I love getting messages from readers that they have been inspired and totally changed course on a kitchen renovation after seeing how I’ve updated oak kitchens. I love being able to save someone money and headaches!
Out of those messages and my own curiosity I tried liming wax recently with not so great results :(. You can see that post here. Now keep in mind this was liming wax on already-finished oak cabinets. The wax sat in the grain and looked horribly white. I did use some of that wax on a pedestal table I made recently and actually enjoyed creating a bit of a white wash.
And then another of my awesome readers asked how the liming wax might look over the Tudor Brown wax I have used. And so I tried it.
My only wish is that you could see them in person because photographing them is difficult. But I’ve tried my best.
I didn’t just stop there. I thought it would be a great time to experiment with some of the other wax colors. So I purchased a container of light brown and a container of mid brown.
I’ve used Briwax Tudor Brown in every update I’ve done, including both the Skinny House and the Split Decision.
This first image shows the all of the pieces I’ve tried: each wax alone and each wax over liming.
Since this was really just experimentation, I mostly wanted to provide the pictures. Hopefully this will point you in the right direction if you are considering wax.
In terms of wax alone, I preferred the mid and light browns over the tudor brown.
The liming wax did lighten the grain a bit when combined with the mid and light browns, and it did tone down the orange overall.
The light brown wax was almost a bit translucent, and it didn’t cover up the white from the liming as well. This resulted in almost a grey hue to the grain. The limed areas that I used for the Mid Brown and Tudor Brown test had been limed when I did the original post, so they were well cured. The areas that I used the light brown on had just been limed (one section 5 minutes before, which is the section I haven’t labeled, and the labeled section the night before). I don’t know if the grey hue was because the liming wax hadn’t cured as long or if it’s because the light brown seemed a bit too thin.
I hope these pics have helped. My best advice is to test, test, test to get the results you are looking for!
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Thanks for your posts. I am trying to revive honey oak cabinets myself and this was really helpful.
Thank you Bea - happy to help! And good luck with your project :)
Hi Marianne,
It was through your website that I learned of Briwax and am soooo excited! We are planning a kitchen update, but were stumped about what to do with our 'lovely', 90's, orange-y oak cupboards. We like wood, so are delighted to find a product that is easy to use and will give the updated look our kitchen is needing. Thank you so much!! I have a question - we have white appliances. What colour countertop would you recommend? I like the look of the white one in your "Updating a 90's Kitchen" page, but wasn't sure if it would be too much white with the appliances. Thanks for your help!
Steph
Hi Stephanie, I'm glad you are excited!! I wouldn't hesitate one bit to use white counters with the white appliances. Hope that helps!
Thank you for introducing me to Briwax! I have been stumped trying to figure out how to revive our kitchen and I think this may be the best option. We have orange-y oak cabinets with black countertops. I would love to keep the counters because they are a very good quality. How would you suggest revamping our kitchen? I'd love to hear your thoughts on which wax color would be best and what backsplash you would install. Thank you!
Hi Eliza,
I like wood cabinets with dark countertops. I think you can't go wrong with the medium brown wax colors. I would keep the backsplash very simple and light, like white subways. It's classic and will brighten up the darkness on the bottom. Good luck!
Can Bri wax be used on wood floors?
Hi Darlene,
Hmmm, I have no idea! I don't think I would try it in a large area. Maybe if it was just a small foyer or something I'd give it a shot.
I'm so happy to have found this post! Like a lot of people I too have the lovely orange-y cabinets. I have been afraid to paint them for fear of messing them up. The cabinets are in great shape so replacing them seems foolish and costly. I'm curious if you had to re-wax them? Thank you so much for this post!!!
What kind of wood flooring did you use throughout the kitchen and living area?? I NEED that flooring!!
Hi Kristina! The first picture is from this house here. Skinny House Reveal. The flooring we used a vinyl plank from Lowe's by Shaw called Resort Teak. Here is the link:
Resort Teak Hope I'm not too late to help!
Hey! What is on the kitchen cabinets in the first picture? Limewax over Tudor Brown? Thanks!
Hi Regan, the first picture is from this house Skinny House Reveal
It is just Tudor Brown wax on the original cabinets.
I love love love what you did here! Thank you for the inspiration! What color paint did you use on the walls?
Thanks, Lisa
Thank you so much Lisa! The color on the walls is Sherwin Williams Olympus White (SW6253). It's a very pale bluish gray.
Hi Marianne,
It’s so fun to tap into your experience and expertise as we attempt to renovate our place to sell. Our realtor suggested painting our oak cabinets. That level of attention isn’t in the budget, but I do plan to Briwax them to improve the faded areas and finish.
Thanks!
Rebecca
I have been contemplating whether to paint my oak cabinets or not and I was scared that I might mess them up if I did. I am so glad I found this post. Did you have to clean or prep your cabinets before putting this wax? I am going to buy and try on my vanity in my half bath because the vanity is made of the same wood as the kitchen cabinets. I am also going to paint the walls a light gray color as well. I would love to know your thoughts on this.
Hi LaShona, I think that sounds great! Testing on a smaller scale is always a good idea. I did not do a ton of cleaning beforehand. The cabinets themselves hadn't been cleaned in years and were quite greasy. But I still didn't need to do anything extensive. I used a simple household cleaner and wiped them down, then did the wax. The wax actually cuts through the grease and helps clean too. Good luck!