How Can Oak Kitchen Cabinets Be Made To Look Modern?

Original oak cabinets can be found in many older homes. Their sophisticated look and earthy, warm tones have propelled them to the forefront of cabinet materials in recent years. Although oak has stood the test of time, it may be challenging to incorporate an oak-centric kitchen into a contemporary space.

How, then, can oak cabinets be brought up to date? Oak cabinets can be updated in countless ways. Using consistent home decor of the same aesthetic can modernise a kitchen with oak cabinets. To modernise their look, you can paint or stain your cabinets or go all out and get new hardware and decorate them to match the new colour scheme. Make sure your kitchen looks manageable by using fewer colours or metal finishes.

The oak cabinets in your kitchen can be brought up to date with the advice in this blog, resulting in a fresh and welcoming room.

The Most Effective Methods For Modernising Oak Kitchen Cabinets

Oak kitchen cabinets continue to be a top choice for homeowners who are remodelling their kitchens. Oak cabinets are being used not out of a desire to resurrect a 1980s style but because of its potential. Consider which features you can keep if you want a contemporary kitchen but already have oak cabinets. It's easy to assume that all modern kitchen components must be installed from scratch, but in reality, most rooms already have multiple components.

Here are some suggestions if you're a modernist who values the classic beauty of oak cabinets but wants to stay moderate. Learn the simple tricks for blending modern kitchen design with your existing oak cabinets.

Repaint The Kitchen's Oak Cabinets.

Painting them is the quickest and most inexpensive way to modernise your oak cabinets. The paint not only improves the cabinets' aesthetics, but it also does not compromise their durability.

Neutral colours like white, black, cream taupe, and grey can be used because they won't quickly look dated. However, some things could be improved with this approach. From afar, the painting could look appealing, but up close, it falls flat.

If it is not completed by a professional, all that will be visible are the lines made by the paintbrush and the lines in the underlying wood. In addition, the paint may crack or peel, especially near the handle, under the weight.

In addition, you'll need to invest a lot of time in prep work, such as clearing the cabinets, polishing them, filling in the wood grain, and removing the doors and hardware, to compensate for the paint's fragility.

After you've painted your oak cabinets, consider updating and modernising the appearance of your kitchen by installing new hardware, a ceramic backsplash, and low-cost laminate countertops in trendy patterns that mimic natural stones.

Glass Should Be Added To Some Of The Doors.

Glass-doored cabinets are a timeless classic because they always draw attention. In addition, they can make your kitchen look more refined and put together.

Geeks love textured glass, shiny glass surfaces, and frosted glass for their homes. They are effective reflectors of both artificial and natural light, helping to create an attractive atmosphere in your kitchen. So if you want to update your outdated oak cabinets, all that is required is to add glass doors.

Restain The Oak Kitchen Cabinets

Restaining your oak kitchen cabinets may be a less taxing option if you don't want to expend a lot of energy painting them and still aren't happy with the results.

You can either make them look darker and more contemporary, or you can neutralise a more natural stain, the wood with a lighter, depending on how much time and effort you're willing to put in.

 

Keep in mind that you should ignore the orange, yellow, and red shades. The style of the cabinets is another factor to think about. The Shaker style is more adaptable to a contemporary makeover than the cathedral or arch style.

Select Neutral Colours.

Feel free to try out various neutral colours if you want to be free of your palette. As long as the space is bright and airy, a neutral colour scheme of muted greys or tans can look great with oak cabinets. Oak has a rich, earthy tone, so decorating with plants in the kitchen is a great way to bring out the wood's inherent beauty.

Oak kitchen cabinets are a beautiful addition to any home, no matter the design aesthetic. But, if you're already working with this sturdy wood, you can take your space to the next level by adding contrast with cutting-edge furnishings and decor. Light and bright colours or several neutrals can help you find the best fit for your kitchen.

Create (Or Purchase) A Two-Toned Oak Cabinet.

This strategy reduces the amount of cabinet painting required, as only the visible surfaces and hardware will need to be repainted. In addition, painting your kitchen a contrasting colour is an easy way to inject new life and personality into the space.

If you don't know where to begin, stick with white. White and oak, in particular, can be accessorised to evoke a farmhouse feel and a country or rustic one. This pairing is especially effective in updating the look of a kitchen with a shaker or flat panel doors.

