7 Ways to Update Oak & Wood Kitchen Cabinets (PART 1)

Do you want to update oak or wood cabinets, but don’t know where to start? Want affordable ideas that don’t have you crackin’ open your kid’s piggy banks? I gotchu.

Oak kitchen 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.

Does this kitchen look slightly familiar?

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, but 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), but 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 lasted 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! 

QUICK SUMMARY: HOW TO UPDATE WOOD CABINETS

1. SHOULD YOU PAINT OR STAIN YOUR CABINETS?
2. HARDWARE UPDATE IDEAS
3. ADDING CROWN MOLDING & MORE…
4. WHAT TO DO WITH A BULKHEAD
5. ADD OPEN SHELVING
6. PAINT YOUR WALLS THE RIGHT COLOR
7. MAYBE YOU NEED TO PAINT YOUR CABINETS (MAYBE)

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

COMMON 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 – one of my favorites. This is one of the easiest profiles to update, whether with a new, modern stain color (or paint, if you’re so inclined).

TOP RIGHT: Shaker style with flat panel – the ideal world, but didn’t become more popular until the 2000s and is less common with oak cabinets (maple is most popular in this profile). 

BOTTOM LEFT: Double cathedral – it’s a double-whammy and the most challenging to make look updated with fresh stain (especially since they often have exposed hinges, too).

BOTTOM RIGHT: Single arch – challenging, but easier than the double cathedral. All the same, paint is usually the best bet (especially if hinges are exposed).

Remember, these are UPDATE ideas. If you want to create a ‘happy medium’ while keeping your original stain color (or fresh stain), I’ve got you covered, too! 

Now let’s talk about some solutions…

1. SHOULD YOU RESTAIN OR PAINT YOUR CABINETS?

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when I mention restaining them, it’s with the idea of changing and updating – not resurrecting their currently outdated stain color.

This stain color is great, but it’s not always the stain that dates a wood cabinet; it can be the grain

RESURRECT: Keep the old golden oak or cherry red stain and refresh it with a fresh coat of stain and lacquer (without changing the color).

UPDATE: Add value to your home with updated wood cabinets in the perfect, timeless stain color (or paint). 

While these next maple cabinets are GORGEOUS, the red stain isn’t an updated look. This isn’t to say they’re bad; they’re just not what you’d install today. Restaining your cabinets to look like this won’t move your home forward. 

With their muted, more natural stain, just like me, these cherry cabinets are perfect as they are. Whether it’s 10 years ago or 10 years from now, these cabinets are badass and beautiful…

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

If you want to update your home, restain your cabinets 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).

If resale is a concern, most home buyers (if you have resale in mind) are looking for a more subtle approach, offered by the neutral warmth of a natural wood tone (light or dark).

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore feature wall

8 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU RESTAIN YOUR WOOD CABINETS

1. Are you thinking of staining them a lighter color than they currently are? Lots of blood, sweat, and beers.
2. Or maybe you want to stain them a darker color? Much easier than going lighter, but it still requires some good labor to do it right (there is a ‘happy medium’ which we’ll talk about shortly).
3. Are your cabinets a cathedral or double-arch? Even the most modern wood stain won’t help them look updated. This style of cabinet tends to look the most updated when it’s painted (whether you agree or not). 
4. Stay away from the strong yellow, orange, and red hues, as they will not look updated unless your kitchen still lives in 1990 (hellooooo, sponge paint!).
5. Choose a stain depth that best suits the surrounding finishes and potential target market (if selling is in your future).
6. If you want to refinish your cabinets properly, you must sand them down entirely. You can play around with Gel Stain, which can go over existing stains. However, do your research about techniques, as it’s not easy to get a consistent finish, and the look can be ‘here for a good time, not a long time’. This is because rather than penetrating the wood, Gel Stain sits on top of the existing finish – kind of like paint, but a bit different.
7. Consider which stain color/depth best suits your countertop, whether you prefer a high- or low-contrast look.
8. Make sure your stain color coordinates with any surrounding wood finishes, especially flooring. 

