Wendy b I have had the same reaction to my maple cabs stained the same color as the hated oak. I loved it for awhile then one day hated it. DH won,t let me paint them because they are still new and in perfect condition. I wonder if a few years from now we are all going to be having this conversation about wild patterned granite countertops and supway tile backsplashes

I think that the updated oak kitchen you posted shows that with some well thought out tweaks you could have a really nice kitchen without painting your existing cabinets. I had a darker oak cabinet in my last house and they had a high gloss finish that was definitely part of the 80's! My house now has white cabinets and I love white cabinets!! Just clean, crisp and fresh looking.

Here's just some thoughts:
1 - Your inspiration kitchen has a nice crown feature around the tops of the cabinets. This alone makes the kitchen feel updated and current.

2 - The oak kitchen is a professional photo, but it also looks pretty open and has a lot of light. If your kitchen is in a darker part of the house or doesn't have a lot of natural light, white cabinets will really make the area feel brighter and fresher.

3 - I agree with other posters that your cabinets really are ok - they may just need a fresh coat of poly - matte or low sheen will make them look more like your inspiration photo. Also, you're right, the new countertop and the white backsplash really brighten up the area as does the new cabinet hardware.

So, I think you can't go wrong with either option. Even if you paint the cabinets, I'd add a crown spacer board and crown molding to give your cabinets more height.

I am in the "hate oak" group. Always have, always will. We don't have oak cabinets, but our downstairs is oak hardwood. House built mid-80s and we were not the original owners. Would love to replace all of it, but keep as much as possible covered with area rugs. I could hardly wait for my 2 youngest sons to go to college so we could get rid of their oak bedroom furniture.

justgotabme, thanks for the illustrations. I really like the Live Sawn!

Justgotabme, those illustrations were really interesting. I didn't know anything about that.

Good topic, sundance. People do have strong feelings about oak. Oak and knotty pine. Much more so than with other woods.

I think your kitchen would look beautiful with only the top cabinets painted a warm white, maybe change a couple of the doors for glass inserts.

You'd still have the warmth of the oak, which goes well with the countertops, but the upper cabinets wouldn't look so heavy.

You could always the top cabinets first, decide if you want to stop there or paint the bottoms also.

Oy. Patricia stated that the 'white will soon be in the rearview mirror'. I hope it is not that soon, when I moved in a few years ago my cabinets were white and it is a frogawful bunch of work to do cabinet painting.

You're welcome Linelle.
Nancy, I'm a nut for wood. I even have folders full of photos of different species of wood on my old computer. I need to get them all transferred to thumb drives or get the cable I bought to connect my two together to work.

Totally agree with caroleoh ....
I think the reason most people hate oak is b/c its done in almost every builder basic kitchen with no frills.....if it's done right it really looks nice....like that Amish, old-style kitchen. I could really appreciate a kitchen like that.
Most people see pictures of white kitchens with all the bells and whistle and fall in love with that...well I don't necessarily think it's the white cabinets, b/c if they were builder basic white cabinets then it be just like those oak cabinets that everyone hates.
If you added the molding at the top of your cabinets like your inspiration kitchen and added a really nice back splash, your kitchen would look really warm and cozy.
I do agree with agree about the black appliances though, they seem to overwhelm the space.

I have red oak floors. The oil-based poly has turned them very golden. :) I adore them. They're warm and happy. I love the variety of grain patterns.

I have posted this before. Here is the kitchen of my daughter and SIL. The Before and After with orange oak.

Newhomebuilder, what did your daughter do to obtain the "after" picture? Is it just a matter of paint and new counters, or did she strip and refinish them? Very curious because I have some custom-built oak furniture that are a built TOO gold that I would like to take down a shade. Would love to hear about their process.

On a side note, I am one of those that hates knotty pine. Could be because I grew up in Minnesota lake country and every cabin had knotty pine on all walls and ceilings and every kitschy tourist shop trinket, so I associate it with "cheap." And, while I love wood furniture and floors, I hate wood all over the walls and ceilings. Again, I think it's a throwback to inexpensive cabins built along MN lakes that taints my view.