Make A Focal Point

A contemporary kitchen layout might need to be recovered within vast expanses of oak cabinetry. To lessen this, make a new focal point. For example, a dramatic tile backsplash or range hood can draw the eye away from the cabinetry. If you want to give your space a more put-together look without breaking the bank, try laying down a decorative area rug or runner.

Include Decorative Elements

If you want your kitchen to feel more like a home than a factory, consider decorating it with art prints for the walls and potted plants to soften the space. Add tall cabinets, under-lighting, traditional lighting, floral, and other accessories to make any room look more organised.

Repaint The Walls Of The Kitchen

Instead of refining the wood, you can redecorate the walls. However, use caution when picking out the paint. Your kitchen could look at least 20 years older if you painted the walls warmly, like yellow, pink, etc.

The blue and green would make the oak cabinets stick out too much in an unflattering way. To counteract the orange hue of the oak wood, a palette of neutral, cool, and simple colours, especially those in the grey family, would be ideal.

Think About Open Shelving

Oak cabinetry can also be modernised by removing the upper cabinets and replacing them with chic open shelving. Open shelving is a distinctive and cutting-edge element of the contemporary home design that could significantly enhance the visual appeal of your dwelling.

By eliminating the upper cabinets, you can draw more attention to the base and island cabinets below, which draws the eye and creates a sense of flow throughout the area. This keeps the wood from being too dominant and gives the room an outdated feel compared to the rest of your home.

Replace The Cabinet Hardware

Changing the hardware on a cabinet is an easy way to transform its look completely. What follows is a list of recommendations:

Polished Nickel Hardware

Black is the best choice if your kitchen has black appliances, but polished nickel is a close second. Aside from complementing your existing appliances, it can also help bring your cabinetry into the modern era.

Oil Rubbed Bronze Hardware

Oil-rubbed bronze is a popular finish for cabinet hardware, albeit it's best suited for usage with oak cabinets rather than lighter hardwoods like cherry or maple. But this is something to think about before settling on this shade since this is the most old-fashioned of the four alternatives.

Black Hardware

Many people favour black because it adds a contemporary feel to traditional wood. As a result, the black knobs or pulls become the focal point of the cabinets themselves.

However, the arrival of black hinges can be problematic because they are visually jarring and reveal the cabinets' true age. Therefore, you should replace them if they can be seen even when the cabinet door is closed.

Brass/Gold Hardware

These tones are currently popular. However, using something other than them on your cabinetry would be best. Gold and brass are typically yellow in tone, making them a poor compliment to the orange/red hue of the cabinets. However, shaker or aged brass cabinets may be a better choice if you are set on using them.

Things To Consider When Renovating Your Oak Kitchen Cabinets

Oak cabinets are a great choice for any kitchen remodel, from complete renovation to swapping out a few doors. You can make a homey atmosphere with them in any size, colour, or stain. Fortunately, updating the look of your outdated oak cabinets can be done in a few easy steps.

Hardware Design

You may easily update your oak cabinet doors by replacing outdated hardware with newer, trendy knobs and handles. Cabinet pulls from the 1990s likely are white plastic or ceramic knobs decorated with a floral pattern. Maintaining cohesion in the kitchen is important by using hardware that fits the design scheme.

When deciding on the shape, colour, and finish of the cabinet pulls, you should consider the kitchen's other elements. Sleek, understated hardware is ideal for a contemporary cooking space. Sleek, tubular cabinet pulls are a minimalistic choice.

Traditional-look kitchens benefit most from traditional, ornately carved handles. Furthermore, simple bar pulls have become more widely used than sphere knobs. Finally, the kitchen hardware should be a coordinating colour scheme. Thus, a black ceiling fan and refrigerator complement the black cabinet hardware.

Appliances Colour

It's high time you updated your kitchen, so you went out and bought some shiny new cabinets. When planning the look of your kitchen, you'll need to decide whether you want the white or black appliances to stand out or blend in. The next step is to select home appliances that complement your new cabinetry.

Here are some ideas to help you finish your kitchen renovation and give your home a new look.

Black Appliances

If your cabinets are dark, then black appliances are a good choice. The adaptability of black means it can be used for various appliance styles. Kitchens with a black-and-white colour scheme can benefit from white cabinets and black appliances. Check to see that your black fridge and other kitchen appliances don't look out of place.

White Appliances

White appliances only look good with one specific type of cabinet. White kitchen cabinets are required if you purchase white appliances such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, or microwave. White appliances are only appropriate when paired with white cabinets, while stainless steel or black appliances look great with white cabinets.