If you’re not sure what to do, I have a link at the end of this blog post that takes you to a QUESTIONNAIRE that can help you find your home’s best answer!

2. UPDATE YOUR CABINET 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, you’re missing the last piece of the puzzle for a modern look.

The Best Warm Quartz Countertops | The Best White & Off-White Quartz Counters

• Transitional-style hardware works especially well with cabinets with a shaker door profile or a flat-panel door (as shown above)
• For cathedral-style doors, choose new hardware with slightly softer lines—nothing too tubular or sleek. To learn more about what looks best, read PART 3: The Best Hardware to Update Wood Cabinets.
• The most popular and timeless hardware updates involve knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. 

Also, avoid this handle style (below), where the edges extend past the bolt hole…

I suppose if your holes are narrow, you might not have another choice, but they were popular in 2010 and are pocket-catchers…

A FEW CONSIDERATIONS

• Measure the distance between your bolt holes before you go to the store, and double-check how many knobs/handles you need!
• Square or rectangular knobs are the worst – you’ll constantly have to straighten them OR tighten them so well that they indent your beautiful wood. 

While this next kitchen has some beautiful bones, you couldn’t PAY me enough to live with those handles. A round knob is easier and more timeless…

The Best Paint Colors with Red-Toned Woods

This next kitchen has amazing bones, and with a few affordable updates, would have a whole new lease on life…

• HARDWARE: They’re off to a great start with knobs on the doors and pulls on the drawers. I might just shift to polished nickel.
• BACKSPLASH: Install a subway tile backsplash (NOT WHITE) that matches one of the granite countertop colors.

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE channel for more great Kylie M. content! 

3. ADD CROWN MOLDING & A VALANCE TO YOUR CABINETS

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 (approximately two to three inches) attached to the bottom 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 builder basic to custom-made.

The crown on these next cabinets is a bit too small, and there’s no valance. Adding both and staining them to match the cabinets would make a big difference…

The Best Subway Tile to Update Your Kitchen

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

Because 99% of my photos come from my Online Color clients and readers, I don’t always have JUST the image I need. In this case, I don’t have examples of wood cabinets for the inspirational ideas below. HOWEVER, the ideas are still fabulous! 

4. FILL IN THE BULKHEAD ABOVE YOUR CABINETS

Nothing makes basic cabinets look more custom than a filled-in bulkhead. 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.

As some inspiration, my client (below) filled in her bulkhead and painted her honey oak cabinets, giving them a fresh new look…

Benjamin Moore Cloud White is on the cabinets.

My next client did the same, though the look is a bit more natural because the space between the cabinet and the ceiling isn’t as tall…

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is on the cabinets.

4 MORE Ideas to Update Wood Cabinets – WITHOUT A DROP OF PAINT!

Get the Paint Color & Update Expert that DESIGNERS hire!

5. ADD OPEN SHELVING BY REMOVING A CABINET OR TWO

Some layouts don’t suit open shelving—there’s no natural spot to put it. Other layouts, especially those with cabinets between the kitchen sink and an open dining area, are great contenders.

Again, I don’t always have the image I need for these creative ideas. However, this white kitchen is a great example of open shelving in the right spot with well-placed home decor.

Now, with having WOOD cabinets, not white ones, you’ll want to get shelving in the same species as your cabinets and stain it to match the color/sheen so that things flow.

My next client painted her wood cabinets Sherwin Williams Alabaster and added wood open shelving instead of upper cabinets in several areas…

5. PAINT YOUR WALLS A COLOR THAT SUITS YOUR WOOD STAIN

This is definitely the point of least resistance. Many people fight their wood stain as they don’t love it and want to tone it down. In doing so, they often end up clashing with it. 

Instead leeeean in. Listen to your wood and find a color that updates it while speaking to its needs…

• The Best Neutral Paint Colors that Go With Golden Oak
• Paint Colors to Go With Dark or Historic Wood Finishes
• Paint COLORS to Update Wood Finishes
• The Best Paint Colors to Go With Pink or Pickled Wood Finishes
• Paint Colors to Update Red-Toned Wood Finishes

7. PAINT YOUR CABINETS AN UPDATED, MODERN COLOR

Paint is a GREAT way to update and modernize wood cabinets that have seen better days. 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.’

