I think the first thing many homeowners think needs to happen with a dated kitchen remodel is a change of cabinets.
First, let’s start with a bit of a perspective adjustment… oak or wood cabinets need not be removed or painted. They are trending back in, and that makes it so much easier to update the kitchen without a complete overhaul on your cabinets. Here’s the thing, take some oak cabinets with a laminate countertop, complete with a several-inch backsplash, some country-looking knobs, fluorescent light fixtures, and one of those carved wood valences connecting the wall cabinets above the sink… and you have a very dated kitchen. Take those same cabinets, but update the counters and add some modern knobs, a classic tile backsplash, and some updated lighting, and the entire feel of your kitchen can change. Removing that valence as well as possibly replacing an upper cabinet with some shelving, and your kitchen will look brand new, and totally pinterest-worthy!
Beautiful Inspiration!
via Simple Stylings
Where to Start?
First, take a step back and look at your kitchen. Take note of all the materials, lighting, and details that, when taken in together, read “Dated!” Then keep those in mind while reading down this list.
Light
My kitchen was dark, and even though the window was small, its size was diminished further by being flanked so closely with the wood cabinets. If you do have a window, make sure it’s getting its due. If you have upper cabinets suffocating it, as I did, think about possibly moving or removing them – at least those closest to the window. In my kitchen, I was able to replace one set with shelves, and swap out the cabinet on the other side to allow the window some breathing room.
Reduce the Wood
If you’re still not digging the idea of so much wood in the kitchen, look for easy ways to tone it down. In my example, I brought down one of the upper cabinets. I actually wanted to take down both cabinets on the sink wall, but we didn’t want to lose too much cabinet space. But the bigger impact was in planking the back of the peninsula with white planks (check out my tips for this here!). It was inexpensive and easy but very impactful. It’s a good trick to use on an island or a peninsula, even if you don’t paint the cabinets on the front.
If you don’t want to remove cabinets to tone down the wood, you could always paint just a select few. Upper cabinets take a lot less abuse than base cabinets, and therefore a new paint job will last longer.
Wood Tone and Other Color
Embrace the wood look and pick a paint color accordingly. Before I had done anything else, removing the creamy countertop and painting the walls a cool gray-white really made a huge difference in the look of the cabinets. Find a cool, light neutral you like, even a cool white, and your cabinets will feel much more modern. Also watch for other colors you use. In my kitchen, the pops of green paired well against the warm cabinets.
In terms of the cabinets themselves, they really rang orange…. and not in a good way. To tone them down and bring them more into the realm of brown, I waxed them with Briwax in Tudor Brown (check out this post for more details). But in short, it’s easy (no sanding or top coat), it makes your cabinets look and feel new and clean, and it brought out the natural woodgrain. Oh and one container costs about $20 – I did the whole kitchen, the stair railings, shelves, and I still have a good amount leftover. Talk about budget friendly.
Hardware, hardware, hardware
I can’t say enough about hardware. Find statement pieces. You never saw black cup pulls, like these, on 80s or 90s cabinets, so just adding them brings the cabinets forward a couple of decades. Find something modern – like some statement-making square bar pulls and go for it. Here’s a great place to start!
Countertops
Ok, so maybe you don’t need to replace the cabinets, but if you have a laminate countertop with a matching 4 inch backsplash, it IS going to be hard to bring your cabinets out of the 90s. Now, I’m not a materials snob… laminate countertops can be awesome. But if they’ve been around since the kitchen was built, you probably will need to replace them anyway. Sometimes, with labor, laminate can be almost as expensive as solid surface or stone, so go shopping without preconceived notions. Find something simple with minimal action, and don’t even think about adding a matching backsplash! Keeping the edges simple gives it a clean look, and helps the budget.
Depending on the layout of your kitchen, you may be able to find premade laminate countertops that will work beautifully with your décor and your budget. IKEA sells premade countertops that range from $50 to $100 for an 8 foot length. A simple white would look awesome with the warm wood cabinets.
If you have an island you need to top, consider a butcher block top that would complement your cabinets. If necessary, in this case you could paint just the island cabinets, but at least you’re not painting all the cabinets!
Backsplash
Go simple and classic, like white subways and a contrasting grout. Avoid the mosaics trying to call your cabinets back a decade or two. Not only do simple and classic, by definition, have more staying power from a style perspective, but they are also budget friendly!
Lighting
Lighting options are aplenty. Amazon, Target and Lowe’s all have awesome budget-friendly but stylish options. Here are a few of my favorites (sources here).
Or you can go the DIY route… check out The Ultimate DIY Lighting Guide for ideas to make your own. In my kitchen, I made light fixtures with wooden accents, which made the cabinets feel like a choice rather than what I was stuck with.