When DH and I moved into our current home 15 years ago I loved the big oak kitchen. It was 15 years old, but in decent shape, with some minor chipping of the tile counter and discoloration of the grout. No biggie.

But we eventually realized that the kitchen was laid out horribly, although there was lots of space it was poorly utilized. And while the exterior was in good shape, the actual cabinet boxes were poorly constructed and the drawer hardware was crap. It turns out that many of the ubiquitous oak cabinets installed in the '80s were pretty poor quality. So every time I see an oak kitchen now, it reminds me of that poor quality kitchen. And when I see a white kitchen I am reminded of the much more functional and sturdy white kitchen that replaced it.

I know it isn't fair to damn all oak kitchens for the sins of one, but I suspect this kind of experience has something to do with many folks' attitude.

Kees_Lover - Nothing was done to the cabinets. The original yellow paint on the walls, combines with the light bouncing off those walls, made the cabinets even more orangey looking. Different paint, new counter tops, hardware and stainless steel appliances completed the look.

Hope the new look is attractive enough for someone house hunting, because the kids are putting the house on the market on Monday morning.

It's all HOUSE FASHION ... it'll change in a year or so.

You should have your kitchen ... the way that appeals to YOU and YOUR family.

I like the way your kitchen looks (with the exception of the blue-legged table. If anything, I'd think about replacing that piece which something which fits into the oak wood theme.

I'd also look into getting some oak wood chairs for your kitchen table.

Next year it will be all the rage ...

I never have like oak, and it is the grain in particular that I find to busy and visually overstimulating.

Quartersawn/antique in a dull and darker finish doesn't bother me much. And for whatever reason oak floors don't bother me.

We painted our 1987 cabinets white and love them now. They looked just "fine" as they were, but painting them did give me a wider range of options for choosing other things in my kitchen in colors and having the look not fight the color of the oak. For me, the unpainted oak made the oak very prominent visually in the space, and the painted cabinets made the cabinets less imposing and less visually dominant in the overall space.

aegis500- you're the 2nd person to say they don't like the blue "table" and I'm starting to doubt my color choice. It's actually the Groland island from Ikea. I desperately needed the work space. I decided to paint because the unfinished wood was not that attractive and I thought the kitchen needed some color. I picked the color since I thought a less saturated blue would not hold its own next to the orange.

What color would you repaint it if it was in my inspiration kitchen??

If you like the color, I'd leave it. ;)

If it were mine, I'd probably paint it black or the color of your walls.

I think if you like the blue of the island worktable, you need to just add that color elsewhere in the room. If you notice in your inspiration pic, they have the turquoise color repeated several times in accents.

I think the color is a little bright, in your inspiration photo the color is a little more muted and a tad more green than blue.

I'd leave the table as is right now. Make your decision on the cabinets, countertops/backsplash. Get the changes you want to do now done, then look at the island color. You might find another accent color you like better. Plus if you do paint your cabinets, you might feel totally different about the color with white cabinets vs. oak.

I don't like the blue either, it's too bright. Here is a kitchen that almost has the same colors as you it's just tweaked a little and it makes it looks great. ...ignore the person who walked right in from of my shot that I was quickly trying to take before I was told not too...lol...it was a parade of homes. Your blue needs to be more muted like this blue.

newhomebuilders's photos remind me of a story.

Guy buys a house with an all pink bathroom. Everything in it is pink! One night he starts demo. Hauling out the sink and toilet to the curb. Next morning he finds nice bone colored fixtures at the curb. Turns out the only thing pink in the bathroom was the paint. It made everything else looks pink.

Wall color and window covering color makes a huge diff. in how other colors in a room are preceived. Mix orange and blue or green paint and you will get a brown grey color because they cancel each other out. Yet you will get some people that tell you that using colors oposite each other on the color will to make the colors pop. That only works if your working with matt colors with no reflective qualitys. I think the problem with your island is it doens,t look like it belongs there but if you need it you need it. I would try some of that color like they used it in your inspiration pics. splashes of the color with assesories here and there.

