Updating ’80s Oak Cabinets: How to Remodel without Painting!

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I like a white cabinet, marble-countered, impossibly-spotless kitchen as much as the next gal. But for many, it’s just not gonna happen. Most folks don’t want to go through the marriage-straining experience that is a kitchen cabinet remodel. Holy cow, that’s a lot of work–I did it back in ’08 with our first home. Many times, an immaculate, Instagram-ready kitchen is just not a priority for a gal, or it may not even fit the house. If you’re foregoing the white look and instead considering updating your ’80s oak cabinets without paint, read on.

Besides–white cabinets are really a pain to keep free of grubbiness, especially with three kids. It’s not like I’m married to Mr. Clean.

Despite what the Instagram Stepford wives might make you think, you do not have to paint your cabinets white or install $10,000 custom shaker-style cabinets to love your kitchen. You can have a cute, warm, updated oak kitchen that you’re proud to unload groceries in without breaking the bank. Turns out, there are many little things you can do when updating ’80s oak cabinets to make a huge difference even on a tight budget.

Oak cabinets may not currently be the favored trendy look on social media, but many people in real life appreciate the warmth they can bring to a kitchen. Remember how people covered up gorgeous hardwood oak floors with carpet? Now people are desperate to get that hardwood again! I wonder if in the not-too-distant future, it’ll be the same for these warm oak cabinets…crazier things have happened!

Updating ’80s oak cabinets without painting them

1. Easy kitchen update #1: Cabinet Hardware

This pictured combo of black matte cabinet hardware from Wayfair is what initially inspired me to update my cabinets whilst avoiding another paint project. These Liberty drawer pulls keep going out of stock, so you may have to check back or give your email to get notified when they’re back. If you’re a first-time Wayfair customer, get a 10% off coupon in your email just by giving them your email here!

Update: Like most things, they’ve doubled in price in 2022. Booo! But Home Depot has added them to their site for slightly cheaper, so at least you can check for them in stock there too.

I think adding or modernizing cabinet hardware makes the biggest difference as a paint alternative and offers the most bang for your buck when updating ’80s oak cabinets. I knew these cabinet pulls were perfect the second I saw them.

Even though my cabinetry isn’t quite as cute as the shaker style, I love how the substantial nature of the pulls takes your focus away from the actual drawers themselves to admire the beauty of the hardware.

Wayfair keeps going in and out of stock on the pulls, but I found a similar pull at Amazon (#ad) pictured below and also at Wayfair, though they are slightly different–curved on the ends at the bottom. Slightly different, and still so cute!

Here’s another fun Amazon vintage option below (#ad) with straight edges that I like and almost chose. I decided it’d look better where it can be a charming feature in an old cottage kitchen or on a rustic dresser. Or on shaker cabinets with sharp corners. A super cute pull to update furniture! Check out the before-and-after pictures in the reviews on Amazon.

I used these adorable and affordable squarish Franklin matte black pulls (#ad) on my cabinet doors and they’re holding up nicely after several years on my heavily used upper cabinets:

2. Let in the light!

Nothing screams outdated like a dark, tiny kitchen. Except for darkness plus oak overload–see #3 below. I can’t do anything about the small size of my kitchen, but I can make it as bright as can be. Modernizing an outdated kitchen requires letting in as much light as possible. When we moved into our home, we noticed the previous owners had an oak obsession–including the color of the blinds in the kitchen.

We initially updated the window treatment to an ivory roman shade from JCPenney. They were gorgeous, but the cat wouldn’t leave them alone. Boo, kitty.

So we returned the roman shades and chose thick 2-inch, white faux wood blinds that match the white paint from Homedepot.com. We usually keep the blinds at least halfway open to utilize the brightness of outside light. We also focused on bright decor and painted the dark oak under the counter a lighter yellow. The kitchen no longer feels like a dark, outdated corner. In fact, the morning light makes our oak-cabinet kitchen appear….dreamlike.