Shelves
Open shelving, in moderation, can also update the look of your kitchen. Unless you’re a neat freak or don’t mind a more cluttered look, limit them, though, to what you can style easily if for show, or keep looking neat if you’re using them for storage.
via rooms for rent
via 
via Bigger Than the Three of Us
from the skinny house
I hope I’ve given you some great inspiration to tackle your budget-friendly kitchen reno! Let me know your tips – I may need them very soon on our next flip 🙂
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This post contains affiliate links, which cost you nothing but may pay me a small commission should decide to make a purchase. Thank you for your support and for stopping by!
Hi ,
Loved this post UPDATING A 90S KITCHEN – WITHOUT PAINTING CABINETS! Sharing it on my Facebook and Pinterest profile.
Cheers
Yay! Happy to help!
Hi! Love what you did to your kitchen it gives me hope! Could you tell me the color of wall in your kitchen I’ve been searching Pinterest for a great color and I love yours!
Thanks Jackie! The wall color is Olympus White. It’s a very light grey/ pale blue. Good luck!
Love what you did. Im curious about the briwax on the cabinets. Do you think you can only use that if you want to darken them. I have 80’s honey oak and not sure what color to pick.
Hi Jamie, thanks! I don’t think there are any waxes that can lighten the cabinets. I do think the darker briwax does at least help change the tone of the cabinets so they are not so orange-y… takes them more to a brown. If you’re nervous about it, you could always grab a container and try on the back of a door or two. Good luck!
Thanks. I did try the lime wax from briwax because I had tried another brand where I had to strip the wood and I didn’t have to with this one. This was so much easier and a better result. I’m going to try a dark brown on the other side of my scrap wood too. I feel like any color will enhance the grain so that’s why I’m trying to figure out which way to go. Thanks again for turning me on to briwax. Now my kitchen seems less daunting.
I’m glad you like it. Sometimes it just takes that little “aha” to get things rolling!
Hi Jamie, I am in the same boat as you with orangey oak and lots of grain so I am torn between liming wax and using the briwax. I am curious if you would share what it is you do not like from the results of the liming wax? Thanks!
Jamie & Angelica – same boat here too! I just came across the wax idea today and I’m curious how it turned out? This might be the answer to our dated cabinet problem!
Also Marianne – How did you do the island? Is that bead board or painted planks? The whole kitchen looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Becky,
Thank you! I covered the peninsula in painted planks. I first painted it white, then planked over top.
I love the tip about the wax. My home has a lot of orangy oak cabinets…..throughout the whole house. I love the wood look but it is very dated. Thanks for the tip. This is something I think I could tackle and my husband will approve.
Happy to help, Nancy! Good luck!
Love your kitchen! It’s the inspiration for our latest remodel. Briwax tip was huge as I️ didn’t want to get into painting cabinets.
What countertop did you put in? And flooring? That’s our latest search and I️ love your look!
Thanks
Ali
Ali,
I’m happy I was able to give you some inspiration! Our countertop was solid surface – LG Hi-Macs in Arctic White. The flooring was Shaw Resilient in Resort Teak. It’s a great click-lock vinyl flooring available at Lowe’s. Hope this helps and good luck!
Super helpful! Thanks 🙂
Hi! I tried looking for the flooring and I couldn’t find it. Not sure if it’s discontinued? Are you able to share a comparison? Same style and color? Thank you!!
Hi Moranda, It does look like it may be discontinued unfortunately. I don’t have anything that to offer in comparison but I do know Lowe’s and Home Depot offer a very wide selection of vinyl plank flooring. Your best bed would be to go pick up a couple of their small samples and hold them up to your cabinets to get the best match. Good luck!
It looks great! I was going to use general finishes gel stain to make my orange oak cabinets look better but I will check out the wax. I love a warm kitchen with wood cabinets. I was thinking of making some of the cabinet doors clear glass to break up the wood a little. I also have soffits and it might look better without them.
Thanks Sue! Yes, making some doors clear glass is a great way to break up the wood. I just added clear glass in the kitchen in my current flip house, and it was pretty cheap – only $22 for a decent sized door.
I am thinking about putting glass in 2 of my doors, but curious if you cut your wood out, or who did you take it to do it professionally? If you did…how did you cut it? Thanks!
I would personally take it to a professional, as I wouldn’t want to mess up the door. But it should be a very reasonable cost. I had recently switched out stained glass for a clear glass, and it was maybe $20 – $30. Good luck!
Love your help! I have tiger wood cabinets in kitchen and bath. I am probably going to go darker but have the pulls are all 3 inch from screw to screw and there is a blackplate with each one – times 34 and are all the Same on doors and drawers. Also partial outside hinges. They are old antique brass and ugly. I would be happy with flat black – there is little out there to pick from, especially since there are sooooo many to replace.
