Oak Cabinets Are Back in Style

From the early 1970s into the 1990s, oak cabinets were a mainstay in most middle-class homes. If you had wooden cabinets, you likely had oak cabinets. And if you had cabinets, you likely had wooden cabinets. They were ubiquitous. Eventually, oak fell out of favor and was replaced with engineered wood, maple, and MDF. Those different types of cabinetry still remain popular but oak is making a significant comeback. There’s a few reasons for the return of oak, but the biggest reasons are versatility, timelessness, and durability.

Versatility

 In the United States, oak is typically available in white oak or red oak. White oak tends to be somewhat lighter in color than red oak. It’s also a little bit harder. Red oak is pinkish in tint and slightly brighter than white oak. The versatility comes into play because both types of wood are very attractive. If you wanted, you could just install bare oak cabinets in your house. They’d look great and likely match whatever other decor you have in your kitchen.

You could also ceruse, fume, stain, or paint the oak. Cerusing refers to a medieval technique for applying a lead-based pigment to wood that makes it look somewhat washed out. It’s a look similar to whitewashing. These days, cerusing refers to the look and not to actually using a lead-based pigment. Fumed oak is oak that’s been exposed to ammonia to deepen the color and enrich the grain. Stain is available in just about every color, but white oak tends to take a stain better than red oak. Finally, you could just paint the oak to get it whatever color you would like. That’s a wide range of options for customizing the look of your cabinets.

Durability

 White oak and red oak are not the hardest woods available in the United States. However, they are fairly hard hardwoods and readily available. You can’t easily scratch or dent oak cabinets. In the course of regular day to day use, your cabinets likely won’t face anything that would severely endanger the wood. The biggest danger will likely come from moisture. That could be moisture rising up from pots of boiling water or moisture from wet dishes. Putting down some cabinet mats or finishing the cabinets with a waterproof finish would mitigate that danger. Oak cabinets could easily last you for decades with a little bit of maintenance.

For these reasons, oak cabinets have experienced a resurgence in homes across the country.

Matte Black Is a Hot Cabinet Color

In 2019 and beyond, one cabinet color has been more popular than perhaps any other. Black has been rising in popularity steadily for years, and more specifically, matte black. When cabinets are painted or finished with a wood finish, the homeowner has to choose a gloss. Gloss reflects the most light, creating the shiniest appearance. Semigloss is a step down, and satin is another step down. Matte is the flattest finish. It reflects the least amount of light and, in many ways, looks the most natural. There are several reasons that matte black is trending. Some reasons are aesthetic and some are practical.

Practical Reasons

 From the standpoint of practicality, matte black is a very easy to maintain color. Oftentimes, dirt and oil are readily apparent on cabinets because the dirt and oil obscures the light reflecting off the surface of the wood. Oil is particularly problematic for kitchen cabinets that are over the stovetop. Matte does not reflect much light anyway. Therefore, dirt and oil will not show up as easily. Furthermore, dark black will hide most oil and dirt.

Homeowners who don’t want to have to work to maintain their cabinets every few days should consider matte black. It’s especially useful if your cabinets do not have pulls; the dirt and oil from fingertips will eventually show up as dark smudges after repeated use.

Lastly, it is very easy to touch-up matte black cabinets. With glossy finishes, the gloss tends to fade over time. So, when you reapply some paint or stain to cover up nicks and scratches, the new finish will be noticeably glossier. In contrast, a new application of a matte finish won’t stand out as much.

Aesthetic Reasons

 In addition to the practical maintenance reasons, matte black is popular because it looks great. Matte cabinets don’t stand out very much, which makes them easy to pair. They can be paired with white walls to create good contrasting colors. Additionally, many cabinets are made of some kind of stone. Most stones are black, gray, white, or some combination of the three. That could look very good against the cabinetry.

Black cabinets have been trending for years and, unlike many recent trends, they promise to remain popular for years. You can paint your cabinets with a matte black paint to finish them in one step. Alternately, you can stain them with a wood stain and then finish them with a matte polyurethane.

