Paint

Post some photos of the inside so we can give you some for informed advise.

You can either paint or replace, or live with it until stained wood comes into style again. That is what I choose to do with my light stained maple wood cabinets.

I just stripped all my doors and restained an espresso stain with modern silver handles.

It won't be easy or quick, but paint is the best option for outdated golden oak trim.

This project had golden oak everything. We left the floors and trim in place, replaced the perimeter cabinets with painted & installed a walnut island.

http://www.abandk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/0T5A3376.jpg

Great job, Carol Johnson!

i'd paint the trim and leave the cabinets alone for now. you may be so happy to have some of the oak gone that the cabinets don't bother you any more.

for your stairs, i recomment risers and balusters white, banister glossy black.

A number of years ago my in laws in their 80's bought a new house in which the builder had carefully installed oak trim. She refused to move in until all of it had been painted white. They never second guessed it, and she loved her painted white trim.

Wait 5 minutes. Painted is on the downswing and the more expensive upscale look of wood trim is making a come back. Even white painted cabinets have passed the peak of popularity and the oak is making a comeback.

not in my house its not, live wire. and while i see as many wood cabinets as ever, im not seeing a lot of oak in the stories section. maple maybe. or whatever is under the espresso stain.

but to be clear...i'd never advocate painting oak because its out of style. (cathedral doors, thats a different issue). i'd advocate painting oak trim because it was a mistake the day it went in. its very limiting in the number of colors that go really well with it.

I do have those "cathedral" oak doors in my kitchen. What's the best treatment for the oak to keep the color without painting? I'm putting in slate looking floors with soapstone counters. Help Please!

Kimramsey - Many have oak cabinets and happily live with them. They are sturdy and your plan of new countertops and floors sounds good. I recently did new countertops and backsplash and a farmhouse sink. It helps if you like a country / cottage or vintage style.

A little white paint - especially on the trim can help if you feel there is too much wood:

Here are some picks of my home:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/57579129/thumbs/my-pics-work-in-progress

Another possibility is to remove some uppers and add shelving. You would need to be comfortable with open shelving and have plenty of other storage:

You may want to start a new thread with picks of your kitchen / home to get more responses.

My cabinets have got to go. They are worn out and the "innards" in them was not the best to start with; the shelves are worn and there is water damage under the sink from a problem years ago. It's all the trim and curved stair railings that are getting on my nerves but I just can't bring myself to paint that solid oak. I will post pictures some day when I have time.

I'm struggling with the same issue, can't imagine painting all that trim and I don't care for the look of white trim and an oak door...which means all new doors too.

Oak doors with white is actually a good look. The wood doors have more value then the white which are will be solid core MDF if you get the good ones and will show every speck of dirt and scratches. Please donate your old doors to ReStore - someone will love them. I have white trim and like it - but it is an upkeep. I am glad I do not need to upkeep my doors too:)

Here are some pics from last week on This Old House site. Wood trim can be pretty. This trim is new - yes mid tone wood trim was added to this kitchen.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/kitchen-remodel-fit-crowd?utm_source=cheetah&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_091117

I realize this is an old conversation, but it caught my eye because my home is 1971 with lots of golden oak. Oddly, my doors and trim are golden oak, kitchen cabinets are cherry, and bathroom vanities are white. Pretty sure it's all original so not sure what builder was thinking...but I digress. I'm in dreaming stage right now and not ready to remodel yet. But I wanted to say I've had both in various homes.....white painted trim and stained hardwood trim. White trim doesn't hold up well to vacuum cleaners, kids, pets, etc. and quickly becomes a maintenance nightmare. When you hear a suggestion to PAINT, ask yourself how many times you're willing to do touch-ups. I have found the stained hardwood to be nearly indestructible, so that is my preference. "Oak" is not dated or trendy. It is merely a type of hardwood. And a darned good one if you ask me. It's that "golden" finish that dates the look and leaves everyone cringing. So I would recommend staining...something lighter or darker depending on taste and natural light or a nice shade of blue, green, gray, or beige.

Our home has golden oak trim EVERYWHERE but the previous owners put in dark cherry kitchen cabinets and moldings but the room goes right into the kitchen nook that still has oak windows and trim... it looks... odd. I can’t afford to replace the cabinets and don’t know what to do now

Keep your cabinets, paint the oak trim white.

Paint real wood. You must be smoking something good. Why not just put mdf at that point.

What does mdf mean sorry ?

Get rid of that paint for sure !

MDF is medium density fiberboard.

They aren’t installing trim new so mdf is a moot point. There are plenty of reasons never to install it for base trim.

I have it now and while it bends to poorly built walls it also dents and crumbles at the mitred joints if knocked, swells when wet from bathroom and mopping moisture and just looks cheap upon inspection unless it’s really sealed well. it also doesnt take sanding and refinishing well. it’s not wood.

Plus, it can contain more harmful VOC than wood, a natural product. Its just an inferior product for baseboards from my user experience. I was alarmed to see it in my “luxury” apartment and have to be extra careful vacuuming around corners. If I find it in the house I’m planning to buy, it will be ripped out at the first reasonable opportunity to remodel.