Thanks in advance for you expertise/help. Sincerely Bee Meske
Good luck Bee! What shape is the backplate? There are quite reasonable ones out there, though I realize it adds up when you multiply by 34! Have you tried taking them off to see how bad the discoloration is? I’ve spray painted hinges before, but it’s tough to get a really good finish that will stand up to the movement of the hinge. I just decided to replace the antique brass hinges for the kitchen I’m doing now (also with briwax) and it made such a big improvement! My pulls are also 3″ center to center, but I didn’t have to worry about the backplates 🙂
My briwax arrived but I didn’t get to try it out yet. Can’t wait to see how the cabinets look after they are waxed. Did you take all the doors off as well as the hardware before you waxed them? Do you have any pictures of your glass front cabinet doors? Did you cut your cabinet doors yourself and replace with the glass or buy new doors? Thanks!
Hi Sue,
I did take off the doors. It really helps to put the doors on a horizontal surface to help with the buffing. I did not take the hardware off the door since it was attached to a surface I wasn’t waxing. I wouldn’t wouldn’t recommend waxing around hardware… it would really make it tough! As for the glass door, I was replacing glass with glass. The glass came right out of the back. There was a vinyl sealer, almost like weather stripping. I had the glass out in under a minute. However if you are taking out a wood panel and replacing with glass, I would seek out a glass store and have them do it for you. Good luck with the briwax!
I just looked through your pictures of your flip and saw the glass corner cabinet! Thanks. The house looks great. Also removing the granite back splash really updates it too. This kitchen lay out is very similar to mine.
Thanks Sue!
Doing the exact same thing to my kitchen, love it! What was the name of the color grout you used?
Hi Colleen,
The grout color was Light Pewter by TEC. Good luck with your update!
This reno has inspired me to get going on our kitchen update.
We’re going to try the briwax.
Just wondering, where did you find the black brackets for the new wood shelves?
Susie – Awesome! My brother-in-law made the shelf brackets for me. But you should be able to find very similar options on Etsy. Good luck with the update!
What size are your subway tile? 4×8 is my guess 🙂
You got it! 4×8 😉
So helpful! So glad I found this site!
Love this blog. Going to use Bri wax, have you seen the Dark Oak wax on the honey oak compared to the Tudor Brown?
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much! No I have not used the Dark Oak, but I’m definitely interested to know how it turns out. Please let me know if you decide to do it!
Marianne
OMG! I love love all your ideas. I want to try the bri wax, and possibly planking the back of our peninsula! I have orange oak cabinets with lots of grain! I was not sure about counters and after seeing your pictures I am so glad that I did not go with a busy granite. I think simple white counters with simple white subway and grey grout is the way to go. I also love your paint color. I recently painted my kitchen a very light cream beige but thinking about redoing it after seeing your pictures. What paint would you suggest for painting the planks? Thanks so much! You gave me hope on a more up to date kitchen. Everybody always want to replace cabinets or paint them and now I can see that we can work around them and still have a modern looking kitchen.
Hi Shirley,
I’m so happy I could help inspire you! I would paint the planks a semi-gloss. My favorite paint is Sherwin Williams Pro-classic in semi-gloss. I often use Extra White and Pure White. Good luck!!
Where did you get your glass fixtures in the kitchen? Thx!
Hi Sara,
I made those fixtures with basic pendants, finials, and glass bowls. Check out my DIY lighting guide for help. Good luck!
I love your kitchen-especially the subway tile around the window and am thinking about trying something similar with mine. How do you think it would look with a darker countertop?
Hi Amy,
I think it would look awesome with a darker countertop! You could also use a darker grout that coordinates with the counter. It may help to check out the kitchen of my last house: The Split Decision: Market Time. Good luck!
Hi Marianne,
Great update! I, like so many others, am in the process of trying to find ways to live with dated oak cabinets in the house we just purchased. Would you be able to suggest some of your favorite wall paint colors to go with oak cabinets? I am so terrible at picking paints. I always think I have a great color until it’s on the walls. Thanks!
Hi Sheela,
I tend towards blueish or cool grays, which work well with this combination. The color I used in this kitchen is Sherwin Williams Olympic White. In my own home, I have Sherwin Williams Reflection, which is very similar. I think the key is to go cool (blueish) rather than warm (yellowish), and to go with a subtle color. If you’d like something even whiter, you could always take one of my suggestions above and have them put less coloring in it. Hope this helps!
Hi, what color are your kitchen knobs/pulls?
Thank you!
