How to make oak kitchen cabinets look modern – Without Fuss!

by Keren Dinkin

July 20, 2022
oak kitchen cabinets

Wondering How to Make Your Oak Kitchen Cabinets Look Modern Without any Fuss? 

When one thinks of oak, the words which come to mind are solid, heavy, long-lasting, or old-fashioned. Chances are, if you inherited your home from your parents or bought a house built sometime in the 90’s or earlier, the kitchen has oak cabinets. You may be asking yourself….How to make oak kitchen cabinets look modern?

Now, your first instinct may be to tear down all that beautiful wood and turn your kitchen into a shiny, metallic modern-day space. And why wouldn’t you? After all, oak does not scream modern, contemporary or stylish. 

But wait. What if we let out the secret on how to make oak kitchen cabinets modern without fuss, or investing too much money? 

With a few clever changes, you can easily create your modern kitchen with oak cabinets.

In this article, we will highlight both pocket-friendly and slightly more pricier ideas to update kitchens with oak cabinets, and totally transform your cooking space with minimal fuss.

In fact, some of our tips don’t even involve touching the cabinet! Intrigued? Well, keep your imagination open and read on! 

“My Top Tips for making your old Oak Cabinets more Modern”

    1. A Fresh Coat of Paint.
    2. Add a Stained Finish.
    3. Upgrade the Cabinet Hardware.
    4. Upgrade the Countertops.
    5. Add Glass to the Cabinet Doors.
modern oak kitchen cabinet

Why Do You Need to Make Old Oak Kitchen Cabinets Look Modern?

Before we tell you how to make your oak kitchen cabinets look contemporary, let’s briefly remind ourselves why oak is such a great material and why grandma’s oak kitchen cabinets should be saved rather than that full kitchen remodel.

Oak has numerous features which make it perfect for furniture and fittings. Some of these include:

  • Oak is a durable hardwood and will last forever 
  • It comes in several attractive wood grains, giving your cabinets a beautiful finish
  • Does not warp when exposed to sunlight
  • Is well-resistant to water
  • Does not wear and tear easily 
  • Lends itself well to stains and polishes 

Convinced? 

Then on to the next step. 

It’s easy to pull down old stuff and replace it with new, especially if you don’t mind the cost. But simple changes can give you the same results as spending a ton of money in totally revamping your kitchen. All you have to do is look around and find inspirational ideas such as these: 

20 Great Ideas to Make your Oak Kitchen feel Modern

  1. Give your oak cabinets a fresh coat of paint
  2. Paint some portions of the wood cabinets
  3. Clear the clutter 
  4. Change your wall colour 
  5. Update kitchen backsplash tiles
  6. Change grout lines colour
  7. Upgrade the kitchen hardware 
  8. Change the style of the basin faucet
  9. Upgrade the countertops
  10. Change the lighting
  11. Change window drapes
  12. Upgrade appliances to match the new style
  13. Add a stained finish
  14. Add glass to cabinet doors
  15. Add crown moulding and valances
  16. Choose the right home decor
  17. Distract with a focal point
  18. Remove the upper wood cabinets
  19. Try Open Shelving
  20. Upgrade to modern-looking Furniture

Let us see how these 20 ideas can help you in updating your kitchen and giving your oak kitchen cabinets a new, modern setting. 

how to make oak kitchen cabinets look modern

1. A Fresh Coat of Paint

“Paint Your Old Oak Cabinets In Neutral Shades To Modernise Them”.

Painting your traditional oak cabinets is the simplest option if you want a completely modern-looking kitchen without any wood on display. You can choose to go the classic way by painting cabinets black, grey, or white. 

Or you can opt for more subdued and neutral shades like pastel greens and neutral browns. Pastels give a warmer hue to the cooking space and work best if you are looking for a country-chic vibe. 

Note: If you choose to paint your cabinets, remember to sand them properly. Else, you’ll end up getting the grainy finish of the wood which doesn’t look good up close.

Or you can opt to paint your kitchen cabinets without sanding to save some time and money.

paint a portion of a cabinet

2. Paint A Portion Of The Cabinet

“Paint Some Portions To Create A Contrast”.

If you are not against having some wooden units in your kitchen, you can try painting only a few key units of your cabinets instead of the whole thing. This will create a beautiful contrast and change the vibe of your cabinets.

You can try to pair oak cabinets by painting your upper cabinets and leave the lower ones in their natural colour, or paint only the lower ones. According to the layout of your cabinets, you can paint only some parts to best bring out the warm hues of the oak in your painted cabinets.

If you don’t feel like going through the hassle of sanding and painting, we have more ideas on how to make oak kitchen cabinets look modern without paint.

Get rid of the clutter

3. Clear The Clutter

“Clean The Kitchen, And Let Your Cabinets Breathe”.