It almost makes me a morning person. Almost.

3. De-oak the oak overload when updating ’80s oak cabinets

If you have oak cabinets, a wood or Pergo floor, and oak accents in your stair rail or front door, you’ve got too much total oak, my friend. Oak isn’t a bad thing in moderation, but too much oak is…ick.

I further de-oaked my oak overload by painting the area underneath the counter that faces the dining room. Some people add shiplap or beadboard here, but I just went the easy, cheap-o route with a simple couple of coats of satin paint that matched the dining area. I first sanded the wooden area and calked all the cracks, then added primer and three coats of paint. I also took out the plastic ivory trim and installed white wooden trim to match the rest of the house.

4. Clean the cabinets

You might be surprised at how much better your cabinets look after a good cleaning. I highly recommend Murphy’s wood cleaner for this. I used a dish rag and a little hot water plus some of this cleaner on each cabinet. Murphy’s has a nice citrus scent and easily picks up the grease and grime from cabinets. This stuff is great for cabinets and floors! Use sparingly because it will streak if overused. I’m showing the Amazon picture here, but it’s much cheaper if you buy in-store from Walmart or Fred Meyer.

5. Consider hiding your hinges

We found some concealed hinges for our overlay cabinets on Rockler.com. Ever notice how visible hinges always tend to look a little outdated compared to hidden hinges? Plus, we just like the cleaner, updated look of invisible hinges. Finding the right hinges for your older cabinets is tough, especially if you don’t have pre-notched doors. We’re not entirely happy with the practicality of our new hinges because they have a forceful close, but they sure look nice. Update: I hesitated to put the link to them, because seriously, they close LOUDLY if you let them shut on their own, and they’re a little jerky if you don’t get the screws absolutely perfect when installing. BUT there’s been a lot of interest in these hinges, so here they are:

Surface-Mount Face-Frame Hinge | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

I’ve been asked about the holes left behind by the old hinges. I guess we got lucky there because our cabinets have a shape that hides the hinge holes behind the doors, sort of in the shadow of the door. So while we do have holes behind our cabinets, we don’t feel they’re noticeable. And the holes on the inside of the frame were either covered by our new hinges, or in some cases just below the new hinges, and we don’t care about the visibility.

I recommend going to Home Depot instead with a picture of your cabinet hinge and overlay area to see if the handy folks in cabinetry can help you.

6. Add updated accessories when updating ’80s oak cabinets

After you add hardware to your cabinets, clean the cabinets, lighten the windows, de-oak the surroundings, hide the hinges, and get all your junk off the counter, take a step back. What kind of modern accessories can you add to your ’80s kitchen to help upgrade it? Check out Hobbylobby.com for cute decor, and sort the items by “top selling’ to see what the most popular decor is.

Plants in modern pots are always a great idea. I got this wall planter from Hobbylobby.com. Bonus: it doesn’t take up counter space, and I don’t have to water it:

We upgraded our basic, boring wooden stools to these cute metal + wood barstools from Amazon (#ad). Check out the reviews for more pictures. The color is so versatile because it looks like a dark stainless steel and copper at the same time. The brown top is a medium-dark walnut shade.

I also like these industrial swivel stools for my next stools:

Cute towels from Fred Meyer, a modern plant or two, and farmhouse decor can all help bring your kitchen out of the ’80s and into the…’20s.

7. Upgrade your faucet…you won’t believe the difference

For another big change for a small budget, look into cute a sink faucet. We got our Pfister pull-down faucet and soap dispenser for FREE off Craigslist because someone was tossing out a sink with this attached. What a score, considering Amazon sells it for $187 (ad)! Of course, it can be hard to find such an awesome freebie, but Amazon often sells used faucets at a significant discount as well. Also, check eBay and Craigslist! I found my bathroom remodel faucet on eBay for 50% off retail.