How to Restore Old Cabinets in Five Steps

If you are looking for a way to renovate your kitchens, you’ll likely focus on the cabinets at some point. The cabinets are a focal point of the kitchen and some of the most used elements of your kitchen. Replacing them could change the entire look of the kitchen; however, that can be expensive. Another option would be to restore them. Restoring them involves fixing damage and changing the colors. This Is most easily done with solid wooden cabinets.

Step I: Decide On A Vision

 The first thing you need to do is decide how you would like the finished cabinets to look. That will guide what you’ll need to buy to make your restoration happen.

Step II: Buy Your Supplies

 Once you’ve decided how you would like your cabinets to look, you need to buy supplies to make that a reality. You need to buy paint stripper if your cabinets have been sealed with polyurethane and/or been painted. You’ll need sandpaper ranging from coarse grit to fine grit. You’ll need paintbrushes, drop cloths, and painters’ tape. Finally, you need the paint you’re going to use. Alternately, you’ll need the wood stain and the wood finish that you’re going to use.

Step III: Strip the Cabinets

 Once you’ve got the cabinets off the wall, you need to strip the old paint or stain from the cabinets. If it’s paint, follow the directions on the paint stripper. If it’s stain, you might have to sand off the top layer of wood to get to wood below the stain. Once you’ve got it down to the bare wood, you’re ready to sand.

Step IV: Sand the Cabinets

 If your cabinets have sustained damage such as scratches, chips, or cracks, you need to fix those. To fix the shallow scratches, just sand them away with a medium grit sandpaper. To fix deeper scratches, chips, and cracks, you’ll need to use some wood filler. Wood filler is a putty that hardens when it is applied. Make sure the type you choose is sandable. Fill in all the chips, cracks,and scratches. Then, sand them with a medium grit sandpaper. Follow that up with a fine sandpaper until the cabinets are smooth.

Step V: Paint or Stain the Cabinets

 Lastly, you’re ready to paint or stain the cabinets. If you’re painting the cabinets, use two or three thin coats of paint. If you’re staining them, follow the directions on the stain to get even coats and rich color. Finish them with a coat of polyurethane.

Once they’re dry, reinstall your like-new cabinets.

Cabinets & Mud Rooms

Mudrooms may not get as much attention as the kitchen but they are ground zero for messes and deserve a lot more praise than they get. When remodeling or building a mudroom there are a lot of different ways to make the space beautiful and highly functional.

First, consider the flooring. Tile, luxury vinyl or another hard surface and water resistant flooring is the ideal option. If you have wood flooring or even carpet in this space it will likely get dirty and wear quickly because of all the muddy boots, wet umbrellas and other items that get left in this space.

The mudroom needs to have a place to hang bags and coats and ideally a place to sit. People often add a bench with cubbies for members of their family to put items like hats, gloves, and scarves and behind the bench they add hooks. These hooks are great for storing coats and backpacks. Ideally you will want each member of your household to have their own hook.

Every mudroom needs a utility sink. A utility sink is the perfect place to wash muddy shoes, rinse your hands after coming in from gardening and can hold wet swimsuits until you are ready to wash them.

Mudrooms have started to become a combination area that stores all your “leaving the house” items but also includes the laundry space. These areas can be combined to give you a larger space and add a  lot of storage. The laundry room can have built in washer and dryers, hampers, storage for supplies and even an air drying and ironing areas.

Mudrooms are the ideal area to put your pets crates. This area is normally where you enter and exit the house so they will be able to go outside quickly after being let out of their crates to use the bathroom and you can stash toys and leashes for walks. Some homeowners like to add an airtight dog food drawer into their cabinet build to keep food free of pests and keep the room looking clutter free. If your mud room has enough space you may even want to consider a dog washing area.

If your family is active in sports you may want to consider adding cabinet space to store sporting equipment. Sporting equipment seems to never have an ideal place to go but the mudroom can be a perfect solution for stashing big gym bags, balls, bats, and other equipment.

The mudroom may quickly become the hub of your home and adding an “organization station” is a great ideal. Add a calendar, bulletin board and even a mail holder to keep your family organized.

Finally, add a full length mirror to the back of the door so you can make sure you are put together before you jet out the door.