White appliances can look great, but they can quickly look dated if you try to pair them with cabinets in colour other than white. On the other hand, if you go with an all-white theme, your kitchen will look crisp and clean, and your loved ones will be impressed.

Stainless Steel Appliances

Oak cabinets and stainless steel appliances are a beautiful match. A kitchen with oak cabinetry and stainless steel appliances is a good choice. All cabinet colours can benefit from stainless steel appliances. A completely white kitchen, including the cabinets and the appliances, is required, but it's fine to have your kitchen's appliances be stainless steel and white if your cabinets are white.

This guideline includes the intermediate and dark tones as well. Stainless steel appliances, such as a microwave, refrigerator, range, and dishwasher, are a timeless addition to any kitchen design scheme.

Why Do You Keep Using Oak Kitchen Cabinets?

One challenge of a home remodel is figuring out how to accommodate the wood grain of oak kitchen cabinets in a contemporary setting. Oak cabinetry is a hallmark of classic, rustic, and farmhouse kitchen design styles. That doesn't mean it can't look fantastic when set against a contemporary background, though. So here are a few arguments that favour putting oak cabinets in your kitchen.

Versatility

Oak wood cabinets are long-lasting and always in style. They are classic and adaptable and look great whether you repaint the cabinets inside or out. In addition, the oak grain can also be effectively concealed, allowing for various design options while maintaining the cabinets' strength and longevity.

Oak can be stained or painted to match any aesthetic preference. Oak-finished cabinets can be stained a darker colour or painted a wide range of colours to suit almost any taste. Both traditional and cutting-edge aesthetics can be achieved with oak wood cabinets. Oak cabinets give you virtually limitless options for your kitchen's aesthetic.

Durability

A busy kitchen will have frequently opened and closed cabinets, resulting in many bumps and dents. If you use your kitchen cabinets often, they should be made of a durable material like solid wood. Oak cabinets are sturdy enough to withstand the banging and spilling in a kitchen. They are also a practical option for those with big families.

Oak cabinetry is sturdy and resilient. They can take a beating and still look good as new because all you have to do to fix a chip or crack is sand it down. Oak cabinets are a safe bet because they can take a beating in the kitchen without showing any wear. Oak cabinets are not only water-resistant, but they also won't swell if they get wet.

Elegance

Oak kitchen cabinets are great for hiding under stains, glazes, or paint despite the grain's natural beauty. Regardless of wether painted or stained, this wood has the potential to update the look of the kitchen without sacrificing the durability of oak.

Oak, likewise, looks good with many different colour palettes. If you don't want an all-oak kitchen, you can combine oak cabinets with cabinets painted white, grey, or a specially made colour. You could also leave the oak cabinets in place and incorporate the wood tone into the room's decor in other ways. To create a stunning visual effect, natural oak is paired with yellows, light mint greens, and even crimson in some beautiful kitchens.

Environmentally Friendly

The majority of cabinets are made from particleboard or other materials that are bad for the environment. In addition, formaldehyde, which is toxic if inhaled, has been found in some of these materials.

Since oak is a solid wood, it makes for more eco-friendly cabinetry. They won't let harmful chemicals escape your home, improving the safety of the air you and your family breathe. In addition, oak is more eco-friendly because it naturally regenerates and can be harvested indefinitely.

Conclusion 

Oak cabinets have become a popular choice for homeowners looking to modernize their kitchens. They offer a sophisticated look and earthy, warm tones, making them suitable for a contemporary space. To modernize oak cabinets, homeowners can paint or stain them, install new hardware, and decorate them to match the new color scheme. To maintain the classic beauty of oak cabinets, consider adding glass doors to some of the doors.

Restaining oak cabinets can be a less expensive option, but it requires more time and effort. Choose neutral colors, such as muted greys or tans, to create a more contemporary look. Two-toned oak cabinets can be created or purchased, reducing cabinet painting and adding a contrasting color to inject new life and personality into the space.

To create a focal point, create a dramatic tile backsplash or range hood, or add a decorative area rug or runner. Incorporate decorative elements like art prints, potted plants, tall cabinets, under-lighting, traditional lighting, floral, and other accessories to create a more organized and home-like atmosphere.

