5 Ideas: How to Update Oak or Wood Kitchen Cabinets (PART 1)

How to Update Your Outdated Wood Cabinets

Oak cabinets – you love ’em (if you’re a man) or hate ’em (if you’re a woman). And yes, I’m generalizing, but I encounter the same gender divides again and again, especially when helping clients update homes with wood finishes. However, it’s oak cabinets that are usually the divorce makers.

And while many designers can’t WAIT to get rid of oak cabinets, I’m a big fan. Sure, some of them need a complete overhaul, however many oak cabinets from the 1980s and 90s are solid gold. Not only do these workhorses stand the test of time in STYLING (those with hidden hinges & simple door profiles), it’s only after 30-40 years of wear and tear that they need some love (kind of like me, wink wink). I’ve seen modern kitchen installations that have barely made it past five years.

However, whether I look at wood cabinets, trims or furniture, I often refer to my favorite saying…

‘just because it’s wood, doesn’t mean it’s good’.

This means that if your wood cabinets are fugly, worn out, or mismatched with other finishes, they won’t be adding value (emotional or monetary) to your home.

There’s a HECK of a lot of orange and pink going on here – and check out that wood grain! 

But before we get into the guts n’ glory of this blog post, you need to figure out what style of cabinets you have…

CABINET DOOR PROFILES

Figuring out which door profile you have can help you make the best choices moving forward.

I know the top right isn’t oak, but it’s the best example of a flat panel with a shaker-style frame

TOP LEFT: shaker style with raised panel

TOP RIGHT: shaker style with flat panel

BOTTOM LEFT: double cathedral

BOTTOM RIGHT: single arch

Are your kitchen cabinets cathedral, arched or shaker style? Shaker style is great as the look transitions to modern styles quite easily. On the other hand, a cathedral or arched style is difficult. Even if you decide to restain your cabinets a lovely finish, they might STILL look outdated as it’s the style that’s dated.

Now let’s talk about some solutions…

1. OAK CABINET UPDATE IDEA – RESTAINING

This article is about ‘updating’ your oak cabinets, not about ‘returning them to their former glory’ – or lack thereof. Therefore, when I mention stain, it’s with the idea of changing and updating – not resurrecting.

RESURRECT: keep the old golden oak and refresh it with a fresh coat of golden oak stain and lacquer

UPDATE: add value to your home with cabinets that are modern and updated

While these next cabinets are GORGEOUS, the red stain isn’t an updated look…

With their muted, more natural stain, these next cabinets are PERFECT as they are…

These cabinets add HUGE value as they look totally updated and are suited to the home!  

If you want to update your home, restain with a darker, more modern stain color OR sand things down completely and opt for a lighter, more natural stain (no strong orange/yellow/red hues). Most home buyers (if you have resale in mind) are looking for the more subtle approach offered by a neutral wood tone, OR they want painted cabinets (usually white).

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore feature wall

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU RESTAIN YOUR WOOD CABINETS

• Are you thinking of staining them a lighter color than they currently are? Lots of blood, sweat and beers.
• Or maybe you want to stain them a darker color? Still takes lots of work, but it’s easier than going lighter.
• Stay away from the strong yellow, orange and red hues as they will not look updated unless you still live in 1990 (helloooo sponge paint!).
• Choose a stain depth that best suits the surrounding finishes and potential target market (if selling is in your future).
• If you want to refinish your cabinets properly, you’ll need to sand them down entirely. You can play around with Gel Stain, which ‘can’ go over existing stains. However, even professionals have a hard time getting a consistent and quality look that doesn’t wear off (it’s not penetrating, it’s sitting on top of the old finish).

2. OAK CABINET UPDATE IDEA – UPDATE YOUR HARDWARE

More often than not, cabinets from the 80s and 90s don’t have hardware (handles or knobs). While functionally it’s not a big deal as you can still open them, decoratively it’s like you’re missing the last piece of the puzzle.

Transitional style hardware is great and works ESPECIALLY well with cabinets with a shaker door profile. For cathedral-style doors, you’ll want to choose hardware with slightly softer lines (#9, 10,12), nothing too tubular or sleek.

To view/purchase the above hardware, please visit the links in this blog post here: The Best BUDGET FRIENDLY Hardware to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets

And of course, there are always knobs…

To view/purchase the above hardware, please visit the links in this blog post here: The Best BUDGET FRIENDLY Hardware to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets

3. OAK CABINET UPDATE IDEA – ADD CROWN & A VALANCE

Crown molding isn’t just for ceilings!

Crown molding is the ‘crown’ that sits on top of your cabinets – not to be confused with the crown molding that attaches to your ceiling line. The valance is the strip of wood (approx. two-three inches) that’s attached to the bottom part of your upper cabinets. It increases the visual height of your cabinets, gives them a custom profile, and allows them to hide under-cabinet lighting.