Hi Morgan,
They are all flat black. Here is an affiliate link to the pulls I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAIVKJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=inbe0d-20&linkId=25e9b024360e057e8edb87126649d7a0
What hinges did you use? The kitchen I am doing the hinges are visible and I want to replace the hinges to go with the new pulls & knobs (the same ones you used). Thank you
Hi Jennifer, your best bet is to take your hinge to a hardware store and match it up. You want to use the same size hinge and be sure it attaches the same to save yourself a lot of headache! Once you know what kind you need, you can shop from amazon or wherever to find a hinge that you like the look of. You could also spray paint them if you’re motivated! The key to spray painting them is patience as the longer you can let them cure, the better the job will hold up. Good luck!
Absolutely love! Just bought our first house with this exact layout and we are going to attempt to do a very similar look! Reading through the comments answered so many of my questions other than, where is that rug from?! Is that an indoor/outdoor one with a sticky back? I love the placement rather than having runners or smaller rugs infront of the sink!
Sorry If I am commenting again, my previous comment did not show up! Where did you get the rug in the kitchen, is it indoor/outdoor and does it have a nonslip backing?
Hi Renee, I picked the rug up at TJ Maxx a few years ago. I don’t think it’s good for outside and it doesn’t have a backing. I’m sorry I can’t be a better help!
I just finished my kitchen cabinets using the Tudor Brown Briwax. Wow what a difference and beyond easy! I’m so glad I stumbled across your article. I used chalk paint wax brushes and was done within 2 hours. This stuff is awesome! Thank you!
Thank you for this post! I have not had an appreciation for my honey oak cabinets for a few years now but did not have the budget to redo the kitchen. I already had white counter tops and I painted the walls white. I purchased the Briwax in Tudor Brown and just finished redoing my cabinets. It was very easy. What a transformation! I now like my kitchen again. The color of the cabinets is now very rich and warm.
Your kitchen turned out AMAZING!! I’m glad you were inspired by my kitchen! Beautiful.
Awww thanks! I so love your kitchen! Thanks again for the inspiration – glad you approve! 😉
I’m really glad I came across your page! I really love what you did with your kitchen. My husband and I are planning a kitchen reno soon and have been coming up with similar ideas. We want to keep our wood cabinets but they are honey oak and too orange for my liking. I love the colour of the wax you chose. Unfortunately, our entire house has the same honey oak on all the base boards, fireplace, stair rails, doors, door frames, window frames. I’m worried that if we wax the kitchen cabinets a more brown colour, the rest of the wood is going to look weird and mismatched. Any advice?
Hi CK. It’s really hard for me to say without seeing the kitchen and where the the trim and other wood pieces are in relation to your cabinet. I would guess that it probably wouldn’t look weird at all. If you hate the orange oak, you could always paint the trim in the kitchen, or try the waxing and see if it helps. FWIW I also waxed the stair rail at this same house and it came out great! Maybe try a little at a time and see what you think. Good luck!
Awesome job! Love the look incorporating the existing 90’s cabinets, hard to believe it is possible to pull it off but you def did! Were the wood floors in kitchen original or did you add them? I have a 90’s kitchen I want to update on a low budget with similar cabinets. But its floor is that typical peach ceramic tile and I would love to not spend money removing it. Any ideas how to incorporate it? Maybe go with. Slight peach tint subway tile or dark shade peach grout (thinking pops of peach now as opposed to the pops of green you mentioned) Or i guess its possible to remove and reinstall the bottom cabinets once wood floors are laid down as personally that is what I’d prefer. But this is for a flip so I’m lookimg as economics here. Thanks!
Thanks Chris! If the floor is in good condition, I would maybe consider laying a floating vinyl plank right over it! Then you could get a wood look floor that is waterproof for a kitchen and you wouldn’t have to go through the pain of removing the tile. Hope this helps and good luck!
Hi…attempting a kitchen update. Oak csbinets in great shape so wanting to keep. Happy to cone across this site. Our cabs are stained Early American along with all our woodwork. Is this considered “orangy” that you speak of? Lots of cabinets, not a lot of light. Im at my wits end trying to figure out flooring, counter tops and paint! Love the new light country looks but dont know how to do that with what I have to work with. Thsnk you for your ideas!
I love this post! I am thinking of doing a remodel on my kitchen, it has too much orange tone in it with floors, cabinets, and wall color. But I don’t want to paint the beautiful maple cabinets. I am going to try a greige wall color and this white ship lap look on the peninsula, I think. What are your ideas? Think it will look good, or think I’ll go on and wind up w new granite and paint on my cabinets? I tried to upload a pic but I can’t paste it here. Thanks!
Hi Heather, thanks for stopping! Yeah, it’s hard to paint maple cabinets! I agree with you, embrace the wood and be sure to use a wall color on the cooler side (more blue undertones than yellow). I think little changes can make a big impact! Also, I’m not sure what flooring you have but rugs can help, or potentially laying a vinyl plank right over your existing floor. Good luck!
