to adding color in other areas like throws, window treatments, colorful ceramics or wall hangings.