19 Different Ways Getting Rid of Honey Oak Can Modernize Your Home

Gain inspiration with these painted and stained oak projects that will help love your home again. In this list, we will show you 19+ different projects we have done in our home to help get rid of that 90s honey oak.

collage of images of home DIY projects on honey oak cabinets, railings and molding.

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Ultimately, these DIY projects allowed us to cheaply modernize and update our home without completely tearing it all out. From painting cabinets to railings you can change the look while staying on budget. For those of you who are saying, “Not The Oak”, this was construction-grade orange 90s oak.

Our 90s House

collage of orange oak cabinet, lighting, railings and trim.

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 condition. I actually don’t mind the look and color of them.

Will oak trim come back in style?

I do not have a glass ball, but my guess is “No”. While oak is in style, the honey-orange stain of the 1990s is not. All houses built in the past 30-year time span will need to be upgraded or modernized in some way.

Have you seen any new construction with honey oak in it? I know that I have not. While I do feel that more light and natural woods will be making a comeback, the construction-grade honey oak that was all over my house will not be back in style.

This Bob Vila article discusses how honey oak kitchen cabinets can really make your house look dated. Other articles have mentioned oak as possibly coming back, but they are not referring to our old orange oak.

How to get rid of the oak color (not replacing it)?

There are times when you can completely update the look of oak in the home by changing the items around the oak. And other times, if you want to keep existing cabinets, molding, and trim, then updating with paint or stain is your best bet.

Let’s be honest, I am always looking for the cheapest and easiest way to modernize our home. Sanding old items and replacing oak banisters and cabinets isn’t easy or cheap!

How to get rid of oak grain before painting?

Before painting cabinets, you can apply a grain filler like Aquacoat. According to our research, it is what all cabinet painters recommend to get a smoother finish.

We have never used this product and you can see what our kitchen cabinet makeover looks like now. If you don’t mind the texture the grain gives off after painting, skip this step.

zoomed in view of orange oak cabinets and drawers.

How To Paint Oak Cabinets, Trim and Doors

Here are the basic steps (if not using chalk paint) we have taken for the painting projects in this list. You can click on each individual image below for the specific tutorial.

Lightly sand the wood with extra-fine sandpaper. This is only to rough up the surface.
Use a deglosser to wipe down the oak.
Tape any areas out that you do not want to get primed and painted.
Use a stain-blocking primer.
Use a latex enamel paint like Sherwin Williams ProClassic, SW Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel (our new favorite) or this Behr paint we have used in our projects.
2-3 coats may be needed to achieve your desired look.
Let the paint cure before adding hardware (like these awesome large handles used in our bathroom vanity), moving furniture, or letting kids bang it with their toys (obviously, we have had that happen before).

We have always used Sherwin Williams latex primer and have been very happy. Some people will say that you must use an oil-based primer to help stop the grain bleeding. Most of the time, I can’t stomach the smell or have even been pregnant while painting so the latex primer is my best bet.

18 DIY Projects For Your Honey Oak

charcoal blue stair railing with white spindles.

Paint Your Oak Railing & Banister To Modernize Your Stairway

Do you know how expensive new railings and banisters cost? If you are like us, you have an oak banister that does the trick of keeping everyone safe, but just needed to be updated. You don't want to miss this two-toned railing that is now clean and modern looking.

black and white painted oak stair rail and banister on steps.

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.

hand holding paint brush with primer on it and part of oak mantel painted white.

Paint Your Mantel

A bright white mantel can update your living room with this easy fireplace makeover. The good news is that you probably have the supplies on hand from your other oak painting projects.

white baseboard trim molding on oak floor with gray walls.

Easy Tips For Painting Trim White

Your trim and moldings can get a complete makeover with the right primer and paint. Get all our tips for how to easily paint your molding white.

DIY white built-ins along basement wall under television.

Paint Your Doors and Columns White

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.

oak light with circle bulb and after painted light.

Paint An Oak Light Fixture

Did you know that you can even paint those old oak vanity lights. This is such a quick and easy way to update a vanity light fixture without having to purchase a completely brand new one.

90s Oak Cabinet Makeovers

Paint, gel stain and changing hardware can all make a difference when modernizing your home.

before and after bathroom makeover with arrow pointing.

Bathroom Vanity Cabinets So They Last

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.

tricorn black painted bathroom cabinets with black and white accent wall and part of gold mirror.

Repaint Oak Bathroom Vanity Cabinets Black

The best part about paint is that you can easily change the colors if your style changes. These construction-grade orange oak cabinets look a lot more modern in this nice black color.

Gel Stain Your 90s Cabinets

Yes, we have painted these 1992 oak cabinets, but we have also experimented with other materials. You don't always have to paint the honey oak to update the look of your cabinets. See the finished gel stained cabinets in our hallway bathroom.

whitewashed oak cabinet door in bathroom vanity.

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.

kitchen with oak cabinets labeled before and painted white kitchen cabinets label after.