Hi! This is amazing. I’ve been scouring the internet for weeks looking for the perfect inspiration and this is it!! I have everything very similar to you and initially wanted to go dark for my cabinets but like this way more! I already have 2 open shelves in my kitchen but I really like yours, where did you get the brackets from? Also, I am in Canada and can’t get Briwax. Do you have another suggestion? Thank you!!
Hi Kaitlyn, my brother-in-law made these brackets for me, however you can definitely find many similar brackets on Etsy. Take a look! I don’t have any other suggestions for the Briwax, but here is a link to their site to find the right retailer for you. Hope this helps and good luck!
Hi! Could you tell me more about the flooring you used? This has been great inspo for our kitchen remodel!
Hi Haley, I’m glad I was able to inspire you! The flooring is Resort Teak (affiliate link) by Shaw, available at Lowe’s. It’s a luxury vinyl plank which can be a great DIY project, and it works well in wet areas. Good luck!
I have orangy oak but the acutal cabinet is like a laminate fake wood. Can I use the wax on that?
Hi Randy, if the cabinet is laminate/totally smooth, then the wax will not have anything to grip into. It would just wipe right back off, so no, I doubt it would work. Hope this helps and thanks for stopping!
Love this, thanks for the inspiration! I think this may be the answer for my kitchen.
Wow! I am so glad I came across this blog! We were debating having our oak cabinets painted during our kitchen update due to the wood being worn and splintering in places. I’m half way through using the briwax and they look like brand new cabinets! $20 and a little elbow grease goes a long says to updating oak cabinets. I plan on using your idea for planking the boring peninsula with shiplap,too. So excited to get it completed with new countertops and backsplash. Thank you for sharing!
Becca, I love hearing this! So happy to help!
your kitchen redo was just what i want for our kitchen as it has the exact same layout. the problem i am having is finding a white granite countertop. my kitchen guy only has the highly patterned and dark kind. he does have one that resembles marble but it has a definite grey to it. should i look to quartz maybe?
Quartz is definitely a great option, but there are lots of solid surface options available. You could check out Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Rebecca Roberson has a kitchen JUST like yours and she did a quick update instead of a complete overhaul as well. She didn’t paint her cabinets either but the one thing she did differently is that she added a single shutter stained to match her cabinets on that wall over the peninsula near the open shelves. It looks gorgeous like your kitchen but that one detail really looks great. She has a YouTube channel and is a lot of fun. Check out the shutter on YouTube and see if you like it. Beautiful kitchen!!!
Thank you! I will definitely check it out.
We just purchased a ranch, open concept, built in ’96, with oak everthing, cabinets, doors, woodwork, etc, even the hardwood floor in the kitchen! New appliances & countertops are a definite. But what else can I do to “tone” it down? Thanks!
Hi Debbie, in the kitchen, I think the wax and rugs are really helpful. And take a good look to see if paint could help anything, like I did in the Skinny House with wrapping the peninsula. Possibly taking down a cabinet or two can also help! As for the woodwork, I feel your pain on that one. If I moved into a house with wood trim, I would probably paint most of it, but I know that’s just personal preference. It’s definitely doable. I do think though that the wall paint color makes a HUGE difference when it comes to wood trim. With very pale cool blues and whites, I think it can look great. Hope that helps!
Love this! Will be ordering new hardware, possible wax and carpet. Where did you find this minty color carpet? I love it!!
Hi Heather, happy to hear! I purchased the rug at TJ Maxx a few years ago. I’m sorry I can’t help!
I am starting a cheap(ish) reno of my kitchen and am really excited to try the Briwax!!! I have a manufactured home, so ALL the woodwork in the entire house is golden oak. After 15 years, I am SICK of it!!! I might end up waxing my entire house!!! I am also trying a countertop kit on my laminate counters made by DAICH Spreadstone. Have you ever used it? I am really curious where you got the adorable window treatment? All I can ever find is plastic or bamboo roller shades.
Hi Angela! I totally get the itch to make some changes. I love the briwax and simple changes that could change the whole feel of a kitchen. I have not used a countertop kit. I think you are looking at the window treatment in an inspiration pic. If so, I’ve linked to that blog so you can try to track the source. I’ll be posting soon on how i made a very simple window treatment in my own kitchen. Black, White & Gold Kitchen Refresh
Hello! Did you buy the island and/or do you have a link to it? This post is amazing. We just bought a house with the exact oak cabinet issue and my husband has been searching things for days and weeks but nothing comes close to these great ideas thank you!
Hi Kassandra,
Thanks so much for visiting! I’m really happy I could help you with some ideas 🙂 I’m not sure which island you are referring to? The kitchen I redid just had a peninsula, which I wrapped with planking. Could it be one of the inspiration pics?
I love this! I actually bought the Briwax liming was to try on my orangey oak cabinets. We have a fairly dark wood floor, so I was afraid of going dark with the cabinets lest they “match.” The liming wax unfortunately just makes the cabinets look weathered or almost sun bleached.
