I guess in a perfect world, we’d all have gleaming white kitchens. But, in reality, some of us have spouses that don’t see the point in painting “perfectly good cabinets”, or we’re renters who just can’t make those kind of cosmetic changes, or we can’t invest the money or time . . . Or, (gasp!) we don’t really even want a white kitchen.
A question I’ve heard over and over again is how to update a kitchen with oak cabinets, if painting them is out of the question. So, here’s what I would do:
I’d go for high contrast on the walls. My pick would be charcoal gray. More traditional colors like yellow-gold or red can tend to make oak cabinets even more yellow but a deep gray will tone that down. At first, I didn’t even notice that it looks like they left the original hardware on the cabinets in the photo above. I also love how this homeowner used a modern white table. All of it goes against the traditional oak cabinets, and it somehow all works.
Choose only a small portion of the cabinets to paint. Okay, I know this post is about how to work around your oak cabinets without painting them, but this is something to consider if a little bit of painting is an option. This helps to break up some of the wood and is a fun way to incorporate another color in your kitchen.
Don’t forget about your lighting. Changing outdated lighting is a quick way to update your kitchen. I would go for something simple with more of an industrial feel to go against the traditional cabinets. New pendant lights can be a fairly inexpensive update. Here’s one that’s similar to the pendants in the above photo:
Are you living with oak cabinets? How have you made them work? I’d love to hear your feedback on this.
Little Bitty Damn Houze says
February 18, 2013 at 3:05 pmGood ideas!
AJB says
February 18, 2013 at 3:10 pmThank you for covering this topic. I just moved into a home with builder basic oak cabinets, brass knobs, and brand new white appliances with freshly painted khaki walls. I am trying to convince my husband to paint the cabinets white, but I fear that it will be too bland with white-on-white. Our floors are beige/cream ceramic tiles, which doesn’t give much contrast. I’m thinking maybe staining the cabinets an espresso color would be a better solution. What do you think?
Handbags*N*Pigtails says
February 18, 2013 at 3:11 pmOh Id love to hear your thoughts on “working with” tons of original (1860) millwork woodwork in old homes. Our first floor is full of it and while it is stunning work, it darkens the entire feel of our home.
Beth @ Free Stylin' says
February 18, 2013 at 3:12 pmEmily! Thank you so much for this great post!! We rent and have oak cabinets that I am not a fan of. At all. This has given me some hope! I’m leaning toward option #1 – painting the kitchen. Thanks for the tips to keep the cabinets from looking more yellow. You’re awesome!
Beth of designPOST Interiors says
February 18, 2013 at 3:22 pmThis post hits home for me for sure! I just painted our kitchen white to help tone down the cabinets. I am sticking with white, black, and mixed metal accents to update the oak.
Katie says
February 18, 2013 at 3:27 pmOh, this is good stuff! While I definitely enjoy an awesome before and after reno, I love design blogs that also encourage people to work with what they have! Thank you, Emily!
We have maple cabinets with a honey colored stain (and it would be a mortal sin to suggest painting:). So I’ve painted our walls a light grey and I try to use lots of white to keep things fresh. We’ve ended up with a lot of blues in our open kitchen, living and dining area too, which is a happy accident because I think it offsets the yellow undertones as well.
Also… I just scored some stools at a consignment shop last week and painted them a tangerine color… totally copying yours. :) Thanks for the inspiration!
Nicki says
February 18, 2013 at 3:42 pmWe just finished painting our oak cabinets, but before we did, I lived with them for 9 years. There are some before-and-after shots on my blog. We had both khaki walls and aqua walls with them (at different times). One of my favorite looks was mid-painting, with white uppers and oak lowers, like this (not spam, just trying to link my picture, hope it works!)
https://picasaweb.google.com/111119957787203901518/February182013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJzpoKGvi5WZ_gE&feat=directlink
Nicki says
February 18, 2013 at 3:47 pmWell, it didn’t hyperlink, but if you copy and paste that link in the browser it seems to work. Just hoped that photo might give an idea -even of what not to do? Ha!
Emily A. Clark says
February 18, 2013 at 5:00 pmYes, was able to see! I actually really like them painted half and half, too :) Would love to see your finished kitchen.