Regarding bright paints, an old wives' tale (well, my mother's tale at least) is that when you see a color you like, go at least 2-3 shades lighter.

This post was edited by patricia43 on Sat, Jun 14, 14 at 18:14

sundance, didn't there used to be a photo (inspiration perhaps) with a deeper blue island? That color was fine, a deep rich teal. The current table is a little chalky looking, almost like it was photoshopped in. Sorry, I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't think you were asking about it.

Thanks for the feedback. This was my first foray into saturated color. I do think it's a bit confusing because of the differing views on color pairings. Pick a color on the opposite side of the color wheel vs muddier colors etc.

linelle- I had a different picture on my other thread. I've attached it below. The kitchen gets a lot of light and it's hard to photograph at certain angles.

debrak2008- that made me laugh! the power of paint is amazing. Is that a true story?

In this light, I like the color of the table legs. Spreading that color around a bit would make your kitchen adorable.

And a little more on topic....

Several posters have mentioned that paint should only be used to cover shoddy workmanship or materials. That has left me a little confused as to my cabinets. They are definitely the dreaded "builder grade" that everyone has mentioned. They feel like particle board with a veneer?? I don't know anything about cabinets.

So.... would my cabinets seem cheaper if I paint them or would paint help cover up less than quality materials? They are 7 years old and the previous owner seems to have kept them clean and treated them gently. I am now confident that I can make either look work. I feel like either direction I go, they will seem cheap or like I'm putting "lipstick on a pig". I don't want to be confused for an HGTVer who wants caviar on a ramen noodle budget!

I value all of your opinions and I've gotten a lot of good perspectives on "orange oak".

As for that story, I think it is true. Read it in Finehomebuilding magazine. The back page of each issue has stories sent in by readers. That one I never forgot.

A little more that I remember..... I'm sure he was single, had a few too many beers one night. Came home and decided he couldn't stand the pink bathroom any more and started swinging away with a sledge hammer. Lots of regrets the next morning.

I assume he was single as I can't imagine a woman letting her drunk SO demo the bathroom late at night, LOL.

I think if it were suggested that paint was the sure sign of poor quality materials, a lot of owners of high-end painted kitchens would take to the streets with pitchforks.

I hate saying this, but it is what it is. If painted cabinets look fabulous, it doesn't matter what they looked like in a previous incarnation. Good looks are good looks.

Sundance, the picture just above gave me an idea: Danish Oil! The table needs a bit of depth to complement the chairs and island. You could use the walnut colour applied with a cloth rag & rubbed in.

Have you thought of adding seat cushions in a similar shade of turquoise? That might give everything a greater sense of continuity.

You can also give the cabinets & cupboards a rub down with the Danish Oil. I've done it before to "revive" the wood. It's a nice way to keep the natural wood if that's the route you decide to take.

Whenever someone talks about orange cabinets, I envision late 1960s to mid 1970s O R A N G E. That ultra "mod", high gloss stuff O_o ... One kitchen we had was a combo of that ever so magnificent orange and chrome yellow. It was...stimulating. I couldn't wait to get out of that kitchen. Never did dishes so fast. Wash, dried, put away in record time.

Yeah, the blue looks better in the new picture. I like what Locrian suggested. Going over it with a stain to antique it would look good.
I would definitely NOT paint your cabinets....you really need to work with what you got. The only thing I would do is maybe glaze or stain them to tone down the orange...
but really if you make the little details high end - like molding, back splash, accessories, lighting, cabinet hardware etc you could end up with a cute kitchen.
I think you can definitely work with the cabinets.

Do not paint those cabinets! That orangy oak is beautiful, expensive, tough as nails, and easy to clean.

You paint cabinets with paint when you have poorly stained and dark cabinets of cheap wood (plywood?) and varnish drips.

And the rest of your kitchen looks nice too.