I may try to go dark afterall as I see the floors in these pics are fairly dark too.
One question, did you wax the back side of the cabinet doors?
No, the only time I waxed the back was for testing purposes. Good luck!
Hi! We are remodeling the kitchen and dining room I’m surfing your post as my inspiration! I’m in love! I have medium oak cabinets and want to use the briwax. What style oak are your cabinets I’m wondering if the briwax will look different on medium oak?! Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, It’s tough to say, but yes, they were a mid-toned oak. They were the typical wood cabinets you see in so many houses. Sorry I can’t help more than that! Good luck!
Hi! Hoping you can help! Want to update my kitchen with paint. I have light maple cabinets with light green walls currently. Was thinking of a grey color since that seems to be the new trend. Do you think with the maple cabinets it would work? Will probable use the same with the Great room. I have a dark granite countertop. Floor is a light terra cotta tile.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Marie, It’s hard to say without seeing pictures, but I definitely think a light gray would look great with light maple cabinets 🙂
I Love this! Question. I have a peninsula and it has a cabinet then the bar area for stools. If I wanted to do the white board, would you suggest I paint that cabinet as well? (I’m sure you have seen where they place a cabinet at the corner then the stool area?) I really want to update to this type of clean look and have been searching for ideas where I don’t have to paint the oak. Or would you just take the cabinet out? Always hate to loose cabinet space.
Hi Michelle,
I think you can get away with not painting it. You could always temporarily place the boards up there with my favorite, command strips, and see how it looks. If you do permanantly attach, a couple of coats of white primer is probably all you need underneath. Good luck!
For the planking on the island is that all one length end to end 6″ wide sections? I cannot tell in the photos. It does not look pieced together, but Mine is 74″ long?
Hi Sandee, Yes it is all one length, 6″ wide. The plywood comes in 8′ lengths, so you could do single lengths all the way down. Good luck!
How has the planking held up to kicking, scratching, etc.?
Hi Claudia! I actually don’t live in the house. We sold it shortly after this update. However, I know all about kicking at an island! I think as long as you use some good paint (I personally love Sherwin Williams Pro Classic), it should wipe down easily. I think you will be pretty good. And it would be easy to freshen up with another coat if needed.
I am seriously thinking about trying this to my cabinets. I’ve been looking into gel stain but there are lots of comments about it being difficult to use. How did the cabinet ends turn out? Mine aren’t real wood so I’m concerned about how the wax would make the ends darker.
Hi Amy,
I personally have had terrible results with gel stain. I’ll never understand why it’s seen as so much easier than regular old stain! The typical cabinet ends will not take the wax, it will just rub right back off. There is nothing pourous for the wax to cling to. Now, there are some end panels that are a very thin, stainable veneer, and if you have that, you should not have a problem. I planked the end panel on the peninsula in the kitchen. The plastic ones are tricky. I do find that often, since they are on the side and not taking the light from the same angle, you don’t really notice that they don’t 100% match. Your eye reads it as just a light difference. I would start there, by leaving them alone, and see if they are noticable. If they are noticeable, you could plank or add shelves to the side to disguise the difference. One other option, if you have enough of a lip on the face frame would be to purchase an end panel such as https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-12-0-in-W-x-30-0-in-H-x-0-375-in-D-Cabinet-End-Panel/50134942 which you could stain and wax and glue into place. Good luck!
I’m so excited to have found this! Thank you! We just are about done with the project. I used dark brown briwax on the orangey oak and it looks great. Like new cabinets. We took them off, lightly sanded, cleaned and did 2 coats. Got some new hardware and next, light fixtures. A nice budget friendly fix. I like it better than paint. I’m sick of seeing white everything.
Awesome Yvonne! I love budget-friendly 🙂
Hi!! Love the look of the kitchen in the first photo! Do you have the name of the paint color for the walls?
Hi Suzanne. The first pic is of the kitchen I redid. The color is Olympus White. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Suzanne, The color in the first photo is Sherwin Williams Olympus White. It was used throughout the Skinny House if you’d like to see more pics. Thanks for stopping!
Thank you!! I also love the rug in the kitchen. I would love to know where you bought it from 😀
Hi Suzanne,
Unfortunately I bought that rug at TJMaxx many years ago. Thanks for stopping by!
Have you had luck with other brands of wax like Minwax for example?
Hi Bryce,
I have not tried any other brands of wax, although I would suspect you would receive similar results. Good luck!
Hello! Love your kitchen and it’s been super helping in update mine! I’m curious after a few years how the briwax has held up? Do you have to redo it? Also it says it doesn’t hold up to water well. What’s been your experience?
