Painted Wood Kitchen Cabinets: Real Home Before & After’s

Will painting wood cabinets devalue them? Will painted cabinets hold up to wear and tear? Which is best for resale? You’ll learn the answers to these questions (and more) while checking out some before-and-after photos of my clients who decided it was time to paint their old wood cabinets.  

Whether painting your wood kitchen cabinets makes you twitch with fear or twerk with glee, the reality is that many wood cabinets look more updated and modern with a few fresh coats of paint. As I like to say…

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

Because trust the little Ginger, if you send me photos of your wood cabinets and I think they’re good, I’m sure as heck gonna tell you. 

To get you going, I’ve put together a collection of before-and-after photos showing painted wood kitchen cabinets! 

By the way, if you want to paint your cabinets and aren’t sure which color is best, I have an awesome Online Cabinet Paint Color package.

This way, I can spend some personal time with your space, helping your kitchen look its best on whatever budget you have—I can even help you decide whether to keep your cabinets wood or paint them!

Now, let’s get you INSPIRED!

IDEA #1: UPDATING MAPLE OR CHERRY (RED) STAINED WOOD CABINETS WITH ARCHED DOORS

Between the blue walls, outdated granite countertop from the early 2000s, and the tile floor, the cabinets in this next kitchen were fighting for their lives. Thankfully, the arch on the cabinet door is modest, and there aren’t any exposed hinges, making it a solid contender for paint.

Now, my client could’ve slapped a fresh coat of paint on the walls (a lighter, simpler neutral), and things would have looked drastically different, but she wanted a bigger change, and I was game to give it to her…

She chose the perfect counter stools and new light fixtures for this space.

To save on the budget, we kept the beige tile floor and the original Santa Cecilia granite countertop, giving the room a new look with fresh cabinets and wall paint.

How to Update Older Granite Countertops Without Replacing Them

DID PAINTING THESE CABINETS ADD ANY VALUE?

Absolutely. The red tone of these cabinets looked outdated, especially considering the arched profile of the doors  – this look ain’t comin’ back. It also wasn’t the best stain color for the granite countertop. 

And please understand that I can’t give ALL the colors away, Online Color Consulting is how I support my family! I offer as much helpful content as possible, with over 550+ BLOG POSTS for you to learn from (type one or two words into my SEARCH and see what comes up!).

I disclose the color choices on over 85% of my projects! 

Ideas to Update Older Granite Countertops

IDEA #2: UPDATING CHERRY (RED) TONED WOOD CABINETS

This kitchen was fun. I asked my Instagram followers whether they’d keep these wood cabinets stained or painted, and the results were almost 50/50!

The best and first thing my client did was update the backsplash to an off-white subway tile – this is one of the most budget-friendly, bang-for-buck updates, regardless of whether you stain or paint your cabinets. 

Some of my Instagram crew loved the wood-on-wood look, while others felt overwhelmed by the stain’s strength compared to the floor. Others thought painting JUST the island was all this kitchen needed.

Do you want to know what I THINK?

If the stain/grain of these cabinets and wood floor were more modest, I bet this kitchen would still be stained, but it sure as heck isn’t now!

6 Signs Your Wood Cabinets Might Be Outdated

Notice how wicked pretty the wood floor looks—it can finally breathe and has a paint color to play with! And while I would throw an accent color on that pantry door (maybe a dark greige), overall, the space looks awesome. By the way, we kept the island stained wood – I’m not a complete heathen when it comes to painting wood.

Check it out; I made the pantry door a gorgeous shade of greige on my computer to show you how pretty it could look – sometimes, the little details say a lot!

Ideas to Update Your 2000s Home: 6-PART SERIES

DID PAINTING THESE KITCHEN CABINETS ADD VALUE?

To the homeowner, yes? However, with these cabinetry being such a beautiful wood, a lot of people would wish they were left stained – it’s a 50/50 split. As for perceived value, upon viewing the home, buyers likely wouldn’t know they used to be wood, so the value might not be as affected. 

