With a modern design, you want to keep it simple and pair oak cabinets with basic white or dark countertops. Another option is to install waterfall countertops. It's the best way to feature oak cabinets with modern finesse and create a great focal point.
Steps for Painting Kitchen Cabinets (Without Sanding)
Buy a cabinet painting kit and get the paint tinted to your preference. Good commercial kits contain a de-glosser to remove any older coats of paint on existing cabinetry. The de-glosser eliminates the need to sand or prime surfaces that are already finished.
Wood cabinets are back in a big way in 2023, continuing the trend we've been seeing over the past couple of years. These aren't your honey oak cabinets from the 1980's…
White remains the most popular kitchen cabinet color for this year, although clinical pure whites are being replaced with warmer and more natural tones. White is timeless and will create an airy and refreshing ambiance that will never date.
Nowadays oak cabinets are making a comeback in the kitchen. In some cases, homeowners are refacing their old honey oak cabinets to give them fresh new life. They're replacing dated cabinet doors with new Shaker style cabinet doors.
After cleaning, you may notice that your oak cabinets have lost some of their original color or finish. To restore the natural beauty of your oak cabinets, you can re-oil or re-stain them. If you choose to re-oil, use a natural oil such as tung oil or linseed oil.
Pair Oak Cabinets with Light Tones
Use white or light-colored walls, flooring, and countertops to brighten a space. Shiny surfaces, including glass tile and stainless-steel appliances, can also reflect light and give the room a visual lift.
Kitchens with honey oak cabinets will look fresh and updated with new wood flooring or Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring in similar undertones. The key is to choose a neutral floor with similar warm color tones found in the oak to bring the two elements together.
If you look at a color wheel (google it)… the color on the opposite side is the “neutralizer”. So by painting the walls with a gray that had a purple undertone, it reflects onto the cabinets neutralizing the orange on them. Try it.
A New Coat of Paint…
A lick of paint can really liven up an older piece of furniture that might have seen better days. Of course, oak has a glorious natural grain that looks fantastic with a bit of polish but sometimes a change of colour can really revitalise a piece.
You can create a bright and airy space by choosing light colors for your floors. Light wood colors or tones of white, cream, or light gray are particularly well-suited for kitchens with medium to darker oak cabinets; these muted tones serve as a perfect backdrop for the richer wood tones of your cabinets.
If you want to downplay the honey oak, stay away from colors on the opposite side of the color wheel - blues & greens (and grey too). They will make the honey oak "pop". As Debbi said, stick to warm tones of cream. I would paint the walls, replace the flooring, and update the pulls and ceiling fixture.
Bleaching kitchen cabinets can be done using a household chlorine-based bleach or a 2-part store-bought bleach. One removes dye and the other removes the wood's natural color.
You can give your wood cabinets a quick makeover with a fresh coat of stain. Using a different color stain—even as simple as going one shade darker or lighter—can give your kitchen, bathroom or other rooms in your home the new, updated look you want.
Do you need to sand cabinets before painting? Skipping this time-consuming step is a surefire way to lead to a messy finished product. Sanding helps fresh paint adhere to surfaces and will help prevent chipping down the line. It's also better to sand twice (first to remove old paint, then to smooth out the wood).
He also says to avoid cherry-colored cabinets because they look dated. Plus, Chastain says, traditional cabinetry shapes and sizes are quickly being outpaced by space-saving shelving systems and larger pantry-style cabinets.
One outdated trend that many of us are all too familiar with is golden oak. In the '80s and '90s, this honey-toned wood finish was all the rage, and people put it evvverywhere. Flooring, railings, doors, trim, baseboards, cabinets… you name it.
With the introduction of painted, high gloss and glass furniture designs, many people deemed oak furniture to be out dated and somewhat old fashioned. However in recent years oak furniture has made a massive comeback with a vast range of styles and designs adorning even the most contemporary designer interiors.