Are Wood Cabinets Outdated or Back In Style?

Are older oak, maple, & cherry cabinets making a comeback?

If you spend time on Instagram or Pinterest, you might notice a trend – wood kitchen cabinets. Darker woods, white oaks, maples; woody goodness is back and popping up on cabinets everywhere.

But wait one hot minute… don’t a lot of people already have wood cabinets in their kitchens, especially in homes from the 1990s and 2000s? Does this mean older cabinets are back in style?!

I’ll give it a solid…maybe, but probably not. 

If I put it in percentages, you have a 5-10% chance of your cabinets being up to the challenge of today’s standards…ish. And hey, 5-10% isn’t shabby if you happen to have that kitchen.

This isn’t an older kitchen that’s been updated – it’s bran-spankin’ new.

Did you notice the ‘ish’ mentioned above? Let me clarify that…

‘…ish’ means your kitchen can look REALLY REALLY GOOD, but won’t look 100% updated if you’re incorporating older, existing wood cabinets (with very few exceptions). And that’s okay.

Sometimes, when working with what you have, there’s an ‘ideal’ world that’s 100% on trend. But when that can’t exist due to budget, we have to find the next best thing. 

These tips and ideas can apply to bathroom vanities, too. 

Let me tell you, there’s nothing wrong with the ‘next best thing‘ if it saves you money and reduces waste. Most of us are on a budget (often a super tight one), and second best is often CONSIDERABLY better than where we are, even if it’s not where we want to be (if we had endless amount of money, time, and patience).

Just look at all of this woody goodness! These cabinets are fabulous.

Long story short, NO, your older wood kitchen cabinets won’t look updated, but I bet we can make ’em look pretty darn gorgeous.

But to know how to make them look more UPdated, we have to know what makes them look OUTdated.

WHAT MAKES WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS LOOK OUTDATED?

While often, it’s about the cabinets themselves (which we’ll get to shortly), some kitchens with wood cabinets look dated because of everything BUT the cabinets, for example…

• 12×12 tile flooring (often beige or warm gray/taupe blends).
• Travertine tile flooring or backsplash from the early 2000s. Don’t get me wrong, this can belong in a modern home, but it comes down to size, layout, and surrounding finishes.
• Outdated granite countertops.
• Laminate countertops that look like granite or were popular in home’s built in the 1990s.
• Cabinet hardware and lighting that are 15+ years old and leaning into a builder-vibe or Mediterranean/Tuscan-style.
• Approximately 3-4″ wood flooring with a reasonable sheen. Most common: Red oak or an exotic wood.

If you hope to keep your wood cabinets and want your kitchen to look reasonably updated, I can almost guarantee you need to update some, if not all, of the above (you’ll find ideas later in this blog post).

Updating your surrounding finishes can take a buttload (look it up, it’s a thing) of money, but it’s far less expensive than having to do all of that anyways, AND your cabinets. 

However, we can’t put all the blame on their surroundings, as sometimes it’s the cabinets themselves.

Let’s talk about some of the features that instantly date wood cabinets.

The Best Paint Colors with Red-Stained Woods

1. EXPOSED HINGES

While the odd curated/heritage kitchen may have exposed hinges, for the most part, an updated kitchen has no visible hinges.

Are exposed hinges a dealbreaker for a FULLY updated kitchen?

For the most part, yes, but again, sometimes we’re looking for the ‘next best thing’, as we can’t always manage (financially or emotionally) the ‘perfect’ update.

Check out this next woody bit of goodness…

Overall, the wood stain on the cabinets matches the flooring, and the door profile is doable. While the grain is strong, it’s not too wild and crazy.

But those damn hinges.

All the same, these cabinets are beautiful enough that a new countertop and backsplash update them nicely (this was approx. 8 years ago). This isn’t to say this kitchen looks 100% updated for today’s standards, but with that not being possible at the time, I’d say these were smart changes and great bang for buck.

HOW TO UPDATE THIS KITCHEN FOR TODAY’S TRENDS

Whether painted or not, the hinges are still showing up at the party (they were invited, unlike me, who shows up regardless). For this reason, I fully stand behind keeping them stained.