IDEA #3: UPDATE GOLDEN OAK CABINETS WITH PAINT

My next Online Color Consulting client hired me to help them finish their budget-friendly kitchen update. They’d already clad the island with board-and-batten, which is a great addition to this space, and wanted the perfect color as they were over the oak…

After, this kitchen has a new lease on life with a gorgeous, medium-depth green paint color, popular, white quartz countertop, and it WILL get a new backsplash…

The Best Green Paint Colors for Cabinets

We didn’t want to lose any of this home’s charm, so we kept the wood trim and solid oak doors, which are glorious and play well with the flooring. 

The Best Medium-Depth & Darker Green Paint Colors

DID PAINTING THESE OAK CABINETS ADD VALUE?

Tough to say. For now? Yes. However, they also made some other great updates, including a countertop and a soon-to-be-installed backsplash. Even if they’d kept the original oak, this space would look more updated.

Given what’s still reasonably trendy, green is a smart choice for these cabinets over the original stain. However, many are appreciating the beauty of natural wood cabinets. Given the right surrounding updates, hardware, floor runners, wall paint color, and lighting, the original wood cabinets cooooould’ve been just as great. 

The Best White & Off-White Quartz Countertops

IDEA #4: UPDATE GOLDEN OAK, ARCHED CABINETS WITH A BULKHEAD

This oak kitchen features an arched door profile and flat-front drawers, making it a trickier update. On the other hand, it has no exposed hinges, which is a huge win. Sadly, I don’t have a great ‘before’ shot, as it was a Realtor’s photo (I’m not allowed to use them), but I do have a snippet of another area of this kitchen…

Let’s consider some of the challenges…

• travertine tile backsplash – I love travertine, even if it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (I could do without the patterned tile behind the stove)
• warm, beige-toned tile floor and beige Corian countertop – beige finishes like these can be tricky, although interior trends are warm again!
• strong orange-stain/golden oak finish on the cabinets
• reasonably strong grain

And mostly because of the strength of the orange stain, this kitchen is better off with a few coats of paint…

The Best Blue Paint Colors for Cabinets & Islands

 

Notice how they filled the bulkhead to give the cabinets a custom, full-height look. Also, check out the island in the wicked gorgeous Benjamin Moore Ocean Floor!

WAS THIS A SMART UPDATE THAT ADDED VALUE?

Absolutely. With the arched cabinet doors and mix of existing finishes that weren’t being updated, paint was the point of least resistance. 

IDEA #5: AN OUTDATED OAK, GRANITE, & TRAVERTINE KITCHEN

In this next kitchen, the older granite countertop and outdated travertine backsplash were circa the early 2000s, but they’re still doing the job the homeowner wants them to do. However, these finishes didn’t work well with the strong red-orange stain on the cabinets. We also have that darn arched top to consider, which means it’s drinking painting time!

Many of my clients dream of white kitchen cabinets; however…

White ain’t always right based on existing finishes.

In this case, our next step is the lovely world of off-white paint colors like this…

With the newly painted cabinets, the backsplash and countertop look more updated, and the whole space has a new, brighter lease on life!

DID PAINTING THESE CABINETS ADD ANY VALUE?

YES. The existing cabinets had a super strong grain and stain, and were overwhelming when combined with the backsplash and countertop. Since these finishes weren’t being updated, painting the cabinets was a smart choice. 

Ideas to Update Your 1990s Home

 

IDEA #6: MAPLE CABINETS, EXPOSED HINGES & CATHEDRAL TOP UPDATE

This kitchen is one of my faves. Before, it certainly had charm, but the floor was updated, and the new color doesn’t jibe with the orange-brown stain of the cabinets – LET’S PAINT THOSE BAD BOYS!

The Best Sage Green Cabinet Paint Colors

I love homes with heart and personality. It’s even better when they’re updated on a budget, and this one exceeds all my hopes and dreams.