Nicki says
February 18, 2013 at 5:23 pmOh, thanks!! Here’s the “finished”- for now ;)
http://dispensingme.blogspot.com/2013/02/2003-vs-2013.html
[email protected] says
February 18, 2013 at 3:58 pmI’m so excited about this series. So many of us have lots of things in our homes that we just have to “deal with” for a while (or years!) and it’s great getting some ideas for how to make things a little easier on the eyes. Looking forward to the ugly countertops post!
Katie says
February 18, 2013 at 4:12 pmTotally agree with the contrasting color.
I had oak cabinets in a previous condo and painted the walls a deep, dark green (inland by behr). It looked great and I always got a ton of compliments on my kitchen (despite the builder grade everything…).
Karen says
February 18, 2013 at 4:28 pmWow, that gray really does make the oak look good. Nice post.
casadeberry.net says
February 18, 2013 at 4:42 pmI’m sorry but I love my oak cabinets and have never considered painting them. And I also – gasp! – love my ceiling fans and would never get rid of them ;D
Cindy says
July 22, 2018 at 2:13 pmAMEN! I too love the look of my oak cabinets and refuse to paint them! My walls are golden yellow with red accents and I love the look!
Stephanie says
February 18, 2013 at 5:01 pmI was JUST talking to a friend about this. We have very basic oak cabinets and we’ve updated them a bit by replacing the brass hinges for black and adding modern black hardware. I love the idea of painting the walls a cool grey color to tone down the gold. I will definitely be looking at paint swatches!
schrockthehouse says
February 18, 2013 at 5:03 pmWe have dark oak and we didn’t paint the cabinets. We went with a creamy subway tile because I wanted to make the granite counters work without replacing.
We spent our money on the functional elements: improving the lighting, ripping out the room-dividing hanging cabinets and replacing the end-of-useful-life appliances.
djoann958 says
February 18, 2013 at 5:28 pmThis comment has been removed by the author.
tina says
February 18, 2013 at 5:29 pmWe have very nice custom oak cabinets. They are not the orangey color that some complain about. Maybe someday I will consider painting them but not for now – we like them as is! And I am not one for a white kitchen. I’m not one for jumping on trends.
tina
cndesigns says
February 18, 2013 at 8:59 pmIf you love your cabinets, that’s super great! Oak in itself is not a bad choice. But around where I live, the builder homes all use that orangey stain :-( I’m wondering if they’ll evvvvvver realize that oak can be stained other colors too!
Ceci Bean says
February 18, 2013 at 5:35 pmThe first photo reminds me of a craftsman home. I think craftsman interiors would be a good place to look for inspiration since many have lots of unpainted oak trim. The California coffee company Peet’s coffee often incorporates oak and dark colored walls well.
[email protected] says
February 18, 2013 at 5:48 pmI eventually painted mine white.
But prior to that, for a few years (hubby was against painting at first)we painted the walls a dark color similar to that in the first photo above. It worked fairly well and took the orange/yellow tones down a bit. :-)
Great tips!
Simply Me says
February 18, 2013 at 7:31 pmHopefully your next post in this series will be how to decorate around wood paneling in the living room that would cause great marital stress should it be accidentally painted… :-)
cndesigns says
February 18, 2013 at 8:56 pmTell your spouse this story: My mother painted their real wood paneling (not the cheapy thin stuff) and it looked fantastic! Especially nice look if you like a cottage style. She didn’t fill in the grooves and it looked sorta like beadboard.
But I hear ya! My brother in law wouldn’t let my sister paint their pine wainscoting either. (Even though the wood made the room look sooooo dark!) Sigh…men and wood. Hee hee!
Simply Me says
February 18, 2013 at 9:00 pmMen and wood, indeed. Our living room is like a cave, but the paneling is at least the real stuff. I’ve been going with an English library feel. Still dark, though!
Mallory | Confetti and Stripes says
February 18, 2013 at 7:54 pmGreat post! I must say it drives me nuts when working with a client and they don’t want to paint b/c “they are wood”…they still are wood if you paint them!…and can go back to wood one day if needed also! But i’m putting this in my bookmarks for future use! Thanks for sharing.
Monograms Mud says
February 18, 2013 at 8:21 pmWe bought our house 3 years ago and the kitchen was oak cabinets, oak floors, oak trim, & cream granite. The room nearly glowed orange. After living with it for a year, I couldn’t t take it anymore. We completely made over the space for pennies by painting the cabinets, adding crown & under cabinet molding. In addition we altered the doors so they are now recessed with hidden hinges. Everyone thinks we gutted the kitchen, but we actually gave it a facelift for less than $3,500. I have before and after photos on my house tour page.