Repainting the walls of the kitchen can be done using neutral, cool, and simple colors, especially those in the grey family. Open shelving can also be a great way to modernize oak cabinets, as it is a distinctive and cutting-edge element of contemporary home design that can significantly enhance the visual appeal of the dwelling. Eliminating upper cabinets can create a flow in the kitchen, reducing the wood's dominance. To transform the look of your cabinetry, consider replacing outdated hardware with polished nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, black, or brass/gold hardware. Black knobs or pulls can add a contemporary feel to traditional wood, but they can be visually jarring and reveal the cabinets' true age. Shaker or aged brass cabinets may be better choices.

Oak cabinets are a great choice for any kitchen remodel, and updating the look can be done in a few easy steps. Replace outdated hardware with newer, trendy knobs and handles, considering the kitchen's other elements. Choose sleek, understated hardware for a contemporary kitchen, tubular pulls for a minimalistic one, ornately carved handles for traditional-look kitchens. Choose a coordinating color scheme for the kitchen hardware, such as a black ceiling fan and refrigerator.

When choosing appliances, consider whether you want black or white appliances to stand out or blend in. Black appliances can be used for dark cabinets, while white appliances look good with specific types of cabinets. White appliances are suitable for white cabinets, while stainless steel or black appliances look great with white cabinets. An all-white kitchen will look crisp and clean, while stainless steel appliances, such as microwaves, refrigerators, ranges, and dishwashers, are a timeless addition to any kitchen design scheme. Oak cabinets are a popular choice for their versatility, durability, elegance, and environmental friendliness.

They are long-lasting, timeless, and can be stained or painted to match any aesthetic preference. Oak cabinets are also water-resistant and won't swell if wet, making them a practical option for busy kitchens. They can hide under stains, glazes, or paint, and can be combined with various color palettes. Oak cabinets are also environmentally friendly, as they are made from solid wood, which is less harmful to the environment and can be harvested indefinitely. Overall, oak cabinets offer a versatile and timeless addition to any kitchen design scheme.

Content Summary: 

• How, then, can oak cabinets be brought up to date?
• Using consistent home decor of the same aesthetic can modernise a kitchen with oak cabinets.
• The oak cabinets in your kitchen can be brought up to date with the advice in this blog, resulting in a fresh and welcoming room.
• Consider which features you can keep if you want a contemporary kitchen but already have oak cabinets.
• Learn the simple tricks for blending modern kitchen design with your existing oak cabinets.
• Painting them is the quickest and most inexpensive way to modernise your oak cabinets.
• So if you want to update your outdated oak cabinets, all that is required is to add glass doors.
• The style of the cabinets is another factor to think about.
• In addition, painting your kitchen a contrasting colour is an easy way to inject new life and personality into the space.
• To lessen this, make a new focal point.
• Instead of refining the wood, you can redecorate the walls.
• By eliminating the upper cabinets, you can draw more attention to the base and island cabinets below, which draws the eye and creates a sense of flow throughout the area.
• Changing the hardware on a cabinet is an easy way to transform its look completely.
• As a result, the black knobs or pulls become the focal point of the cabinets themselves.
• Fortunately, updating the look of your outdated oak cabinets can be done in a few easy steps.
• You may easily update your oak cabinet doors by replacing outdated hardware with newer, trendy knobs and handles.
• Maintaining cohesion in the kitchen is important by using hardware that fits the design scheme.
• When deciding on the shape, colour, and finish of the cabinet pulls, you should consider the kitchen's other elements.
• Finally, the kitchen hardware should be a coordinating colour scheme.
• Thus, a black ceiling fan and refrigerator complement the black cabinet hardware.
• When planning the look of your kitchen, you'll need to decide whether you want the white or black appliances to stand out or blend in.
• The next step is to select home appliances that complement your new cabinetry.
• If your cabinets are dark, then black appliances are a good choice.
• Kitchens with a black-and-white colour scheme can benefit from white cabinets and black appliances.
• A kitchen with oak cabinetry and stainless steel appliances is a good choice.
• Stainless steel appliances, such as a microwave, refrigerator, range, and dishwasher, are a timeless addition to any kitchen design scheme.
• One challenge of a home remodel is figuring out how to accommodate the wood grain of oak kitchen cabinets in a contemporary setting.
• So here are a few arguments that favour putting oak cabinets in your kitchen.
• Oak wood cabinets are long-lasting and always in style.
• Oak cabinets give you virtually limitless options for your kitchen's aesthetic.
• Oak cabinetry is sturdy and resilient.
• If you don't want an all-oak kitchen, you can combine oak cabinets with cabinets painted white, grey, or a specially made colour.
• Since oak is a solid wood, it makes for more eco-friendly cabinetry.