How do I make my honey oak cabinets lighter?
Sarah Smith
Published Jan 22, 2026
You can change the color of your stained oak cabinets, but it will require time and effort. Stain sinks into wood pores under a sealed topcoat of lacquer. The only way to properly lighten the wood is to remove the lacquer, sand off the dark stain and replace it with a lighter color of stain.
How do you tone down honey oak cabinets?
There's two main ways to transform your honey oak trim, doors, or cabinets simply by painting the walls: Using a harmonious color palette (similar colors or colors with a similar undertone) that will work alongside and help fade or camouflage the orange or yellow wood tones.
How do I make my wood cabinets lighter?
White washing is simply mixing white paint and water to lighten wood. The more paint you add to your mixture, the less opaque the finished look will be. So, if you're looking to just lighten your wood without covering the wood grain, then use mostly water with a few drops of paint.
How do you modernize honey oak cabinets?
How to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets WITHOUT a Drop of Paint
- 5 Ideas: Update Kitchen Cabinets with Hardware, Backsplash, Glass Doors & More!
- UPDATE HARDWARE & LIGHT FIXTURES.
- ADD GLASS TO FEATURE CABINETS DOORS.
- ADD A NEW BACKSPLASH.
- USE THE RIGHT HOME DECOR.
- PAINT… JUST A LITTLE.
Can you bleach honey oak cabinets?
Any wood item in your home, from your furniture to your kitchen cabinets, can be bleached. There is no practical side to bleaching oak cabinets, but it will definitely be more aesthetically pleasing if that is the style you enjoy.
26 related questions foundHow do you make Oak lighter?
To make dark wood lighter, wipe away any dust on the wood. Spread a thin coat of 2-part wood bleach solution across the wood surface and let it sit for 30 mins. After that, use a white vinegar solution to neutralize the wood bleach before wiping it clean with a wet cloth.
How do you make an oak lighter?
The only effective way to lighten the color of wood after it has been stripped of all surface coatings is to use a wood bleach. Sanding does help to lighten wood in many cases, but this only applies to surface soil or grime, and even then only if the discoloration has not penetrated very deeply.
Are oak cabinets Coming Back in Style 2020?
However, oak cabinets are currently in the middle of making a comeback. There are several possible reasons for this. First, homeowners are looking for warmth and authenticity in their kitchens. Natural wood checks all the boxes.
Are honey oak kitchen cabinets outdated?
Honey Oak Cabinets
A staple in kitchens of the 1980s and '90s, these golden-toned wood cabinets have fallen out of favor as white and gray cabinets have risen in popularity. If you don't like your light-stained cabinets, but they're in good shape, consider refinishing or painting what's there.
Is honey oak Coming Back in Style 2021?
What is this? Wood cabinets are continuing to come back into style. No, not your honey oak cabinets from 1980's and 90's – they are most definitely not coming back.
Can you Restain honey oak 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.
How do you tone wood cabinets?
The process is simple: in a nutshell what you're doing is cleaning the surface of the existing finish, then lightly sanding it, then cleaning it again, and finally applying very thin, uniform coats of lightly tinted clear finish base. Viola! New looking cabinets, doors, windows and trim!
Is golden oak and honey oak the same?
Honey would be closest to the natural wood color. The Golden has a yellowish/orange tint but still close to the natural wood color and Red oak is much darker and a brownish red.
Does Edgecomb Gray go with honey oak?
Edgecomb Gray also compliments honey oak tones of wood really well, so it's a great choice for kitchen walls.
Are oak cabinets Coming Back in Style 2022?
NATURAL WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS
As far as natural wood cabinet colors go, light and medium oak will still be trending in 2022 … whether it's your full kitchen or just your kitchen island. Either way looks beautiful! And you can't go wrong with beautiful stained (or painted) dark kitchen cabinets.
Is honey oak out of style?
The answer is – no! The oak trim and oak flooring finish (the golden color known in the industry as “honey”) will never come back in style. Today, there are many beautiful versions of stained oak on the market that allow it to appear more contemporary and aesthetically pleasing.
Why you shouldn't paint your cabinets?
Detailed Patterns, Warped or Damaged Cabinets
If your cabinets have detailed patterns or they are warped, chipped, cracked or have other damage to them, then painting your kitchen cabinets is not the way to go – it most definitely won't solve your cabinet problem.
How do you whitewash oak cabinets?
To whitewash cabinets, dip a clean paint brush in a whitewash pickling stain and apply it using smooth strokes from the bottom of the cabinet to the top and then back again. After you have applied the wash, wipe it with a clean, soft cotton cloth against the grain, This Old House describes.
How do I update my oak kitchen?
How to Update a Kitchen With Oak Cabinets (Without Painting Them)
- Gather inspiration.
- Look at what you have and be realistic.
- Paint the walls a soothing neutral color.
- Change hardware and fixtures.
- Update lighting.
- Add warm coordinating accents.
What color goes with golden oak?
What Colours Go With Golden Oak? Bring a zesty vibe to the space with hues such as cherry red, ochre yellow, lime green, and rusty orange from oak for an earthy palette. Warm, cool, bright colors are ideal for balancing out the cooler palette of oak to provide a grounding for these spaces.
How do you use honey oak trim?
To work with your honey oak and elevate its style is to break it up visually. How do we do that? Paint the elements that feel the most oak-heavy visually in a complimentary color. Think of your old oak kitchen cabinets with a pop of color on them or in a creamy white, leaving the floors and trim intact.
Can you whitewash oak cabinets?
The look of whitewash cabinets can brighten a room without using paint and allow the wood's natural grain to show through. Certain wood types, like pine, are better suited to whitewashing techniques, but cabinets made of oak can also be whitewashed through a process called pickling.
Will vinegar lighten wood stain?
Using vinegar is also an alternative way to lighten the stain. This can work well for dye or other mild stains. What you need to do is to wash all the wood surfaces that you want to lighten with damp cloth and washing liquid, and check if there are still stains.