Yes, we would all love a new home with new features, but unfortunately, that isn’t always feasible. However, with a little imagination and DIY, you can love your 90s home that is filled with all sorts of honey oak.
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Ultimately, these DIY projects allowed us to cheaply modernize and update our home without completely tearing it all out. You can change the look from painting cabinets to railings while staying on budget. For those of you who are saying, “Not The Oak,” this was construction-grade orange 90s oak.
Our 90s House
Here are a few before images of our 90s home.
The orange oak definitely gave off a dated vibe. We still have honey oak wood floors that will eventually be updated due to their wear and tear condition for 30 years. I actually don’t mind their look and color.
Our Fav Ideas To Upgrade Honey Oak
PAINTING – Try painting your walls first or some of the items before completely painting all the oak.
CHANGING THE DECOR – Add a modern geometric patterns or fun colors when decorating.
ADDING MODERN ELEMENTS – Find new modern hardware or light fixtures for a completely fresh look.
Oak We Love
We love a white oak or wide oak plank floor. We have experimented with stripping the old gel stain and trying to whitewash our oak. Honestly, I love this beachy look now.
Ten years ago, painting the woodwork was all the rage. Now, I would consider whitewashing the honey oak railings and cabinets to keep the wood look.
How to get rid of oak grain before painting?
If you decide to paint your oak cabinets, here are a few things to note.
You can apply a grain filler like Aquacoat. According to our research, all cabinet painters recommend it to get a smoother finish.
A brush and roller can achieve a smooth finish, but a sprayer would give you the best finish.
Take your time with the prep work. It really does matter.
RECOMMENDATION
If you need help finding a paint color, consider peel-and-stick paint samples that can be mailed directly to your door.
12 Budget DIYs To Upgrade Your 90s Oak
1
Remove All Stain
Instead of replacing these once gel stained honey oak cabinets, we stripped the stains to get the bare wood showing for a driftwood look.
By using a modern, but classic color scheme, open wood shelving can help decorate a space with oak flooring and cabinets. Add a mix of funky decor and you have a completely fresh look.
Adding a white transparent layer to a classic honey oak bathroom cabinet was exactly what this bathroom needed. Once we were able to strip down the stain and sand the cabinets we were able to truly reveal our love of oak. This is the DIY project we would do in 2024 instead of trying to paint honey oak!!
Easily (re)Paint Your Stair Handrail & Banister Black
Yes, this is the same stair railing but with a more modern and classic color scheme. The white-painted spindles were in great shape so it was a pretty easy painting project.
This budget basement makeover is perfect to see how you can still keep some of the oak while updating cabinets, closet doors and columns with white paint. Gain amazing DIY inspiration not only about modernizing the doors and columns but also great organizational tips.
Tone Down Orange Oak Cabinets With A New Color Scheme
Adding a bright white color scheme, matte black hardware and modern black fixtures upgraded this kitchen without tearing out all the oak cabinets. We just love it when you can think outside the box to modernize your home.
Do you have oak cabinets that need a refresh or a new look? Again a new bathroom vanity can be very expensive, but updating your old one doesn't have to be. See how this bathroom vanity looks completely brand new with a little paint and new hardware.
We are huge fans of black and white color scheme with oak cabinets. But there are also many more great colors to consider painting your walls like Hale Navy, Sage Green and more. Take your time and pick a color scheme that fits your style.
Keep The Oak Flooring And Add A Fun Color To Your Cabinets
Not only can you get rid of the honey oak cabinets, but if you can also "re-modernize" painted cabinets by repainting a new on-trend color. We absolutely love what our bottom kitchen cabinets look like now.
Instead of painting this oak light fixture, everything else was painted to give a modern feel. The powder room makeover was a super fun DIY project to take on.
Whether you end up getting custom counters or an premade vanity top like this image, adding a modern twist can make the world of difference in your kitchen or bathroom.
From adding new light fixtures to new cabinet hardware, you can upgrade your oak by changing your decor. We love this capiz shell chandelier for its warmth and coastal feel and how it modernizes any space.
Erin Nutter is the DIY enthusiast, writer and photographer behind TheDIYNuts.com. She loves sharing her passion for do-it-yourself projects along with her husband, Eric. As an artist, mother, and lover of all things DIY she hopes to inspire you to be creative to make a life and home you love.
Great tips! This helps a lot with our upcoming home remodeling in Logan. Thanks for sharing!