Paint Oak Kitchen Cabinets White

Finally, paint those construction-grade oak cabinets. These white painted cabinets surely brightened the whole kitchen to create a modern look on a budget! Adding a new light fixture sure helped, too!

Repainted White Kitchen Cabinet Blue green

Repaint Painted Kitchen 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.

DIY green painted cabinets with upper white painted cabinets

Painted Two-Toned Kitchen Cabinets

You can see how repainting already-painted oak cabinets is another way to update your space several years later. We love how this DIY kitchen painting project turned out.

Not Painting The Oak

The bathroom and kitchen below show 2 examples of how to work with your oak cabinets or fixtures.

oak kitchen cabinets in modern looking kitchen makeover.

Tone Down Orange Oak Cabinets With A New Color Scheme

Adding a bright white color scheme updates this kitchen without tearing out all the oak cabinets. We just love it when you can think outside the box to modernize your home.

white and black small bathroom with gold mirror.

Add A Fun Accent Wall Around Oak Fixtures

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.

Furniture Makeovers

Don't throw away that old furniture. Get inspired with a few projects you may want to tackle.

DIY Furniture makeover becoming a Children's Wardrobe for dress-up clothes

Repurpose An Old Piece of Oak (or like oak) Furniture

You won't believe what this finished wardrobe looked like after this furniture makeover. Not to mention, this piece of furniture was found at the end of someone's driveway for FREE!

gel stained drawers and painted dresser with brass hardware.

DIY Midcentury Modern Dresser Makeover

This midcentury modern dresser was updated with gel stain and a DIY chalky paint recipe. This is such a fun & easy way to redo furniture.

3 different images of dressers painted with different colored chalk paint.

DIY Chalked Paint Recipe

Need more furniture makeover inspiration. Add fun colors and accents by cheaply redoing furniture with our DIY chalky finish paint recipe and tips. P.S. We still love the fun hardware used on this upcycled furniture piece.

finished file cabinet on wheels with blue and white contact paper on drawers on oak floor.

DIY File Cabinet Makeover With Contact Paper

This file cabinet wasn't even made out of real oak. However, the compressed wood was probably still called oak color. This DIY file cabinet makeover was such a fun way to repurpose and modernize. We used this fun geometric contact paper and white spray to complete the new look.

More DIY Inspiration

11 Bathroom Vanity Makeover Ideas: Check these amazing contemporary cabinet colors out!
DIY Projects Using Our Favorite Stain Color
20+ Easy Accent Wall Ideas To Help Modernize Your Home

What is your favorite way to update a space? I guess I have to say mine probably involves painting (and I am happy that these painting projects really did upgrade the oak in our home). We love that we were able to modernize our home by painting and staining the existing honey oak.

8 Comments

Judy hardison says:

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I personally don’t find any well done stained wood ugly especially oak. I find painting oak a crime and will never paint it. Now pine yes I will paint that in a heartbeat.

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Judy. I am glad you love your oak. I won’t have minded if it wasn’t stained the honey oak color on construction-grade cabinets and more. We love how much we were able to update our home. I know not everyone would agree, but it is fun to have our own style. And yes, we always paint pine or get better wood if we are staining it.
  
Alicia Hursley says:

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We bought a house a few years ago that seemingly took out an entire forest of oak trees to complete the kitchen! I can’t wait to get the door replaced, and get to work painting the rest. Thanks for sharing.

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Alicia. Yes, you can always replace the doors or paint that oak if they are in good enough shape.
  
Kate says:

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I loathe honey oak. I have a very strong dislike for it. I’m currently renting and my kitchen floor and cabinets are honey oak and I swore up and down that the next house I buy will not have honey oak in it. Countless photos of friends and family have been ruined because the glowing gold color emanating from the kitchen casts a terrible yellow on everyone.

Well here I am, putting in an offer on a home built in ‘94 that is dripping in honey oak. Doors, cabinets, trim, stairs…you name it, it’s all honey oak. It’s a gorgeous home with a beautiful landscaped yard, it’s just the honey oak has spread like a virus through the house. I will do everything in my power to destroy that golden color. It’s either being ripped out or painted over, I haven’t decided.

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Kate. Congrats on your new house! It sounds like our house. While it would be nice to start completely fresh without any honey oak, it definitely was way cheaper to paint everything. Good luck with your DIY painting projects!
  
Hope says:

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Hate to tell you, but oak is coming back! It’s a bit darker, but it’s oak. Saw it recently in houses in a new homes showcase. That being said, I just finished painting all of mine white and Im not sorry!

1. Erin says:
  
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  Hi Hope. Yes, we actually really love white oak right now. I don’t think the honey oak that our 90s house had all over is what is being added to hosue now. I am happy you love your fresh white painted trim and other oak in your home. We are also happy to have update the 80-90s oak, but it doesn’t mean we won’t be adding some different wood finishes to our house in the future!