Hi Bekah,
I do not live in the house so I can’t speak to how well it has held up. But my gut tells me that it will do pretty well unless you are constantly scrubbing the cabinets. In that case, you may need to buff some new wax in. But the product is so easy to use and apply, that possibly needing to buff a spot or door after a few years certainly wouldn’t deter me. It’s not difficult or time-consuming like painting. Good luck!
I love that you did all this without paint, and we have started on our kitchen today! I cant attach pictures but we have one cabinet by the window down, shelves ready to go in, paint selected, and are changing out the old light to recessed lights! I am so excite! I also started briwax on the cabinets. Thank you do much for the inspiration!!
Wow! I’m so excited for you! Good luck and have fun, and thanks for the note!
Where did you put your microwave?
Hi Lindsey, I sold this house so I’m not sure where the owner’s decided to put the microwave.
Hi there! My parents have a kitchen that looks very similar & are looking to freshen it up a bit, so love this inspiration (just shared with them). They’re hoping to keep their current trim/wood cabinets like you but replace their flooring. I couldn’t help but notice your flooring is different than your cabinets, & I love that look… mind sharing what the flooring is/your process for selecting? Cheers!
Never mind! Found the info in above responses.
Hi Joel, I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner! Glad you found what you needed and good luck!
Never mind! Found the info in above responses.
I LOVE that I’ll be able to get rid of the orangeness without sanding or painting. As much as I’d like to replace my countertop, I’m not sure if I’m too wimpy or too frugal to do so. Maybe both? The last time I replaced my sink was with a cast iron one…350lbs, and a bear to install. I never, ever wanted to have to buy another sink. I’m a penny pincher, and I hate that this has turned into such a disposable society. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with my countertop except that it’s in 90’s fashion, backsplash and all. Then on the other hand, my kitchen is very small, so replacing the countertop wouldn’t be very costly. I’m quite torn. I’m glad to have found your pages to help me decide. Thanks!
Hi Pam, I totally get your dilemma! I do love finding frugal ways (money and reusing wise) to change up our spaces. Good luck to you and thanks for reading!
I absolutely ADORE your remodel!! We are going to attempt the Briwax on our cabinets as well. Do you find that the wax scratches off at all? I did one as an experiment and was able to scratch the darkness off the next day. Did you have to reapply? Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you Sarah! I do not live in this house, however the finish seemed very strong once I buffed well and let it dry. I really rubbed it in so that it was no longer tacky. This made it very smooth, almost slippery feeling.
Hi Marianne,
Did you use a template to put on your cabinet hardware?
Hi Nena,
Yes i always use templates when putting on hardware. IT saves a lot of time and headache, and reduces errors. There are simple ones at any big box store or on amazon that work well for most basic knobs and pulls. This set is very similar to the set I have (aff link)
https://amzn.to/314FdTk
However, may of the more modern pulls are too long for a template like this, which will work on pulls with screws up to 5″ apart. I recently bought this template for my longer pulls.
https://amzn.to/3ercc7T (aff link). Hope these help!
What a beautiful kitchen!! Can’t wait to use these tips when I redo mine ! I also love your green rug, where did you get that?
Thanks Nicki! I got the green rug at Home Goods many years ago 😉
This is great! What is the wall color you chose?
Thanks Ashley! It is Olympus White by Sherwin Williams.
This is HANDS DOWN the single best article I’ve read for updating my kitchen. You just saved me COUNTLESS hours and dollars for my kitchen update. My cabinets are high quality but I hate the honey oak finish. I have no hardware on mine either. So the tip for the wax and adding dark hardware is worth its weight in gold. My husband is so happy now that he doesn’t have to paint or stain the cabinets! We also plan to use white ship lap on our peninsula and 3 sides of our island. We will also be doing the butcher block for our island. Do you think it would look weird if we had a dark stain on the butcher block? Or should we match the cabinets? This is hard lol. We are going to try to replace the countertops and backsplash with white materials.
Thank you so much Terri! I’m so happy that I was able to help 🙂 It’s tough to tell without pictures, but I think I would vote to keep the butcher block close to the cabinet color. Good luck!!
We are planning to basically copy what you did 🙂 Our kitchen layout is the same as yours haha. Do you know what your floor color/type is?
Hi Lydia, this floor is called Resort Teak by Shaw. You can find it at Lowe’s. It’s a luxury vinyl plank. Good luck!
I have the affiliate link for the black matte pulls from Home Depot but I’m not sure what two sizes you used for the split decision reno.
Hi Kara,
I purchased them from Amazon. The pulls are 5″ long with 3″ centers, and the knobs are the 2″ T bars. I’ve updated my broken affiliate links on the post, and here it is again.
Pulls
Hi. Love all of this! can you tell me where you purchased your kitchen curtain rod?
