Here's another picture that shows the other side of the kitchen (the table matches the cabinets).

I do t love your cabinets and floors together so I would change 1. I think cabinets would give you more bang for the buck if you are redoing floors for color purposes

Are red oak kitchen cabinets outdated?

Well I wouldn't call them trendy. I think the floors are more classic than the cabinets.

I think red oak kitchen cabinets are outdated. My instinct is to refinish them whenever I see them.

I agree with Cancork, but....if you paint the trim, where do you stop? The rest of the house has stained trim. It might look funny.

I think those cabinets are gorgeous. I would not paint them. I agree the countertop is....dark. A new counter top and faucet would go a long way to update the look.

As always, my question is....what do you want the finished product to look like? What is your goal? You can refinish the floor...although it will be about the same as it is now because it is maple. You can paint those awesome cabinets white. But what is the end game?

It is best to have a goal, a plan before you go off willy-nilly and then be in over your head.

Hey everyone,

Thank you so much for all your help; I really appreciate it. I had a couple questions based on what you guys mentioned:

@Cancork: how can you tell that the floor is maple? Is it just based on the style/wood grain pattern? I know you're an expert but I was just wondering how you knew. Also, is it normal to paint an oak/maple wood baseboard trim white? Or do you usually just purchase white base board? In your personal opinion, would you keep the color as is if it were your home?

@Amy & Mary: is red oak the same as cherry wood? How can you tell the difference?

@Kathi: my wife really wants to replace the faucet (haha she'll appreciate that comment). You're definitely right though about having a goal: I think there is a big trend to have darker floors and lighter cabinets (that's what I've seen at least based on homes I looked at before purchasing the town home).

Jamie.. Not sure. I've just been comparing my color to other colors.. Mine aren't as red as cherry wood. I'm from MS. Just bought a house in FL. The darker cabinets are not my favorite & about all I see is lighter painted, distressed, etc. I'm not good at matching, decorating.!! Boo.!just asking if these are "dated"!-OR- acceptable.

Also, when you write down your goals....you may need to add a pantry to the left of the refrigerator.

@Kathi: haha I totally agree. We recently bought a pantry/shelving unit that we're putting together now for that particular area.

I totally agree with Cancork. Yep. Just do that they say.

I would paint all of the trim, it looks very dated. I would not change the countertops, I think that is a big expensive project that will not really change your kitchen. White cabinets will.

I don't think you have oak cabinets like some have said. The strong grain pattern of oak is not there. I think your cabinets are cherry like you said originally.

I would refinish the floors, have a large pantry installed beside fridge and paint all the cabinets white....the counter looks fine to me.

Your cabinets are lovely. Hunt on-line for kitchens with natural cherry cabinets. here's an example if you changed your floors and countertops. Your current floors have a lot of yellow in them, which I think dates your kitchen. I'd keep your window trim the same to match the rest of the house. I would however remove the chair rail. It is too high.

I'm not sure if you have maple floors or oak. I've seen some oak floors that are from the 70's-80's that have been stained and finished with the yellow tone like that. Maple floors look like basketball court or bowling alley floors - is that what yours looks like, or does it have more grain texture than that? If more grain, then oak, in which case it takes stain just fine.

It's true, many are painting their kitchens white nowadays, but your cabinets have real value just the way they are - they are beautiful and timeless. In order to brighten up the kitchen and give it more value, we would suggest replacing the countertops. If you want some movement, you could go with granite (for example, Andromeda White Granite or Bianco Romano Granite). Quartz is also a great choice. Daria Quartz as a beige option or Frosty Carrina for more contrast and increased brightness are both excellent options. If you decide to replace your countertops, make sure to go and personally pick out a slab and, if possible, take a piece with you just to check it out in your kitchen, under your lighting.

I think your cabinets and counter are both fine. A beautiful backsplash, some under cabinet lighting to show it off and brighten the room, and a decluttering of your countertop would really freshen things up. Agree on getting some drywall and a door and build a pantry.