Combined with its wood flooring, this next kitchen was overwhelming in its formerly golden glory…

After, the palette is much calmer. They were able to update the beautiful granite countertop without replacing it, and the wood flooring came to life. While I’d love to see less graphic cabinet handles (knobs on doors), the overall look is 10X  more updated. 

Remember, your cabinets will still BE wood – they’ll just be painted wood and more updated.

WHY IS IT GOOD TO PAINT WOOD CABINETS?

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

See that lil’ gap between the cabinets and ceiling? Fill that in with molding and match it to the cabinets. 

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 (maybe even before new quartz countertops or a tile backsplash).

Ideas to Update Your 1980s Kitchen

With their cathedral tops, there was no stain color that would make these cabinets look more updated. Instead, the next best thing was paint…

Again, I’d love knobs on the doors (yes, I am like a broken record and not very passive-aggressive about it – I’m aggre). 

Depending on a kitchen’s bones, it might never look 100% updated. Often, it’s about finding the next best thing! 

To update the above kitchen, we chose a soft, warm white for the upper cabinets, gorgeous medium-depth green for the lower cabinets, and Benjamin Moore Maritime White for the walls.

Undoubtedly, this next kitchen has way 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 Cabinet Paint Colors | The Best Sage Green Cabinet Colors

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
• The beige tile backsplash is super 1990s/2000s (update your 1990s kitchen HERE)
• Notice how the bulkhead is high contrast with the upper cabinets, making the kitchen look squat

While my client opted for new doors, a subway tile backsplash, and white quartz countertops, she saved money by keeping the cabinet boxes and having them all painted the same beautiful white (Benjamin Moore White Dove)…

See the FULL REMODEL HERE

By painting the cabinets, we reduced the contrast between the bulkheads and the upper cabinets, making the kitchen look larger and the cabinets appear taller. 

And a huge thanks to all of my E-Design clients and readers who send in their after photos. I rely on them 99.9% of the time 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 beautiful kitchen…

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze on cabinets, Graystone walls

If you’re ready to paint ALL of your cabinets, I have endless blog posts, but here are some gooders to get you started: The 5 Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets / The Best Off-White & Light Depth Cabinet Colors.

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

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN UPDATING OAK OR WOOD CABINETS

Like the above information wasn’t overloaded already…

EXPOSED HINGES

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

Are Older Wood Cabinets Trendy Again?

SHEEN LEVEL

While you want your finish to be washable, you also want to avoid seeing your purdy lil ‘face reflected back at you. Sheen is also a consideration when cabinets have a noticeable grain, as increased sheen will enhance the grain. I often lean into a satin/pearl finish for cabinets (and trims). Read more about that HERE.

HARDWARE FINISH

Polished nickel and black are the most popular hardware finish, hands down. However, learn which finish looks BEST on your wood cabinets HERE.

CONSIDER KNOBS ON THE DOORS, PULLS ON THE DRAWERS

(Insert awkward whistling here). 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 20 Best Paint Colors to Go With Wood Cabinets or Trim

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.

This golden oak vanity has a super muted, rift-cut grain.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOU APPLIANCE COLOR

If you have white or black appliances, you’ll need to decide which color makes the most sense for contrasting (black appliances with white cabinets) or blending (white appliances with white cabinets). I can help!

• Black appliance owners HERE
• White appliance owners HERE
• GE Cafe White HERE
• GE Cafe Matte Black HERE

THESE are some gorgeous wood cabinets!

READ MORE

How to Update Your Wood Cabinets WITHOUT Paint! 

6-PART SERIES: How to Update Your 2000s Home

How to Update Your 1990s Home

Get the Paint Color & Update Expert that DESIGNERS hire!

Updated with fresh, relevant content and images for 2026

*This post may contain affiliate links that I have carefully selected, meaning if you purchase an item or sign up for a service through a link in this post I may receive a commission.  These programs are a big help to me to be able to maintain this blog. Thank you in advance if you find something you are interested in and choose to purchase with these providers.