Hi Sandra, it is one of many I use from my staging inventory, but I did hang it with command hooks. These links might help:
How to hang a curtain with command hooks: https://inbetweenchaos.com/2016/04/09/fastest-way-to-hang-curtains/
And best rods to use with command hooks: https://inbetweenchaos.com/2020/02/21/best-curtain-rods-for-command-hooks-again/
Hi. can you tell me where you purchased your kitchen curtain rod?
Hello. I was wondering where you purchased the glass ball pendant lights?
Hi Tena, I made the lights out of basic glass bowls and corded pendant lights. Check out my DIY Lighting guide here https://inbetweenchaos.com/2017/08/13/the-ultimate-diy-lighting-guide/ for more info.
I’m going to give the briwax a try on my yellow coloured oak cabinets. What prep do I need to do before the wax?
Hi Joni, the only prep I performed was a basic wipe down with a general cleaner. Good luck!
Where did you get your metal dining chairs? Love this kitchen makeover!
Thank you Sharon, the chairs are from the Carlisle line at Target. Here is a link for you
https://www.target.com/p/carlisle-metal-dining-chair-threshold-153/-/A-14632009?preselect=52404449#lnk=sametab
(affiliate).
Thanks for stopping by!
I have dreamed of redoing my Oak kitchen for years. My husband loves the wood and was opposed to doing anything. I found your post, bought the Tudor Brown and waxed an ugly oak cabinet in our utility room and added hardware. Instant win! I’m almost done with the kitchen now – added hammered black iron hardware. Absolutely beautiful. Next step, counters! Thank you so much for sharing Briwax, it really allowed an update at minimal expense.
Laurie, these are the stories I love to hear! I’m so happy to have helped, and thank you for sharing!
So I love the look of your cabinets. My husband asked someone at Hirshfields and was told not to use Briwax because it comes off. How long can you expect this look to last?? Have you had to redo your cabinets since the initial coating. How are they holding up??? Thanks in advance!
Hi Natalie, Thanks so much! First off, I don’t live in the house, so I can’t speak to how long it lasts. I will say that the finish seemed great! I could imagine that after a couple of years it may need touching up in high touch spots like where the door is being opened. Wax in general as a sole finish would not do well in a kitchen as it does not provide the protection of polyurethane or a lacquer. But this wax isn’t being used that way. It’s really just being used to alter the color and refresh the finish. To me, it’s totally worth the cost of a $20 tub of wax. And touch-ups, if needed, would be quite easy. Hope this helps and good luck!
Looks so good! What color briwax did you use?
Thanks Kim! I used Briwax in Tudor Brown.
Wr have honey oak cabinets with matching honey oak shiny laminate flooring. Would it clash if I waxed thr cabinets? I love this look! Wr have a marble cream gray countertop that has oak thin edging around it but I think would still match if darkened up cabinets. Im thinking agreeable or repose gray. And going with a subway tile too. Thankyou for the inspiration!!!
Hi,
I know this post is a few years old, but I’m looking to update my kitchen and I have oak cabinets also. I love what you did with your kitchen. Do you know the paint color on the wall?
Sorry, I see that you answered the question about wall paint already. Thanks!
Your kitchen footprint is almost an exact replica of mine, Taking down the cabinets to the left of my over the sink window immediately opened, brightened and updated the space. I’m waiting for the install of my cream colored subway tiles, I replaced the lights over the island and we put a beige terrazo tile floor down. Next replacing the hardware. I’m so happy I didn’t go through the bother of painting my cabinets. I LOVE them again!!
Kathryn, Your comment makes me so excited for your! I love that you were able to fall back in love with a piece of your home without going through crazy changes! Best of luck to you!
Hi,
Can you tell me what color are your walls in the kitchen in these photos? I have oak cabinets also and I’m trying to find a wall color to go with them. Thanks
Hi Trisha, I’m pretty sure it’s in the post, but I think it’s Olympus White.
Love this! What paint color did you use for the walls?
Oh goodness, I just scrolled through all the comments and somehow missed the one post where you answered that exact question, lol. Never mind, thanks!
I enjoyed your before and after pictures and article. I just finished refreshing my 90s oak kitchen and ended up using many of your ideas without first seeing your post. We removed a teal coloured laminate backsplash and countertop, and replaced it with subway tiles and a white/lightcream quartz countertop. . We updated the lighting, put in a couple of open shelves, replaced ancient appliances with stainless steel ones, replaced the cabinet knobs and added an area rug. We are thrilled!
The one thing we did differently was to totally embrace the orangey oak. We did this by painting the walls an aqua-white. Aqua is opposite orange on the colour wheel. We also decorated with aqua accessories as well as copper accessories. The kitchen is basically a place to show off my aqua KitchenAid stand mixer lol!
I would like to put glass in my corner cabinet to further lighten the room. Thanks for your post. It was nice to see that I am not the only one keeping beautiful wood cabinets!