These two features take your cabinets from looking like builder basic – to custom-made.

While adding crown molding and a valance isn’t easy-peasy to do, ESPECIALLY with older wood stains, it’s manageable for the average homeowner or a semi-capable handyman.

Click HERE or on the above image to view available packages

4. OAK CABINET UPDATE IDEA – FILL IN THE BULKHEAD

NOTHING makes basic cabinets look more custom than a filled-in bulkhead. And while you can do it with proper cabinets (ideally), you can also save a LOT of money and even DIY it with some well-placed MDF and decorative molding.

My client (below) did just as described above, giving her arched oak cabinets a whole new look…

My next client did the same, although the look is a BIT more natural as the space between the cabinet/ceiling isn’t as tall…

As for this next kitchen, believe it or not, my client updated it for LESS than $3500 – bulkhead and all. She even hand-painted her Zellige-look tiles!

 A Budget-Friendly FULL KITCHEN Makeover!

5. OAK CABINET UPDATE IDEA – PAINT

You had to see this one coming.

Why?

For wood cabinets that have seen better days, paint is a GREAT way to update and modernize them. Many men (and some women) will say, ‘but it’s wood; YOU CAN’T PAINT WOOD!’ and this is where I hand them a scotch on the rocks and calmly repeat my previously mentioned mantra…

‘just because it’s wood, doesn’t mean it’s good.’

And they will still BE wood – they will just be painted wood.

These next cabinets didn’t have any redeeming features…

• the stain is too dark and red and clashes with the flooring
• the door profile is dated

And while my client opted for new doors, she saved money by keeping the cabinet boxes and having them all painted the same beautiful white…

See the FULL REMODEL HERE

And HUGE thanks to all of my E-Design clients who send in their after photos. I rely 99.9% on these and couldn’t do this blog without you! 

You can also consider a happy medium by leaving some areas wood while painting others, as shown in this next beautiful kitchen…

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze on cabinets, Graystone walls

WHY IS IT GOOD TO PAINT WOOD?

Well, it’s good for resale. Generally speaking, traditional golden oak cabinets appeal to those 70 and older. If that’s your target market, then keep them stained and call it a day. However, if you’re looking to appeal to a younger and more modern crowd (69 years and younger), you’ll want to consider painting them.

I know your hubby is cursing my name right now and polishing his darts – and you’re checking the birth date on your driver’s license and yelling, ‘HONEY, SHE JUST CALLED ME YOUNG AND MODERN! But seriously, if you have resale in mind, you might want to put paint at the top of your to-do list.

See the FULL PROJECT HERE

Undoubtedly, this next kitchen has MUCH more personality than it used to. And while this might not appeal to the masses, if you’re staying in your home, don’t be afraid to embrace a bit of COLOR!

The Best Green Paint Colors

Still not sure whether to stain or paint your wood cabinets? Take the QUESTIONNAIRE! 

A FEW CONSIDERATIONS WHEN UPDATING OAK OR WOOD CABINETS

SHEEN LEVEL

EXPOSED HINGES

If you have exposed hinges, make sure the finish of them matches your handles/knobs – no mix-and-match hardware finishes allowed!

HARDWARE FINISH

Polished nickel and black are the most popular hardware finish, hands down (read more HERE).

CONSIDER KNOBS ON THE DOORS, PULLS ON THE DRAWERS

If you currently have handles on your cabinet doors, consider filling in that hole and installing knobs instead. Using two different types of hardware on your cabinets creates a custom look (see hardware HERE).

THE GRAIN OF YOUR WOOD (OAK IN PARTICULAR)

The shinier your paint finish is – the more the grain of your oak will show. If you can have them professionally sprayed, go for it. This will give you the best chance to reduce the amount of grain you see. While you CAN take the time to fill in the grain to get a more seamless approach, it’s a biiiig project.

APPLIANCE COLOR

If you have white or black appliances, you’ll need to figure out which color makes the most sense regarding contrasting with the appliances (black appliances with white cabinets) or blending them in (white appliances with white cabinets). I can help! Black appliance owners HERE. White appliance owners HERE

THESE are some gorgeous wood cabinets!

Want more?

5 MORE Ideas: How to Update Oak Without a Drop of Paint (PART 2)

Budget-Friendly Hardware to Update Wood Cabinets (PART 3)

The 16 Best Paint Colors to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets or Trim (PART 4)

READ MORE

The 15 Best Paint Colors to go with Oak / Wood

Are Gray Cabinets, Walls & Exteriors Still Trendy?

How to Pick the BEST Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

The Best Gray and Greige Paint Colors for Cabinets

Not sure what to do with your kitchen?

Check out my Online Decorating and Color Services 

Originally written in 2016, awesomely updated in 2022

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