The green-gray paint color on the lower cabinets adds personality and grounds the space, while the white upper cabinets connect with the modern, white quartz countertop and new backsplash—so good. My client also did a gorgeous job with her lightly layered accents.

As fun as new builds are, it’s the ‘work with whatcha gots’ that really floats my boat.’

The upper cabinets in the above kitchen are painted Benjamin Moore White Dove, one of my favorite white paint colors. Get this color and MORE with Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples!

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF WHITE DOVE! 

IDEA #7: A DARK & GLOOMY MAPLE KITCHEN UPDATE

This one was a beast. While it had some great bones, this kitchen was drowning in the visual weight of the cabinets. They were pretty, but with older granite countertops, orange tile floor, and backsplash tile, this kitchen was gasping for air.

I bet that if the stain on these cabinets had been less strong AND the homeowner had a (very) healthy budget, we might’ve kept them. Instead, we could’ve updated the tile floor, countertop, and backsplash to work with rather than against the cabinets.

6 Budget-Friendly Kitchen Update Ideas

However, budget dictates this kind of thing; in this case, IT WAS PAINTIN’ TIME!

Painting wood kitchen cabinets is not for the faint of heart – it’s a huge job that requires loads of prep. However, it’s worth the effort when it turns out like this – I friggin’ love this kitchen now!

Fresh and bright, yet soft and homey. Notice how the terra cotta-look tile floor, older granite countertops, and travertine backsplash aren’t fighting with each other as much – they’re finally at home, and I bet the homeowners are too.

WAS THIS A SMART CHOICE, OR SHOULD THEY HAVE STAYED STAINED?

There will always be those who swear by their wood (many men, in fact, wink-wink). However, just because it’s wood doesn’t mean it’s good. 

Sure, if they’d updated the flooring, countertop, and backsplash, these cabinets might’ve had a chance (but would still be INCREDIBLY red). Since we worked around the existing finishes, painting the cabinets made 10000% sense – more budget-friendly and effective for brightening this kitchen up. 

WHAT ARE MY RECOMMENDED CABINET PAINTS?

I love Benjamin Moore INSLX and Sherwin Williams Emerald for cabinets, trims, and doors.

As for the finish, I always recommend satin sheen – washable, but not so shiny that it reflects your face at you, nor like an eggshell, which ISN’T washable enough for cabinets (unless you do a product like Benjamin Moore ScuffX, which is badass, by the way, but I still don’t love lower sheens on cabinets).

NEXT PROJECT!

IDEA #8: UPDATING PASTY, PEACH-TONED MAPLE CABINETS

It looks like this kitchen had great bones, right? Sure, but it didn’t have any energy. Whomp whomp whaaaaamp. There’s no contrast or interest, and the cabinets clashed with the wood flooring.

There are a few things to notice in the above kitchen:

• The gorgeous granite countertop suddenly came to life with a cabinet color it can PLAY with!

• The new glass front cabinets (although I could never do them in my home, I don’t like this much visual clutter).

• She kept the same cabinet hardware, as it’s still the perfect choice for this space (cabinet hardware update ideas).

• The removal of the microwave oven and the addition of a new range hood.

• The covering up of the dated-looking, open-shelving side of the island.

IDEA #9: MAPLE, BROWN, & BORING (NICE RACING STRIPE)

Wooooof. This kitchen had great cabinets, but was surrounded by a hot mess of finishes…

After, it’s like a whole new kitchen…on a budget!

The fresh paint color, hardware, backsplash, and AFFORDABLE laminate countertop are game-changers for this kitchen, adding to the home’s resale and emotional value!

Now, for those who might want to keep their wood cabinets, I have a blog post for you!

WAS THIS A SMART UPDATE, OR SHOULD THE CABINETS HAVE STAYED MAPLE?

Oh, they’re still maple; they just look better with paint. Given the multiple holes in the drawers via weird hardware installations, faded (MDF) gable ends, and a washed-out look, paint was a great way to update this kitchen on a budget. Combined with the budget-friendly laminate countertop and backsplash tile, it all added instant value. 

