Are maple cabinets outdated? Since maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile, they're far from outdated. They're highly durable and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any aesthetic whether it's a traditional or modern kitchen.
Another wood that is gaining popularity for 2022 is maple. This is a good alternative to the outdated honey oak that has been part of kitchen designs for many decades. It looks great when given little staining to leave it a natural, light color.
However, oak cabinets are currently in the middle of making a comeback. There are several possible reasons for this. First, homeowners are looking for warmth and authenticity in their kitchens. Natural wood checks all the boxes.
What is this? Wood cabinets are continuing to come back into style. No, not your honey oak cabinets from 1980's and 90's – they are most definitely not coming back.
Detailed Patterns, Warped or Damaged Cabinets
If your cabinets have detailed patterns or they are warped, chipped, cracked or have other damage to them, then painting your kitchen cabinets is not the way to go – it most definitely won't solve your cabinet problem.
Honey Oak Cabinets
A staple in kitchens of the 1980s and '90s, these golden-toned wood cabinets have fallen out of favor as white and gray cabinets have risen in popularity. If you don't like your light-stained cabinets, but they're in good shape, consider refinishing or painting what's there.
Maple surfaces owe their light natural color to their clear oil finish, which breaks down over time to regain its original oily yellow color. When this chemical process occurs in a dry climate, the finish becomes brittle. Its new texture will stain the wooden surfaces of your cabinets with a dull yellow shade.
Sherwin Williams's neutral paint colors work wonderfully with maple cabinets. Go with Dover White SW 6385, Alabaster SW 7008, Agreeable Grey SW 7029, Softer Tan SW 6141, Napery SW 6386, and Seawashed Glass SW 9034. These Sherwin Williams paint colors will be best for your kitchen with maple cabinets.
Enhance the golden tones of maple with counters in a traditionally warm yellow, orange, red or brown tone. Explore terracotta pavers and other tile floor treatments for an easy-maintenance, naturally warm floor. Expect a wide variety of color choices from dark browns and grays to sandstone and wheat tones.
Wooden finishes are also making a return for cabinets, but typically in lighter shades and not the traditional cherry wood of the early 2000s. Instead, oaks and walnuts are increasing in popularity. We're also seeing a shift towards unique storage inside cabinets, such as corner larders and even blending pantries.
Grey kitchens are not going out of fashion. They are a safe choice that will age well due to them being sleek, space-efficient, and easy on the eyes. You can pick and choose which grey to go with and still get the type of kitchen that is easy to fall in love with.
The 5 best and most popular woods for kitchen cabinets are pine, oak, hickory, cherry, and maple. Pine, oak, and hickory are cheaper and easier to get. Cherry and maple look luxurious and cost more than the others. All 5 work well in the kitchen's hot and humid environment.
Maple cabinets are versatile
Maple is a pretty wood, but it's a good choice for kitchens because it is also so versatile. Maple has a smooth, even grain that makes it suitable for stains and painting both, because you get consistent results.
You would have to strip them completely and then do something like a wood bleach to them. That's a pretty extreme professional process. That can counter the natural yellowing some, but since it's a natural chemical part of how maple behaves, you're not going to be able to 100% counteract that.
Like cherry, maple will darken over time, though far less dramatically. Maple starts off very light and bright, with a few pink and grey tones. Over time, it will age to a warm golden honey color. Other light brown woods, like ash and white oak will slightly darken to a beige or amber color.
With maple wood Yellow gives all of your colors a distinct hue. Using yellow kitchen walls with maple cabinets will complement and complement each other in terms of tone and function. Orange. With its vibrant oranges combined with the warm maple undertones, pineapple makes for an interesting option.
Natural maple is a versatile wood with warm finishes ranging from creamy off-white to light reddish-brown tones.
Are maple cabinets outdated? Since maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile, they're far from outdated. They're highly durable and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any aesthetic whether it's a traditional or modern kitchen.
The light color of maple surfaces comes from a clear oil finish, but this oil finish breaks down and regains its original oily orange color in a gradual and inevitable chemical process.
An acrylic is not only colorless, but it also has a natural screening effect for blocking UV light, which yellows maple. A water-based acrylic is easy to apply and remains clear over time, but it brings little depth to the grain A solvent-based acrylic pops the figure but needs to be sprayed.
KITCHEN FLOOR TRENDS
Light (and medium) oak flooring will continue to be on-trend in 2022. Of course, you can create this look via solid wood floors or engineered wood flooring (or even LVP). This is most definitely a (classic) trend I would incorporate if building in 2022.
Going into 2022, wood-stained kitchen cabinets will still be popular in more traditional kitchens. but people are becoming bolder when adding pops of color to their kitchens. Cool-toned cabinets are dominating the trends this year and white, gray, two-toned, blue, and even green cabinets are on the rise.
Honey would be closest to the natural wood color. The Golden has a yellowish/orange tint but still close to the natural wood color and Red oak is much darker and a brownish red.