I totally agree with Heather. Ivory cabinets painted by a pro and new fun knobs. Maybe add color to island. Ocean blue is a hot color now. New back splash. Refinish floors by a pro as well in a darker color. Cannot wait to see your finished kitchen!

Just noticed it's not an island. It perhaps should be. It can be moved before you do the floors and the flooring people can repair the flooring. You can also have the granite modified to fit an island as well. This will give you a better flowing kitchen.

The color of your floor is very nice - we would keep it, as we would also keep the cabinet color - don't paint it white. If you want to balance out everything, go for bright countertops and backsplash. One option is to go white/gray and silver because of your fridge. Calacatta Gold for countertop and silver mosaic for the backsplash. White backsplash would also brighten up the space - Whisper White hexagon tile and Greecian White are both wonderful options.

Jaime, can you get doors to match cabinets? It would close the door on the clutter and tie the pantry in with the kitchen.

If you can't match the door to your cabinets, just get one similar to the other doors in your house and you'll be fine.

Attached are two closer pictures of the wood floor and kitchen cabinets in natural lighting (I have soft white LED lighting which is why the cabinets can look like they have a hue to them).

Maybe someone will be able to confirm what Cancork said about our flooring (is it maple or oak?)

Also, I agree with what you guys said: my wife is really wanting a beige/white backsplash to brighten up the room (that and a new faucet).

@Aqua & Home kitchen: thank you for your feedback as well. Your feedback along with Cancork helps us feel comfortable about refinishing the floors and keeping them as is.

Your floor is oak, not maple.

Your cabinets are beautiful timeless cherry wood, why would you want to paint it white? Most white cabinets in kitchens are mdf, not real wood. It would cheapen the look of your kitchen. I would change the countertop, keep the floor color the same, get rid of some of the clutter on the countertop and add a nice backsplash.

I just re-read and you have to redo your floors so I would redo them slightly darker and warmer to go with your cabinets.

Floors are Oak. The up-close photo shows that more clearly. They might be red oak. If you add a colour to these floors, it would either be VERY subtle (almost non-existent) or you would go super dark (like your counter tops).

At this point, they are an OK match (as much as Oak and Cherry can be). Adding in a stain would need to be reddish to help connect the floors to the cherry cabs. Or you have to go SUPER dark to get the floors to work with the counter tops.

Good luck.

Black is an idea

Your cherry cabinets are timeless. Please don't paint them. Since your oak floors need to be redone, consider a lighter shade that neutralizes the yellowish tone and provides more contrast with the cabinets. Your countertops are dark, but they go well with the cherry cabinets and the appliances. Adding a backsplash to tie together the colors in the countertop and cabinets will help. Agree with others about removing the chair rail. It is very traditional, and your furniture style is contemporary. And, please keep your stained wood trim. It has character and will soon be back in style!!!

I figured I'd update you guys on some of the changes I made since everyone gave me so much great input! Haha it's amazing what new lights, less clutter, and a cleaner kitchen can do. Won't be able to refinish the floors until October though due to busy schedules across the board with professionals.

That looks good. Once you get the pantry next to the fridge, you can whittle away even more!!

Whittle while you work!

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Hey guys,

Just wanted to send you an update on our kitchen. We just had the trim painted white and had the floors refinished with a clear coat (satin finish). It's slowly coming along! My wife and I currently in the process of painting our shelving units for that empty space next to the fridge. Thanks again for all your help and feedback!

Haha and now for that lighter quartz/granite countertop... :)

Soooo much nicer with white trim! Lovely! And it looks like the floors have calmed down a little (not quite so strong a yellow...which offers a bit of an update without a massive change).

Simple can be the best solution.

It looks great! You must be thrilled:) I personally like your black granite/cherry cabinet combo...I think it is a pretty classic combo but if you are looking for a change Cambria Windermere would look lovely with your cherry cabinets. It would look good with your paint color as well.