 

 

Kitchens With wood Cabinets: Real Homes, Real Budgets

And while I have dozens more kitchens to show you, hopefully the above before-and-afters give you the inspiration you need to get started on YOUR kitchen makeover!

IS PAINTING WOOD CABINETS A GOOD IDEA?

Heck yes. If you’re over your wood cabinets and ready for a change, paint is a budget-friendly update. Let’s look at some pros and cons…

PROS OF PAINTING WOOD CABINETS 

• If you paint your cabinets a light color, it will lighten and brighten your kitchen. If you paint them a color like blue or green, you get instant personality. 
• You can improve the resale value of your home if the wood stain/grain isn’t trendy. Remember, JUST BECAUSE IT’S WOOD DOESN’T MEAN IT’S GOOD! 
• If you have a ton of wood finishes and their stain colors either blend or clash, painting your cabinets can update your space and let your other wood finishes shine. 
• Of course, painted wood cabinets won’t last forever – heck, I’ve seen any number of wood-stained cabinets beaten to heck, too (I currently have some in my bathroom). However, with the right prep and quality paint, painted cabinets can look gorgeous for many years (lived experience). 

CONS OF PAINTING WOOD CABINETS

• If the original wood comes back in style, you’ll have one heck of a time getting them back to original condition (gooooood luck, Chuck).
• Wood cabinets can be damaged, but they’re more resistant and hardier than painted cabinets. 
• If these wood cabinets were OLD (heritage) and added to the home’s character AND in great shape, painting them could detract from the home’s original intentions. 

The Best Blue-Green Paint Colors

WILL PAINTED WOOD CABINETS DEVALUE A HOME?

While it can depend on the wood, grain, and stain, AS WELL AS current trends, painted wood cabinets tend to add value to a home. Unless your wood stain, grain, cabinet door style, hinge style, and overall layout make sense with today’s trends, it might be time for a few tweaks. 

Of course, wood lovers will argue, and they can fill their lil’ wood boots (or clogs, might be more the point) with all the wood they want. 

Maybe your happy medium is a mix! 

However, for mass appeal, the right color adds value over outdated grain and stain. 

DO PAINTED CABINETS LAST AS LONG AS WOOD CABINETS?

If you’re kind to your home, yes, they can last a long time. However, in the average home, stained wood cabinets will look better for longer. 

• Both will get banged up
• Both can get damaged
• Painted cabinets tend to show their damage more obviously
• If you’re hard on your home, I’d go with a hardy wood like oak

After 8 years, other than this spot, our cabinets generally look great (but don’t ask about our garbage pullout door…

Even with the above said, next time would I do paint or stain? I’d probably paint my main cabinets and do a stained wood island. That’s just for prettiness though, not function. 

Also, consider HOW LONG you need them to look great for. Is this your 2-year home, and you’ve always wanted green cabinets? Fill yer lil’ boots. Is this your forever home and have you always wanted white ones? Do white, because at the end of the day, everything is repaintable. White is the most timeless cabinet, beating wood, but at the end of the day, choose what gets you EXCITED! 

SUMMARY

• If your wood cabinets have a strong stain color like red, yellow, orange, or pink (pickled), painting them can add value and update their look. 
• If your wood cabinets have a strong grain pattern and are surrounded by other patterned/busy finishes, painting the cabinets can help calm things down, making them look more modern.
• Things like exposed hinges and cathedral/arched cabinet doors make it harder for a wood cabinet to look updated. Often, exposed hinges blend better with stain, whereas an arch/cathedral style looks more updated with paint. 
• Before you paint your cabinets (and budget-allowing), consider whether updating things like your countertop, backsplash, hardware, paint color, and lighting could make a big difference. 

READ MORE

6 Questions to Ask Before Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets White

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors

Should You Paint Your Cabinets or Keep Them Stained?

The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Island & Bathroom Vanities

Get the Paint Color & Home Update Expert that Designers Hire. 

 

Updated with new content and images for 2026