Great tips for those who can’t or don’t want to paint!
[email protected] says
February 18, 2013 at 8:31 pmThere are so many ways to decorate around oak. I’d take advantage of them and create a beautiful country kitchen. I used to have beadboard oak cabinets in my Victorian and they looked perfect in that house.
cndesigns says
February 18, 2013 at 8:52 pmI see so many oak cabinets around here I’ve come up with a saying “Oak = good = God!” Yeuch!!! Mind you there are some beautiful oak cabinets out there. But there’s waaaay too much builder grade stuff any woman wants to do ‘something’ about! But of course, not the guys. They have this hunter/gatherer love affair with wood. ;-)
I love using a darker wall paint color with oak (LOVED the dark charcoal picture you posted!)…it does tend to make the cabinets sort of disappear more and not be the focus of the room. One of my clients had her orangey oak stained cabined stripped and refinished in a much prettier stain color. It made quite a difference.
The biggest thing I face is a client wanting to “update and lighten up my kitchen” but they nearly have heart failure when I suggest painting the cabinets! While white isn’t for everyone (and it truly isn’t the answer to every kitchen), I do love the idea of painting just a few parts of the cabinets. Great tip!
And remember (this is especially for the guys out there…or those who are trying to convince a guy to paint oak) “It’ll still be oak/wood even if its painted!” ;-)
Jenna says
February 18, 2013 at 9:14 pmOh, I can’t wait for more!!! I have a white kitchen. But a 90’s white kitchen. Lovely frosted white florescent plexi soffit lighting, white formica cabinets, white formica countertops, white formica back splashes. I hate it! We were hoping to tackle a kitchen remodel as soon as we bought the house, but that didn’t pan out. I’ve got some ideas I’m ready to implement though {paint, lighting, a new back splash}, but can’t wait to read your series to see what else you have to offer!
NR Designs says
February 18, 2013 at 9:22 pmAnother wonderful post! I would never have thought of charcoal walls with the oak cabinetry – but it’s so beautiful together! And with the white table, it totally brought that room up to date.
Charity says
February 18, 2013 at 9:30 pmThis comment has been removed by the author.
Charity says
February 18, 2013 at 9:32 pmI have oak cabinets and oak trim in my home. Sure, I would love the “gleaming, white kitchen”, but the cabinets are too nice and painting the trim would take FOREVER! (My husband would never, ever let me paint them anyway!) I have used BM’s Silver Half Dollar, Pewter, and Camouflage and I love how they look next to the oak.
Michele @ Moonfield Lane says
February 18, 2013 at 9:35 pmEmily, I just love this series. I had maple cabinets instead of oak and I painted them white while my husband was out of town! It all turned out OK (the cabinets and the marriage!) but I wouldn’t recommend this route :)
Now I’m trying to decorate around our huge, dark wood, matching bedroom set that my husband wouldn’t let me donate to our church’s new rectory. I guess he’s not as generous as I am, heehee. But seriously, I feel really silly because I didn’t do a thing with the bedroom all because I was waiting for new furniture. How foolish! I finally decided to work with what I have and the result is turning out better than I would have thought. And I don’t even hate the furniture anymore, either :)
Sarah says
February 18, 2013 at 9:59 pmThese are some great ideas! What are your thoughts on adding glaze to existing cabinets? We have maple cabinets which I do still like, but they have that “yellow” factor like oak. We plan on redoing our island and painting it distressed black. I was thinking about doing a black glaze on the rest of the cabinets but wasn’t sure how that would look!
Naz says
February 18, 2013 at 10:05 pmIt’s a matter of being creative and not falling for any new trend that comes around. I like the idea of painting the walls because it added a totally different dimension to the space.
BaileyWife says
February 18, 2013 at 10:43 pmEmily, perfect timing, as always! I have purposely not shown MY kitchen because of our oak cabinets! I have worked hard making it fit in with the rest of our house and we just don’t have the money to replace them!! I really like the idea of painting some and actually will do just that…..after I convince Baileyhusband that we can and should!;) ~Kim
Shanna says
February 19, 2013 at 3:16 amOh thank you! I am renting and my kitchen is awash in oak cabinets. I can’t paint them, but I can paint the walls. I’ve been trying to think of how to make the oak look better, and I am in love with your wall color suggestion.