To help these wood cabinets look their best (without breaking the bank), I would…

• Update the backsplash to be white subway tile, rather than gray.
• Change the island paint color to a non-gray paint color. I might even do a soft black like Sherwin Williams Iron Ore.
• Install new pendant lights with white fabric shades – no clear glass for this color cowgirl.
• Add a washable runner or two.

Sure, I’d love if the microwave weren’t above the stove, but c’est la vie, which is French for – MOVING ALONG!

2. CATHEDRAL OR ARCHED/CURVED DOOR PROFILE

If your cabinet doors have a single or double-arch, it doesn’t matter what your stain or grain is; your cabinets won’t look fully updated until you have new doors. However, when remodeling on a budget (which most of us are – the world isn’t a perfect Pinterest page), sometimes you need a little wiggle room (with my booty, I need two extra rooms).

Let’s talk about this next kitchen…

• The stain color is totally workable and coordinates well with the wood flooring (rare).
• The granite is reasonably flexible, and there’s no backsplash to update.
• How about the curved door profile? You know, for the sake of everything sane and expensive to replace, it’s pretty low on my GAS (give a…) level.

While it won’t look like a new kitchen, I bet a better wall paint color will turn things around…

Sure, some ‘next level’ choices could be made, but if the question is, ‘Should we paint these cabinets?‘ for the above kitchen, the answer is a solid no from this color cowgirl – I love how it turned out.

3. AN OVERLY DETAILED DOOR PROFILE

If your cabinet doors have a ton of detail (including glazing), they will be harder to update. Of course, if your home is super traditional, this could be just what the Dr. ordered (along with a G&T and Ryan Gosling movie marathon). However, current kitchen trends for the average home are far less traditional.

This next kitchen is as detailed as you can get for today’s updated look. While it’s pushing its luck, if these owners wanted to keep their wood cabinets but update the countertop, backsplash, and wall color, I’d be on board, but there’s one thing holding me back…

The dark wood flooring.

Many people install new wood flooring, hoping to keep their wood cabinets, without properly coordinating their flooring.

Whether you like the existing stain color of your cabinets or not, your flooring color needs to lean into it…a lot. 

The dark wood flooring is more uncomfortable than Tim in thong underwear. For these cabinets to stay, the floor would have to change…which isn’t happening, so if you ask me, these cabinets need to be replaced or, ideally, painted.

Let’s say the flooring did coordinate with the above cabinets, how might we update this kitchen?

• If I’m on a budget, I’m removing the backsplash and the 4″ perimeter of granite countertop. Instead, I’ll find an off-white subway tile that matches one of the colors in the counter.
• If I can afford it, I’ll look at a new, warm quartz countertop with coordinating subway tile backsplash (or slab backsplash using the countertop material).
• Polished nickel hardware.

4. STAGGERED CABINET HEIGHTS

A kitchen with staggered cabinet heights indicates a design from the early to mid-2000s, as it’s not a feature installed in today’s kitchen.

As for this next space, the staggered height (and every other finishes) gives away its age…

However, regarding my last point about coordinating your cabinet’s stain with your flooring, look at how well it coordinates with the floor. They wouldn’t work together if the flooring were more brown, red, or lacking that lovely orange hue.

HOW DO WE UPDATE THIS KITCHEN FOR TODAY’S TRENDS?

Again, these ideas don’t involve robbing a bank; they’re about bang for buck.

• Remove the backsplash and the 4″ strip of vertical countertop. Replace it with a soft, non-white subway tile that matches a lighter color in the granite countertop.
• Replace the cabinet hardware with a simpler knob, probably in polished nickel for a lower contrast look.
• Paint the walls an off-white color that coordinates with the new backsplash.

Ideas to Update Your Wood Cabinets – PART 2

5. A STRONG WOOD STAIN (particularly, red)

Interestingly enough, while I won’t say that intense, red-stained wood cabinets are trendy, some darn beautiful kitchens can be designed around them.

The challenge with the red stain is that you need other wood stains to be consistent in your home.