I would have holpostered the chairs and painted the legs on that cutting table to match the blue in the curtains but the current scheme still looks good.

People painting oak, cherry, and other natural woods are mistaken in doing that. Doesn't make it look better and makes it harder to clean.

You paint particleboard or plywood, not good wood.

I think if you added crown moldings to the top of your kitchen it would be just as nice if not nicer than your inspiration picture. A few more turquoise items and maybe a new light over the sink and you have a finished lovely kitchen.
I darkened my nice quality natural oak cabinets and lately I sometimes wish I had not but for 6 years they did make me happier than the orange tones had. However, now I find myself liking pictures of natural oak and in you kitchen I like the light oak, orange undertones and all.

Sundance - At that angle, I like your blue, and I love your curtains. Add a few accent pieces around, and you are good to go!

It must be a generational thing. I'm 59.

We have oak kitchen cabinets and I think they look great. I can't BELIEVE it when people slap paint on quality, well-finished wood. To me, paint is cheap looking, easily smudged or peeled and reminiscent of times when people couldn't afford good wood - so they just painted their plywood cabinets over and over again.

We spent $$$$ two years ago installing solid plank flooring in our living room, dining room and hall. White oak with a clear finish. If DH hadn't strongly preferred carpet for bedrooms, I would have done them too.

Love the colour of the table in the second photo.
I would suggest changing the window coverings to something more substantial - same colour as the work table. That would 'balance' the room a little better.
Looking at the second photo - everything on the left side (cabinets) is dark & everything on the right side (white door, light walls & window covering) is light, leading to an imbalance.

Sundance, I know what lighting does when taking photos inside your home, so it never dawned on me that the table base was too bright. I'd still like it if were, but I'm with you NHB in thinking you need accessories in that color too.
If this were my kitchen, I'd paint the base of the other table, the pantry door and a few of the accessories the same color as the island base. I'd also buy another panel of the curtains, if you can still get them, and use them to make covers the chairs and a valence for over the sink.
I also think painting the walls behind the cabinets and the lower half of the dining area a warm brown would help tone down the "orange" you're seeing in the cabinets.

Wow! Thanks for that mock-up... so many little details! I don't know why, but I am so hesitant to paint the legs of the table- it's a $99 Ikea table, so it's silly feeling to have. I think it's because it has an acrylic lacquer and I've had a furniture painting project go bad before.

I don't think DH will go for a colored door :( He isn't very adventurous. You've given me a lot to think about! Many people have mentioned to upholster the chairs with the curtain fabric. The fabric is a lightweight cotton fabric. Is it still possible to use it as upholstery fabric?

to me, all colors including stains and paints are subject to time period popularity our first home (circa 1970) had white cabinets) a friends home in elementary school (circa 1958) had white cabinets and marble countertops, 2 homes from the later 70's had dark stain and
another home from the 90's had white cabinets our present home has white cabinets and our home being built will have white cabinets.....
and white woodwork with stained wood interior doors
you can stain your cabinets any color but the wood grain will be more prevalent on oak than most other woods

regarding the discussion on painted cabinets
our gc asked what kind of wood i wanted cabinets made out of
maple, beech, or oak
he suggested maple or beech since there is a very definite heavier grain in the oak which wouldn't be quite as attractive when painted
(according to him) the difference in prices were totally not of consequence
same questions were asked about the butcher block island countertop
i chose maple because i didn't want the heavier grain
if i had existing cabinets the discussion would not have come up...

I like the last mock-up, ... except for the fact that the blue table coloring reminds me too much of the coloring of machinist's tables, which are often painted blue.

I'm glad you liked the mockup Sundance. I wasn't sure about the door when I first did it, so I removed it and realized that I liked it better painted than not so I went ahead and shared that.
I have a brave husband. We have all sorts of doors in our home. From standard raised panels to pocket doors and quite a few in between. Though all are stained, the pantry door has chalkboard painted raised panels for the grandkids to use and for grocery lists. It comes in quite handy. I'm pretty sure you can get chalk paint in any color now.
I kept the paint program open with your picture just in case you didn't like the idea. I'll share your kitchen with the white door below.
As for painting the table legs. You could either sand the finish off, I happen to enjoy sanding and have done it quite often before, or follow the video instructions linked below. I have some, but have yet to try CitriStrip. The video is stripping paint, but it works on other finishes too.