SHERRY HART says
February 19, 2013 at 10:40 pmI know that there are still many oak cabinets out there :) Another thought that would be easier than painting is an ebony or chocolate glaze……to tone down the yellow-orange!!
Our Family says
February 20, 2013 at 2:09 amThis comment has been removed by the author.
Lynnsey says
February 20, 2013 at 3:28 pmThis was my comment to you last week! About the ugly honey orange oak cabinets. We recently moved to a bigger house and not until we moved in did the kitchen start to seriously bug me. The whole thing needs to be gutted and reconfigured but that isn’t happening. I actually painted our dining room a charcoal grey so I have a pretty good idea of what that will look like in our kitchen. I had been considering painting the kitchen a light color, but this suggestion does make sense and would look nice next to our fabric curtains and SS appliances. I plan to implement those lighting suggestions too! Thanks!
Angella Powelle says
February 21, 2013 at 6:46 amWow. Very nice kitchen cabinet. I want to have like that because cooking is one of my hobbies, so when I have like this kitchen I can cook easily. How much the cost of this kitchen cabinet? Keep on sharing!.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets
designstiles says
February 21, 2013 at 5:51 pmHA, totally. I’m working on my mom’s oak cabinets and my dad is all, why change them, they look great. We should take a trip instead. Men.
kerry renault says
February 27, 2013 at 7:42 pmThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
jacky croft says
March 1, 2013 at 6:09 amThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Alam says
March 14, 2013 at 5:46 amThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Daisy Rogers says
March 15, 2013 at 7:26 amHi
Thanks to share your experience with us..Actually I went to a home and saw same oak kitchen cabinets in one of my husband friend home. They looks very attractive like eyes catching colors. They also match the dining room and living room furniture sets with same colors and with a slight similar designs. All the management were very well. When I saw your this blog then I just remembered my that experience, I had spent with my husband. I am very happy that I got a right place where I share my past experience.
Keep it up!!!
Foragli SEO says
April 10, 2013 at 9:32 amThey have their own line of custom furniture which can be made to your own dimensions
modular office furniture says
April 19, 2013 at 11:28 amThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mimi Sargent says
September 20, 2013 at 9:49 pmThis comment has been removed by the author.
Mimi Sargent says
September 20, 2013 at 9:53 pmOak cabinets can look just fine! Despite what some home designers and renovation shows (who exist to make a profit) tell you, don’t feel like you have to follow the latest trend to have a nice kitchen. Go with what you like and feels right for your home. Oak cabinets can give a warm, earthy and cozy vibe to a kitchen as opposed to say, an all-white kitchen (which can look drab and lifeless over time). For a more eco-friendly approach, consider giving your existing kitchen a fresh look instead of a full-on replacement. You can add pizzazz with new drawer pulls and handles. Replace broken hinges and door glides with durable hardware. Sand and refinish, or reface worn surfaces of wood cabinets. It’s not only more eco-friendly, it’s also budget friendly.
Sandy Hanselman says
October 30, 2013 at 2:15 pmWe are going to remodel our kitchen after the holidays. We currently have terrible white laminate cabinets, trimmed in oak…. yuck! I have my heart set on cream painted cabinets with a mocha glaze. My only hesitation is that I have wide oak trim throughout my home and I am not convinced that the cream cabinets with the mocha glaze will look right with the wide oak trim. Decisions, decisions. I wish I could find a picture on the internet that would show me what it looks like together. Any thoughts? Thank you!
OakLover says
November 19, 2015 at 11:28 amThank you for your update ideas. I am a rarity – a woman who loves the warm tones and grain of the Oak. Even my 24-year-old son loves them. We live in Pennsylvania and are surrounded by beautiful Oak trees. It seems only appropriate that our kitchen is filled with the wood of the trees we love and the granite of the rock found locally.
Jade Brunet says
June 20, 2017 at 9:54 amMy mom is looking for a change in her kitchen to make things look more modern and I think that painting her kitchen cabinets would be a good option. It is good to know that only choosing a small portion of the cabinets to paint could be a fun choice. I like what was said about how it helps to break up the wood and is a way of incorporating another color in your kitchen. I will have to talk to my mom about this.
Karen says
August 22, 2017 at 5:37 pmDo you know the color of the charcoal paint in the first picture
Cynthia K says
March 3, 2018 at 8:57 pmConsidering leaving top with stain and painting base a rich tone. Base cabinet drawers will stay stained to add height to a low ceiling kitchen.