Have you noticed the amount of difference a simple task like clearing the mess can bring to a room? It instantly makes the room feel bigger and better. 

Oak cabinets are already the loudest things in your kitchen and with all the clutter and mess surrounding it, they will stand out even more.

So give your kitchen a good clean, take that wet towel and wipe off your counters, clean even in the little grooves of your cabinet, and reduce the number of unwanted things on the countertop. All this new space will make the oak cabinets a little less overwhelming.

Dedicate a storage area or mudroom for things like backpacks, coats, and sports equipment so they don’t end up on the kitchen counters.

Oak kitchen painted walls

. Change Wall Color

“Change The Color Of Kitchen Walls To Open Up The Space and create a Modern Kitchen”.

Paint your kitchen walls in simple, clean, and neutral lighter color. They will open up the space and make your kitchen feel bigger, negating the overpowering oak tones. 

Choose colors that’ll neutralize the yellow-orange reflection of your cabinets. If you observe the color wheel, you’ll find that colors with undertones of purple and grey will minimize the orange in the oak cabinet.

Also, the reflecting light from oak cabinets can make your colors appear different from what they are. So always patch test the colors before you paint the entire wall.

how to make old oak kitchen look modern

5. Update Backsplash Tiles

“Change Your Backsplash Tiles To Add A Modern Feel”.

If your backsplash tiles are outdated or don’t go well with all the new changes, consider upgrading them. Look for neutral color tiles with unique patterns to create a visual distraction and tone down the orange of the oak. Experiment with geometric patterns or shapes.

Try to take the tiles up to the ceiling or to the underside of the cabinets to create an impact. This will only work with selected kitchens but when it does work, it looks amazing. 

 

modern oak kitchen backsplash

6. Grout Color

“Paint The Grout To Give It A Newer Feel”.

Grout is the first thing to get dirty, especially if you have a light-colored one. Paint the grout to refresh the look or to create a contrast with the tiles.

If you have changed the backsplash tiles as we suggested earlier, paint the grout in colors that’ll synchronize with the tile pattern. Black always goes well with light-colored tiles. 

Fresh looking tiles automatically create a crisper look and your oak cabinets will blend right in when the look is that sharp. 

oak kitchen upgrade hardware

7. Upgrade The Hardware

“Replace The Door Knobs And Handles With Something New”.

Most of the old oak cabinets come with bulky handles or boring knobs. Just switching those for new handles will give a modern look to the cabinets. So how to choose cabinet hardware?

Go for long slim handles either in black or silver to give your cabinets a makeover. Along with being modern, it should also be something you like and is convenient to use. 

You can also forego the hardware altogether by using push hinges, for that clean and ultra-modern look

new faucet in oak kitchen

8. Change The Style Of The Basin Faucet

“Upgrade Your Age-Old Faucet For A Quick Fix”.

Faucets attract attention from across the room. Swapping your old faucet for something modern and unique will automatically upgrade the feel for a modern kitchen. 

You can go for a matte, all-black faucet which plays well with a white countertop and of course the oak cabinets. 

There are a range of faucets in every style, color, and metal and for all price ranges, available in the market today. 

oak kitchen backsplash new

9. Upgrade The Countertops

“Get Basic Colors And Patterns For Your Countertops”.

Countertops play a large influence on the look of the oak cabinets. 

Oak grain is already too busy so you want your countertop to be subtle and muted. Choose something like basic white or dark tops with a basic pattern to create that modern kitchen look. The combination of a simple countertop with warm oak is a winner and an easy upgrade for your kitchen. 

Here is a good guide to choosing the right countertop for your kitchen.

led lighting in oak kitchen

10. Change The Lighting

“Upgrade The Overall Tone Of Your Kitchen with Lighting”.

Throw out the outdated pendant lights, wall lights, and chandeliers. 

Instead get simple, sophisticated light fixtures that have a sleek, understated and modern feel. If you are feeling bold you can even experiment with unique, quirky pieces to match your adventurous personality.

Correct lighting can not only bring out the honey-warm hues of your oak cabinets, but help you see them in a different light altogether. Literally! 

oak kitchen with modern drapes

11. Change Window Drapes

“Get Different Curtains for Your Kitchen Windows”.

You’d be surprised at how effectively curtains and drapes can modernize an old fashioned kitchen. Plus, it’s a relatively inexpensive way to keep experimenting. Try an  all white fabric, or pastels, or geometry patterns. 

And you know what works beautifully with oak cabinets, enhancing their old- world charm but retaining a touch of modern minimalism? Bamboo blinds or pull down drapes. 

Do stay away from lace and floral patterns though. Paired with solid oak cabinets, these will take you back to living in the Victorian era!

oak kitchen new appliances

12. New Appliances

“Upgrade to Sleek, Modern Appliances”.

