Avoid These Colors When Painting Oak Kitchen Cabinets

Given how much space kitchen cabinets occupy, a new look in this room often involves changing the cabinets up, whether it's adding new hardware or giving the built-in furniture a new stain or coat of paint. If you have oak kitchen cabinets, yours might be a honey tone, or perhaps the current stain results in a more orangey appearance. If so, you may have thought of updating them by painting them, but before you give your oak kitchen cabinets a DIY makeover, you need to first consider what paint color(s) would be best, and consequently, which colors to avoid.

You might be tempted to choose bright colors for your oak kitchen cabinets to liven up the room, but you'll only end up with an eyesore on your hands. This could also ultimately compel you to shell out good money to replace them — basically, starting from scratch unnecessarily. Remember that choosing the wrong paint color for your cabinets can not only ruin your DIY project, but it can also affect the resale value of your home. So it's best to know the colors you should avoid painting them to start.

While painting your oak kitchen cabinets can be a fun and effective way of upgrading them, it's best to avoid primary colors like red and yellow, as well as a color like orange that will only further intensify the cabinetry. Being similar to oak's raw tones, these colors could make your kitchen look outdated, defeating the entire purpose of your DIY painting project. Moreover, picking bold colors like purple will make your oak cabinets stand out and not in a good way. It'll also affect other kitchen elements and leave you with a limited décor palette.

Instead, go for neutral hues of white, cream, black, and gray to brighten your kitchen space and reflect light. You can even go with pastel shades to give your kitchen a contemporary chic look. To redecorate your kitchen per your style, the trick is to pair oak with lighter tones that don't intensify its natural warm colors.

While oak cabinets were a staple in the '90s, don't worry if you still have them. Their innate durability and resistance to water, insects, and fungi make them a popular wood type for kitchen cabinets. You can stain them to maintain the original look, but it won't do much in switching up your kitchen style. Alternatively, painting them will give your cabinets an entirely new look, and your kitchen, a new palette. However, as said, to usher your kitchen into the modern era, it's best to avoid painting oak cabinets with certain colors. You'll also need to thoroughly prep and sand the cabinetry to reduce its grain from peeking through the paint.

With this said, if you don't want to paint your oak kitchen cabinets a new color but you also don't want them to continue being the center of attention, address what's around them. For instance, pick a patterned rug for your kitchen floors, or use your cabinets' charm to your advantage by adding eye-catching accessories, such as expensive dishes and other colorful decorative pieces. If you'd like to add lasting changes without altering your cabinets at all, you could paint your kitchen walls. Refreshing hues of blue and green would prove winning colors to complement them.