A custom mudroom may seem like an unnecessary expense but when you think about all that a mudroom does and stores you will quickly realize it is the control center of your home. Custom cabinets are a great way to make the most out of your mudroom space.

Should You Consider Softwood Cabinets?

There are two basic kinds of wood: hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is wood that comes mostly from broad leafed tree species. These are trees that typically lose their leaves over the weekend. They are species such as oak, hickory, cherry, birch, and so on. Softwoods are typically evergreens. They usually have needles and cones instead of leaves. Hardwoods in general are harder and denser than softwoods, but that’s not absolutely the case. There are some very hard softwoods, such as yew.

If you’re looking for cabinets, you’ll see some that are made of cedar or pine. Should you consider softwood cabinets? Possibly.

Cedar and Pine

 Cedar and pine are two of the most common softwoods in use for furniture and cabinetry. They are very common in utilitarian installations such as cabins and workshops. If you are deciding on kitchen cabinets for a kitchen in a cabin, softwoods might be appropriate. If you’re choosing cabinets for a workshop, a tool shed, or a ski lodge, they could evoke the proper look as well. Also, if you are building a kitchen around those themes, softwood could be the proper wood.

Softwood was used for cabins and lodges mostly because softwoods are readily available. They typically grow faster and more abundantly than hardwoods; if you’re in snowy environments, most of the trees will be softwoods.

So, if those are the reasons to choose softwood cabinets, why doesn’t everyone opt for them?

Why Not?

 Softwood is not the preferred building material for most indoor applications because of the density of the wood. Softwoods are usually not as hard and dense as hardwoods; in fact, most people can dent pine with just their fingernails. So, if you are building some shelves for your walls, that might be fine. However, the cabinet doors will get banged up over time. They’ll eventually start to take on scratches and dents from their use. Furthermore, the density of the wood means that it will absorb heat and moisture more than hardwoods. If not accounted for, your cabinets could warp and discolor.

To account for that, softwoods need to be stained and sealed or painted. Stain will keep them from discoloring somewhat. A waterproof seal, such as polyurethane, will keep it from absorbing moisture. It will also protect the cabinets from scratches and dents. The polyurethane will likely be harder than the wood itself. Paint will not protect from scratches quite as well, but it does the work of coloring and sealing.

How to Revitalize Your Old Wooden Cabinets

If your kitchen needs some revitalization, one of the best ways to do that is by updating your cabinets. Buying new cabinets is an option but it’s the more expensive option. It will cost you less money to simply update your own cabinets. While it might seem like a task that is beyond your DIY skills, most people can do it in a weekend. Here’s how to do that.

Decide On a Path and Assemble Your Tools

There are a few things you’ll need to do before you’re ready to update your cabinets. Are you going to update just the cabinet doors or the interiors as well? Are you going to change your cabinet hardware?

You’ll need a screwdriver to remove the hardware that holds the cabinet doors. You’ll need newspaper or some kind of plastic sheeting. You’ll need paint brushes, paint thinner, and sandpaper ranging from medium to very fine. If you are going to stain your cabinet doors, you’ll need wood stain and wood finish. Polyurethane makes a good wood finish. If you’re going to paint, then you just need paint.

Once you have all of that laid out, you’re ready to work.

Get to Work

First, you need to strip the original paint or stain. Paint thinner will work for this purpose. A dedicated paint stripper will be much quicker and more intense. Make sure you follow all of the directions on the paint thinner or stripper; do it in a ventilated area and protect your skin. Once it’s been allowed to work, sand off the old paint or finish until you get bare wood. Use some paint thinner to clean it up and wipe off all of the sawdust.

Once all of that is done, you should have bare wooden cabinets. Some people get to the stage of the bare wood and decide that they like the way it looks. If that’s you, then you just need to put the cabinets back on the walls. If you want to make sure they are protected against heat, humidity, and other types of damage, you should seal them with some polyurethane. A satin or matte polyurethane will preserve the bare wood look. A glossy polyurethane will enhance the look of the wood.