This is such a simple change that automatically helped transform the kitchen into a warmer, more farmhouse style. I love how the white sink and window treatment make the oil-rubbed bronze faucet pop.

Speaking of upgrading, I know new kitchen appliances won’t be for every budget, but if you can, it’d make a huge transformation. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to utilize free Craiglist appliances and outlet appliances.

We bought our stainless Whirlpool fridge and oven at Searsoutlet.com (now Americanfreight.com) and paid $1000 total for “scratch and dent” models. The fridge’s scratch was on the side, where it was not visible. The stove’s dent is minor and in a black area that isn’t noticeable. Our dishwasher was FREE off Craiglist! Folks constantly upgrade or move into a new home, and many just give away the old appliances. The microwave was on sale at Lowes for $200, and we paid $160 after using my military discount and discounted gift cards from an eBay sale. We paid around $1,160 total for our four stainless appliances.

8. Restore any areas that need it

Your ’80s or ’90s cabinets from several decades ago aren’t likely to be in pristine condition. Consider trying Restor a Finish to help cover areas with excessive wear. It’s quick and easy to do, but it’s very stinky. It smells like vinegar. Make sure you open your windows and hang out outside that day.

9. Declutter, declutter, and declutter some more

I wasn’t going to mention the benefits of decluttering but recently decided to add this 9th feature after watching one too many episodes of Hoarders. Wow, can clutter can take over a person’s kitchen–and life! If your kitchen is a warm gathering place in your home, the last thing you want is chaos everywhere taking over this much-needed space.

Find a place for everything, and seriously consider downsizing or relocating anything from your kitchen counter that doesn’t absolutely need to be there on the countertop. Bonus: this will make your counters look more spacious. I had no idea I had this much counter space!

Appliances that get infrequent use can go the pantry or hall closet if you don’t have a pantry. Recipe books get a designated cabinet or drawer. Medicines that aren’t taken daily can hide behind the coffee maker or up above the fridge. Pens, scissors, and miscellaneous papers get a junk drawer or basket. Anything left on the counter should have an absolute need to be there on a near-daily basis. The coffeemaker, toaster, and utensil holder get used daily. Notice how I tucked the coffee maker and toaster, plus any meds we take daily behind the fridge area. Upon first impression, it’s out of sight!

I love plants, and when paired with a modern-style planter, they can be a strategic part of your declutter plan. Notice how my big plant covers the ugly outlets and phone cords. Also, see how the colors are all modern gray/white? If you modernize the things you can, it helps draw attention away from the things you can’t.

I swapped my 12×10 mail-holder basket for a vertical farmhouse-style white metal mail holder from Hobby Lobby. See how it blends into the background (you don’t want your mail to grab attention) and hides ugly sockets while also taking up less counter space due to its vertical nature. It even has the option to hang on the wall, which would be the perfect way to help clear counter clutter while keeping important bills handy. We chose not to hang it since we may be moving soon.

Look at all these cute options! I love Hobby Lobby:

I extensively decluttered my counter and am amazed at all the counter space I didn’t realize I had!

A word about countertops

While I didn’t mention counters as their own feature, that’s obviously one of the top ways you can update a kitchen without painting. It’s also a costly way. Try a few smaller changes first, and you might just decide the laminate counters are outdated but still look decent. If your laminate countertop is in good shape and not an offending color like bright orange (my previous home’s counters were ’70s orange), you might conclude it looks pretty decent next to better-looking cabinets and decor, especially when decluttered and clean.

Or work your way up to redoing the counters once you find it in your budget. We were originally going to install Allan Roth solid surface counters from Lowes for around $2400 but decided to hold off after making other updates instead. Remember not to overdo the counters for your neighborhood. Not all homes (my home included) warrant expensive, fancy marble counters! Check Zillow to see what others in your neighborhood and price point have done to update their kitchen.

Gonna try updating ’80s oak cabinets?

With all these small changes, you’ll transform an outdated kitchen into a warm gathering place the family will love.