I have been interrupted so many times I'm just going to send this while it's quiet here and hope it makes sense..

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Strip fFurniture

why? because they're orange. And they remind me of every kitchen in every crappy apartment I've ever lived in.

I wouldn't use the curtain fabric on the chairs. Too matchy matchy. I'd get either a stripe or small pattern fabric that screams the blue color of your table and curtains. I also think I'd put a coat of something on the island and table to darken them just a bit.

I personally don't particularly like the grain of oak (nor am I crazy about dark cherry or mahagony). However, I'm a sucker for pine, especially scrubbed pine (English, Scandinavian), fir, and light cherry.

This post reminds me of the time when I was in HS and my best friends father refinished all the woodwork in their 4 bedrm home. Many of the pieces had to be lowered out the window on ropes . Yes we were in the city. The entire summer the kids and dad stripped the layers of white paint off doors and window moldings,etc. as he wanted to remove all the layers of white paint (no water based products then) and make them wood stained. He removed every nicked up old beaten up painted piece of molding, every board, every door, had them set up across sawhorses out in the front yard, stripped them with paint remover, set them up to be washed, sanded and stained. The front yard was the only place he had room to safely do this job, it took all summer. The rest of us watched with awe because they would have the only home in the neighborhood without that terrible white woodwork. He put a light stain on the refinished wood, wow that grain was gorgeous , no idea what kind of wood. I love oak and any wood with a grain. Guess its what you grew up with and what you took from it. This was 1956.

I think it is all about not wanting something once it becomes overused and also wanting something different than what was trendy but now dated about your parent's home. It is all cyclical though.

When my folks bought their house in the early 80's the kitchen (original from the 60's) was sleek turquoise steel cabinets, formica countertop with chrome edge, some wild hippie yellow and orange wallpaper, and multicolored bright wall to wall CARPETING. The carpeting and wallpaper went right away and they saved to redo the cabinets. Some of the cabinets had rust inside and were lined with more hippie style contact paper to cover it up.

When they reconfigured and "upgraded" they went with the now passee golden oak raised panel cabinets and almond laminate counters. They also bought a lot of golden oak furniture from a local store that specialized in it to match. It is golden oak overload! It is still functional though and I don't think it makes sense to redo it just for looks. It is also no fun tearing apart something that you worked hard on and spent a lot of money on for no good reason. It is much easier when you move and you rip apart somebody else's hard work!

Funny thing is we were watching an HGTV show recently and saw a high end modern dream home with metal cabinets that looked exactly like the old blue steel ones. It looked really good and I much preferred it to the golden oak. There is still one upper cabinet hanging in the garage. It could be big money!

I also remember my grandma's farmhouse that had really beautiful high quality wood floors, trim, and built- ins. The type of quality that you don't see anymore. My mom said grandma was so thrilled when she covered up those floors in the 60s with wall to wall carpet! At least she never painted the woodwork.

molanic, your Mom's metal cabinets could have very well been Youngstown. That's what my Mom and many other homes in our fifties neighborhood had. Oh, I loved that kitchen. So many happy memories took place there. I remember my Mom being so proud of her modern kitchen!
Make sure to watch the video. It's a hoot!

Here is a link that might be useful: Youngstown Kitchens

This post was edited by justgotabme on Tue, Jun 17, 14 at 17:58

I've got orange pine cabinetry. I'm finding it isn't so much the woodwork but the flooring and the walls that can make the difference. Using a floor tile similar in color to the cabinetry will wash it all out and in some cases will make it look cheap. If you want to pop the woodwork, then use light grey, blue or green tones for your floor tiles. This will make the cabinetry seem fresh. Also an oil as a cleaner can brighten the colours of the wood work.