If you decide to continue with your update, apply your chosen stain or paint. Apply it in long, smooth brush strokes moving in the direction of the grain. If you’re staining it, apply polyurethane and you’re done. You should have cabinets that look brand new in a few days.

Should You Paint or Stain Your Old Cabinets?

If you have old cabinets that are in need of revitalizing, you have two basic options. You can repair your old ones or buy new ones. It is more economical and, in many ways, easier to just repair your old cabinets. The best way to make them look new again is by refinishing them. That could mean painting or staining. Whether you choose to paint or stain, the process begins the same.

Prepping the Cabinets

 Before you paint or stain your cabinets, you’ll need to begin with some preparation. Take off the cabinet doors so you can get around them more easily. You might also remove the hardware as well. If you’re going to replace it or refinish it too, that would be a good idea. If you have metal hardware that needs an update, you could attempt some metal cleaner to make them shine again.

Once you’ve done that, you need to strip the cabinets. If they’ve been painted or stained, stripper will remove the paint or stain. Make sure you follow the directions on the stripper carefully. Strippers are caustic chemicals that require care and ventilation to use properly. Then, once you’ve done that, allow them to dry for the proper amount of time. You’ll need to sand away any remaining paint or stain. Sand away any chips or scratches in the wood. Use a damp shop towel to clean up any sawdust.

At that point, you should have cabinets that are bare wood that has been sanded smooth. You’re ready to paint or stain. Which should you choose?

Paint or Stain?

 Painting your cabinets will give you a wider range of options for colors. Stains tend to come in many of the same colors but since they seep into the wood, they’ll be diluted in hue and the wood tones will always shine through. Paint will sit on top of the wood, which means that it will cover up some of the grain. You won’t have to seal the cabinet either; the paint acts as color and top coat.

Stain will highlight the natural grain of the wood. Stains tend to increase the contrast to make patterns in the wood stand out. There are stains available in a range of colors. You can find stains from subtle clear stains that will simply highlight the grain to bold colors such as bright blue. You can find stains to mimic different types of wood as well; for example, you might find a hickory or a cherry stain. That’s very helpful if you want to make your cabinets look like new, natural cabinets.

The Growing Trend of Blue Kitchen Cabinets

If you look through social media or home design catalogues, you’ve likely noticed a trend with kitchen cabinets: they’re blue. You’ve likely seen everything from shades of blue so light that they’re almost indistinguishable from white cabinets. Others might be a dark blue so deep that it’s almost black. There are also shades of royal blue, baby blue, and everything in between. So, what’s behind the proliferation of blue cabinets and how do you get on trend?

Why So Blue?

There are many reasons blue is trending as a color in kitchen cabinets. The main reasons are probably that blue matches the sky and is very versatile. If you want to enhance the amount of light in your kitchen, you can choose a light blue. The light blue will mimic a sunny sky without drawing too much attention to itself. If you want a dramatic pop of color, a royal blue or a turquoise can introduce bold colors. If you want to introduce some dark tones, navy blue can be used to offset bright colors elsewhere.

How to Match Blue

There are a couple of competing design schemes. One design scheme emphasizes the blue of the cabinets by matching it with other bold colors. These colors don’t have to be another shade of blue, but they can be. For example, if you have a cherry colored floor, some blue cabinets can introduce a sense of fun and brightness to your kitchen. Bold primary colors like reds and blues will create the impression that your kitchen is almost something from a comic book.

Others choose to match the blue of your cabinets with other shades of blue. For example, light blue cabinets might pair well with dark blue cabinet pulls and dark blue countertops.

Lastly, there is a scheme that seeks to make the cabinets pop by choosing muted colors or neutrals for the other parts of the kitchen. A white wall with blue cabinets will make the cabinets look very dramatic. Blue cabinets with a tan countertop can also create that striking look.

How to Achieve Blue

Some exotic woods can be blue in color; blue mahoe heartwood is an example of a wood that can be streaked with blue. These are often expensive and rare; also, they’re usually not very boldly colored. The most common way to achieve blue cabinets is either through staining the wood or painting it.