This may sound costly, but check how many of your appliances actually do need an upgrade. If it’s been more than a few years, go all out and replace them with sleek steel or glass- finished modern designs.  All white appliances also go particularly well with oak cabinets.  

staining oak kitchen

13. Add A Stained Finish

“Give Your Oak Cabinets A New Stained Finish”.

Staining a cabinet allows your kitchen to break away from the honey oak cabinets. It adds some beautiful elements, while keeping the natural wood grain intact. 

You can opt for a darker strain, or sand the cabinets down for a lighter stain. The more subtle the stain is, the lighter and modern it becomes. Choose a stain that gives a matte finish to the cabinets instead of a regular glossy one. It’s more muted and in trend. 

Note: You have to diffuse the honey color of the oak cabinetry. So, choose a stain that tones down this warm hue for a more elegant finish like maple cabinets.

oak kitchen glass doors

14. Add Glass

“Replace Some Wooden Doors With Glass”.

Replacing a few wooden cabinet doors with glass will relieve some visual weight of the oak wood. It will break the flow and add a reflective value making your kitchen look bigger and lighter. 

Consider changing a few of the upper cabinets by adding a glass front. Use this to show off your cookbooks or designer crockery. Nothing beats glass in modernizing oak cabinetry.

home decor in oak kitchen

15. Right Home Decor & Accessories

“Add Some Classy Decor Pieces To Accentuate Modern Vibes”.

Think of some minimalist decor pieces and accents for your kitchen cabinets, to emphasize the modern vibe. A few small potted plants or succulents will also do the trick.  Stay away from heavy, bulky plants or accessories, as these do not pair well with oak cabinets. 

oak kitchen with crown moulding added

16. Add Crown Moldings Or Valances

“Make Your Cabinets look Customized with Crown Moldings or Valances”.

Crown moldings go on the top of the kitchen cabinets, defining the cabinets and making them more of a focal point, all the while giving the illusion that your oak cabinets were specially designed! 

Valances on the other hand are used as decorative accents to bring together all the kitchen woodwork harmoniously. The addition of valances also give your oak cabinets the illusion of having been custom built for the kitchen. 

oak kitchen with colorful wall

17. Distract With A Focal Point

“Add A Unique Piece Of Decor Or Furniture To Tone Down The Oak”.

The orange hue of oak cabinets is too loud and needs to be distracted from. Adding in bold, visual focal points serve the purpose, so add in a colorful rug, or a vibrant painting. 

Or you could choose a color or palette of colors to repeat in your kitchen decor. Such as pale yellow curtains, a pale green potted plant and cream-colored countertops. Use these colors in linens, curtains, and other accessories to maintain the flow.

oak kitchen with top cabinbets removed

18. Remove Some Upper Cabinets

Reduce The Amount of Oak.

Removing some of the upper cabinets and leaving a few to let your walls breathe, will lessen the overpowering nature of oak cabinets.  This also serves to draw more attention to other parts of the kitchen, giving it all a lighter feel and vibe. 

oak kitchen with floating shelves

19. Try Open Shelving

“Install Some Floating Shelves And Display Your Crockery Collection”.

Open Shelving is a key aspect of modern kitchens. It allows the room to breathe and even allows you to showcase the modern backsplash or your wall color. 

Take down those extra oak cabinets and install floating shelves instead. 

If you are a clean freak and don’t like dust accumulating on your utensils, use open shelves for storing things that you rarely use.

oak kitchen modern furniture

20. Upgrade Your Furniture

“Replace Wooden Pieces With Sleeker Furniture”.

Add some contemporary furniture to emphasize the modern theme of your kitchen. A couch, side table, dining tables and chairs- anything will do. Just choose cleaner, minimalist lines for your furniture. 

Conclusion:

Oak cabinets don’t have to look outdated. With some great ideas and a little work, you can modernise your kitchen while still retaining the cabinets. So, if you are planning to renovate your house and have oak cabinets in the kitchen, consider working with them, instead of without.

If your plan is to renovate your kitchen, then consider re painting your oak kitchen cabinets. We have a full guide on how to paint kitchen cabinets without sanding.

You can also replace or re paint your existing countertops to enhance your kitchen as well as adding or changing your backsplashes.

Keren Dinkin

Keren is an accomplished, skilled and creative content writer with more than 5 years of progressive experience writing blogs and articles on various topics for different brands and websites. Writing is her passion and she's blessed to be able to do it for a living.

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About

Keren is an accomplished, skilled and creative content writer with more than 5 years of progressive experience writing blogs and articles on various topics for different brands and websites. Writing is her passion and she's blessed to be able to do it for a living.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a product through this site. You can read our Affiliate Disclosure in our privacy policy.

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