Oak Kitchen Ideas for updates
Our house was built in 98 and has tons of oak. I'm looking to see what types of updates I can do to get my kitchen (or entire house) a little more "modern" and updated. My husband is really fighting me on changing the cabinets, but I was thinking if we go with white trim, new floors, and new lights... it might get the ball rolling in the right direction?
Any advice or thoughts are more than welcome! I'm especially interested in what type of flooring to do: I was thinking going hardwood (or hardwood like) throughout this main level. What color can I do with my oak cabinet when I'm trying to get rid of all the oak?
And lighting: I'd like to get rid of the ceiling fan we never use and update that light, as well as the one over the island.
Again, any advice is welcome!
FYI, We live on an acre lot in an area where this lot size is unheard of - so just moving isn't an option.
Comments (8)
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Need help on a kitchen update with oak cabinets...
Comments (32)If you and your hubby aren't DIYers and you have a large, busy family life, gel-staining your cabs may be more of a challenge than you anticipate. Sweat equity is a great way to improve one's home with little money but even a project billed as easy may not be easy for people who don't DIY. Hubby and I are DIYers but even so, every project takes us longer than we think it will. If you decide to take this on, get sample doors and test your technique first before tackling your kitchen. Love nosoccermom's idea of replacing a few door panels with glass. Have you considered quartz counters? I think Ceasarstone Pebble (medium gray) or Raven (charcoal) would look good (I see gray in your tiles but it could be how it looks on my monitor and not the case IRL). Caesarstone Raven up close [Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by San Francisco General Contractors Mascheroni Construction Caesarstone Raven with oak cabinets [Eclectic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by West Linn Interior Designers & Decorators Julia Williams, ASID Caesarstone Pebble up close [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) Caesarstone Concrete (very similar to Pebble) on IKEA Adel Medium Brown, which has has reddish/orange undertones. [Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Rockwall Design-Build Firms Modern Craft Construction, LLC It sounds as though the floor's maintenance is primarily focused on trying to keep the polished look. Instead of polishing the floors, can they remove the sheen - hone them - and seal them? Wear and tear should be less noticeable on a non-shiny surface. Honed surfaces are generally more prone to staining than polished but since the tiles aren't uniform in nature, stains will probably blend in. Good luck!...See MoreGolden oak kitchen updates!
Comments (14)I also vote you should wait. Your user name is "3 boys for me," which says to me that you have a lot of action going on in that kitchen to get those boys fed. I have two boys and a girl so I can relate. One thing your kitchen has going for it is all that storage. If you don't have teens yet, they go through a lot of cereal (as just one example). I am not the layout guru some are. But I can see that it's a country mile from the table to the fridge for a gallon of milk, and the microwave is even farther. Plus, all the non-cooks in the family would be getting in the way of the cook. The other obvious thing I notice is that you don't appear to have a decent range hood (maybe a downdraft). Would encourage you to build a layout of your current kitchen. Measure the wall lengths, the cabinet lengths etc and write them all in. Scan it in and put it on a photobucket account. From there, it's pretty easy to load it onto this thread. I would actually start this process now and take 1-2 years to really figure out what you want. One thought I have is that you could potentially save a lot of those cabinets (especially the boxes) and reconfigure them into a new layout. Good luck!...See MoreNeed help/input for updating honey oak country kitchen!
Comments (14)Jhmarie; yes, the kitchen is very functional, and a part of this is almost like therapeutic processing for what to do with this house!Thank you for the heads up about the book. I will have a look for that. Aprilneverends; well thank you. I am really trying to not get caught up in fads, but I think the state of the place made me focus on the yellowness of the oak. And the oakiness of the oak everywhere in that part of the house! I always really enjoyed this blue, to be honest. ha!! It contrasted nicely and I got to cackle in my husband's direction every time someone told me they loved it, too. That's the thing I guess, you never can tell. I am a bit leery of how much the kitchen will change with all of the white and off white in regards to the contrast, and had to kind of giggle at the thought of painting the walls white and the wainscoting blue. Like a role reversal. :D Fidlfreek; I appreciate you bringing me back down from the clouds with some of your suggestions. Some of your sentiments I had thought of and was considering - all white miracle method, subway tile, lighting updates. Now is the time to pull that big beast down I think - we are planning to paint the ceilings throughout the home. Curious of your thought process- the lighting fixture you linked from ikea, is that to coordinate with the current colored cabinets? Or the shape in general? Staining the cabinets darker is of course an option, I just don't want this area to feel any more boxed in, I guess. This vantage point is actually the only way in and out of the kitchen - there is also peninsula seating already to the left, FYI. I actually picked the flooring you circled in the event that I wanted to go lighter or darker with the cabinets, now or later, that there would be flexibility in the flooring color to do so. It's also more of the classic wood look than some of the on trend colors I am seeing out there. The more I think about it, the more I would like to NOT spend a lot of time painting everything white, but I definitely think I need some adjustments in here. I find it interesting that none of you have mentioned the appliances or their color - apart from the microwave, which is usually the least of the appliance worries. ;D I so appreciate your feedback and input....See MoreAny ideas to update oak kitchen cabinets
Comments (1)The cabinets look like birch, not oak. Do you have any photos of one whole door to show the grain? Are you planning to change anything else, such as flooring or lighting? If so, make all color decisions after changing the lighting. You can buy new LED "tubes" that are inserted directly in where the old fluorescent tubes are. It's cheaper than redoing the light fixtures if budget is limited....See More
Hayley L
6 years agoHayley L
6 years agoHayley L
6 years ago
jhmarie
6 years agoWhat flooring is in the kitchen now - it works well with the cabinets. If it is not hardwood, a hardwood just like it would be a classic flooring.
I refreshed my oak kitchen and went with a vintage / cottage look:
https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~93784356
https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~93784291
Oak cabinets have movement due to the grain. They look best with very simple backsplash. I did cream subway tile as noted above.
Here are some more wood kitchens - not all are oak, but still can give inspiration:
This was a part inspiration for mine:
This one has darker appliances and countertop:
Victorian House Remodel, Alameda · More Info
Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. · More InfoI have to say as someone wit oak cabinets, that warm wood tones and cool grays do not bring out the best in each other. The cool grays really were developed with white and the dark wood cabinetry in mind. Your walls are not bad - the blue undertone works with the wood, but they are dark. Those of us with warm wood cabinets are better off looking to creams, light creamy beige or sage greens. Very light grays can sometimes work. These walls in this entry way are BM Maritime White. I have not seen this color in person, but it does lean gray and works with warm wood tones.
From This Old House:
PROKitchen Ideas, LLC
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoYou could really wake up your kitchen with the following updates without touching the cabinets themselves.
Luxury vinyl wood flooring
It's very durable (safe to get wet) and there are brands and types out there that look very much like wood flooring itself. Check out Shaw Floors and Mannington.
Walls
Paint the walls a neutral color, such as an off white or something similar and either paint the base boards white or replace them altogether.
Countertops
An update to a lighter countertop might be a good idea too. I think Caesarstone quartz Urban Safari would be nice with your existing cabinets.
Lighting
Update the lights above the island to something similar to what is in this kitchen. I think it has a modern look and feel that would be beneficial to your kitchen as well.
auntthelma