If you stain the wood, you’ll highlight the natural grain of the wood. Also, some of the natural color of the wood will likely still shine through unless you apply several coats of stain. This is the best way to achieve blue cabinets while retaining some natural look. Painting it will cover most of the grain and yield a bolder look.

Where to Find Reclaimed Wood for Cabinets

Reclaimed wood has become popular in just about every room in a home. Reclaimed wood has a somewhat vague definition. Put simply, it is wood that was processed and used for one purpose but is then repurposed. In practice, it generally means wood that has weathered or aged enough to be noticeably distressed. That can mean chipping, flaked paint, burn marks, oil stains, and more. Exterior wood from the sides of barns is one of the most sought-after types of reclaimed wood. It is sought after for many uses, cabinets included.

Old Houses

 If you keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground, you’ll likely be able to find some reclaimed wood from someone doing demolition or remodeling at an old home. When wood was more readily available and synthetics more rare, wood was the material of choice for most parts of a house. That means an old home will have thousands of board feet of reclaimed wood. A kitchen remodel is an incredible opportunity to find reclaimed wood. If someone is throwing out their old cabinets or an old wooden floor, you can easily turn that refuse into beautiful cabinets. Even if the cabinets they’re throwing out don’t fit yours perfectly, they can be shaped and sized to fit.

Wooden Floors

 Wooden floors are a great source of wood for cabinets. If you have wooden floors in your home and you are remodeling, don’t throw out those floors. Keep enough wood to at least clad your old cabinets in new wood. Hardwood flooring planks are perfect rectangles, which makes them very easy to work with for cabinetry.

Also, ask around at hardwood flooring manufacturers and suppliers. They often have odds and ends that come from manufacturing the planks. Those odds and ends might not be usable as standardized flooring planks but they might work to clad an old cabinet in hardwood. That wood is often scarred from sanders or drills; it will have a beautiful distressed look.

Pallets

 Wooden pallets are the holy grail of reclaimed wood, especially if you can find hardwood pallets. Much like wooden planks, they’re made in perfect rectangles that are easy to turn into cabinet doors. If you’re looking for hardwood pallets, look for companies that import heavy items from overseas. Many European manufacturers of heavy freight use hardwood pallets to ship their goods; just be sure to ask before taking pallets from behind a store.

The 3 Biggest Trends in Kitchen Cabinetry

Kitchen cabinets go through trends every few years. Typically, a few designers begin experimenting with new styles, materials, or looks. They share those looks on social media and interior design magazines. They grow in popularity, and a few years later, they’re bonafide trends. If you want to get on the cutting edge of some coming kitchen cabinet trends, here they are.

1 — Open Shelving

 Open shelving can mean two similar things. An open shelf can be a cabinet that simply has no cabinet doors or not full cabinet doors. It can also mean freestanding shelving such as hanging over an island.

Open shelving has a few caveats that you should be aware of. For one, the interior of your shelf will be completely visible. Therefore, you need to makes ure you match the exterior as well as the interior of your shelf to your overall decor. If you have a cabinet door, then only the outside absolutely must match. With open shelves, everything becomes part of the overall look.

Also, you’ll need to make sure you have the dishes for it. You’ll typically see matching dining sets in an open cabinet; the matching sets might even match the overall decor. That’s a very cohesive look. However, you can have mismatched dining sets as long as the sets match either each other or the overall decor. For example, if you have a lot of neutral tones in your kitchen, you want to have neutral dining sets even if they don’t match each other.

2 — Custom Colors

 For a long time, cabinets were simply painted the same color as the walls. Now, the cabinets are design items themselves. That’s especially true if you have custom-designed cabinets. You want the artistry and the beauty of the wood to stand out. To do that, you’ll need a color for your cabinets that is different from the color for the walls. Many homeowners choose a transition color. For example, if you have white walls and black floors, you might choose gray cabinets.

3 — Exposed Grain

 Oak cabinets were popular from the 1970s and into the 1990s. They were gradually replaced by vinyl and other synthetics that are considered less expensive and easier to clean. Many people with wooden cabinets simply painted over them with an opaque paint. The pendulum is now swinging back towards exposed grain. Instead of painting those cabinets, you can just stain and seal them to allow the wood to shine through.