This means your other wood finishes need a pink/red hue, and this isn’t a look many are going for, especially with their wood flooring.

For this reason, I say that a strongish wood stain can work, but more likely in a home with minimal wood finishes. This said, the most updated homes tend to have more wood than carpet or tile. Long story…long: a strong wood stain can be a tough sell.

This next kitchen with its red-stained maple cabinets is beautifully updated and is its ‘best self’…

Sure, ideally the wood stains would’t be so red, the floor wouldn’t have sheen, and the cabinets would go to the ceiling. But, with none of that being feasible, this kitchen looks fabulous as-is,

The stronger the stain color, the less likely it’ll look truly modern and updated, no matter the other details.

These next cabinets are FAR too red-toned for the flooring, which is why I was hired to come up with a new color in the NON-white world…

The Best Neutral, Earth-Toned Paint Colors

It can be hard to classify a wood stain as we tend to think of stains as ‘stains’ rather than ‘colors.’

If I were to explain the perfect medium-toned wood stain, I’d call it ‘brown.’ Not noticeably orange, yellow, or red – just brown.

6. A STRONG WOOD GRAIN

You won’t find many updated wood cabinets rocking strong grain patterns. At the most, you’ll see a finer grain, like a rift-cut oak or the smoother look of maple.

Soooo, when it comes to kitchen cabinets that look like these, the grain is pretty limiting…

On the other hand, look at this glorious beast of a kitchen (be still my beating friggin’ heart…)

The only dated detail of these cabinets is the small dentil molding on the crown.

The above cabinets are glorious. Whether you like a darker or lighter wood PERSONALLY isn’t a question – this is about the bones of these cabines, and daaaamn, they’re good.

Many are choosing a darker wood stain for their kitchen cabinets and islands (more so islands right now), making these cabinets an awesome contender for an updated look.

Have trends swung entirely to an ‘all darker wood kitchen’? Not quite yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we get there. 

NOW, LET’S UPDATE THIS BAD BOY…

If the above kitchen had a few updates, it would step into this decade…

• new quartz countertop in a lighter color, likely one from this blog post or this one
• coordinating backsplash
• updated hardware and wall paint color

Long story short, I’m not touching these babies with a lick of paint. But…everything else has to go.

Again, the chances of keeping your wood cabinets AND their surrounding finishes are slim. It’s more often the COMBO of finishes that kills a space.

How about these baddies – what do you think?

While the above cabinets and flooring are reasonably coordinated (even though the floor is a bit too yellow), the combo is so overwhelming and not doing either any favors.

Repeat after me…

Just because it’s wood doesn’t mean it’s good. 

I’ve been spouting that for 20 years and couldn’t WAIT to repeat it. And while the following picture is a bit fuzzy (I’m just grateful to get after photos), you can see this kitchen is breathing a sigh of relief with the painted wood cabinets…

I’d switch the cabinet hardware to a slightly softer profile and polished nickel, not chrome.

While the lighting between before and after is different (again, homeowners are rarely professional photographers), notice how the countertop, backsplash, and wood floors have room to breathe.

Ideas to Update Your Older Granite Countertops

99% of the images on my blog post are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, and friends – thank you for sending them in – REAL HOMES, REAL PEOPLE, REAL BUDGETS! 

WHAT MAKES AN OLDER WOOD KITCHEN LOOK UPDATED

If your cabinets have the right bones and you surround them with updated finishes, your kitchen could look darn close to updated.

Again, everyone wants the ‘ideal world’. But when working with what you have, along with a budget, this doesn’t always exist. 

This is the case with older wood cabinets. They rarely look 100% brand new, but they can certainly look like the next best thing short of breaking open your kid’s piggy bank.

Is today’s homeowner installing wood cabinets in this stain (orange)? No, not necessarily. However, the stain and grain are subtle enough, and the door profile allows some flexibility, meaning it can look reasonably updated with the right surrounding finishes.

So, let’s hit a few hot points before we finish this up…

1. COUNTERTOP

The best countertops with wood cabinets are usually those with white backgrounds. Granite or quartz countertops with heavy veining can look overwhelming with the grain of wood.

How to Update Outdated Granite Countertops

2. BACKSPLASH

While current trends include slab backsplashes, you can create a gorgeous, timeless look with subway tile that coordinates with your countertop.

3. FLOORING

If you’re updating your flooring with a wood or wood-look product, it HAS to coordinate. In otherwords your flooring should really pick up what your cabinets are throwing down – even if it’s not your favorite stain color.

I love these next maple cabinets. Sure, their stain color is intense (stronger than today’s kitchen trends), but I love their overall look, even with the slightly more detailed door profile…

HOWEVER, the flooring is a huge miss. If my client wanted to keep their wood cabinets (as the countertop and backsplash are PERFECTION), I would suggest updating the floor to pick up similar undertones—the purple hues of the current floor clash with the red-orange of the cabinets.

If you’re choosing a tile or vinyl product, pick your countertop first and coordinate from there.

How to Mix & Match Wood Stains

This next kitchen is a fabulous example of red oak cabinets that look absolutely amazeballs with new surrounding finishes…

Again, while most people aren’t installing wood cabinets with this red of a stain, it’s 100% doable for a remodel that keeps the cabinets intact.

How to Update Golden or Honey Oak Cabinets

ARE CHERRY WOOD CABINETS (STRONG RED OR ORANGE STAIN) IN STYLE?

Generally speaking, no: cherry, red, or red-orange wood cabinets aren’t trendy.

Can you make them work? You bet your cute little booty you can, using some of the above tips. But, as mentioned earlier, accommodating this stain color in your home’s other wood finishes can be the real factor that dates your home. But if you don’t humor your cabinet’s stain color, you risk it sticking out like a sore thumb.

CAN GOLDEN OAK CABINETS LOOK IN STYLE OR TRENDY?

Golden oak cabinets can look reasonably updated (not 100% on-trend, but the next best thing), as long as…

a) your door profile is reasonably simple and definitely not arched

b) you surround them with updated, trendy finishes, including an updated countertop, current or timeless backsplash, paint color, flooring, and hardware

c) the grain and stain aren’t obscenely overwhelming

d) ideally, no exposed hinges

ARE MAPLE CABINETS IN STYLE?

That’s a loaded question. Whether they look trendy or not depends on the door profile and details, for sure, but it also depends on their stain’s color and intensity.

Right now, oak is more popular than maple or cherry. However, white oak is pricey.

These next cabinets pick up a slight golden oak look with a bit more yellow-pink. Just look at the door profile; it’s awesome. Combined with a reasonably subdued stain color, this kitchen was a great contender for a trendy update.

The Best White & Off-White Quartz Countertops

My only hesitation with the above kitchen is that the strength of the cabinet’s stain overwhelms the wood flooring, which has a considerably browner hue. In this situation, the cabinets should be painted. However, if the flooring were more in-tune or if it were a coordinated tile, we’d be rollin’.

ARE DARK WOOD CABINETS TRENDY?

You know, this is an interesting topic, as they can be in the right situation…

• On a small scale (e.g., lower cabinets or island)
• Your home’s particular style suits them, but not many homes are there yet, but I do think we’re getting there!

As for undertones, if your dark wood cabinets have a stronger red-purple undertone (common in dark cabinets), they are less likely to look updated.

You have to be SO careful of woods with a gray wash (cabinets and flooring).

These next dark wood cabinets have a purple undertone, and their surrounding finishes don’t help them move forward…

However, if your cabinets are more of a ‘dark brown or brown-black’ with no dominant hue, well, they might make a run at it. For example, here’s a sample of the wood stain my client is using on her new kitchen design (for the island)…

The above combination is beautiful. While I might go for a slightly darker floor, I love how the veins in the countertop connect with the darker wood stain.

What’s Better – Quartz or Granite Countertops?

READ MORE

6 Ideas to Update Your Wood Kitchen Cabinets (PART 1)

Update Oak Kitchen Cabinets Without a Drop of Paint (PART 2)

The Best Hardware to Update Kitchen Cabinets (PART 3)

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Updated for content and images for 2026