Its all in the prep work, going lighter can be a royal pain in the butt. All the existing finish and stain needs to be removed 100%. Even then you may get a blotchy finish.

I refinished my kitchen cabinets from a dark walnut to a medium orangey brown (not quite colonial maple, but somewhere in that area).

It was a LOT of work. In fact, I only did the frames. I just bought new doors and had the cabinet maker match the stain. My kitchen looks pretty good, but it is easy to find the flaws.

To go lighter, you must get every bit of stain out of the grain. That is stripper and sanding and more sanding. Even then you won't get it all. Or you'll sand through the veneer layer and have to deal with that.

You'll have to test your new stain on your ready-to-refinish cabinets. If you don't like something "right out of the can", you'll be mixing and have to keep up with what your recipe is. That can be fairly simple (1:1 or 2:1 is easy) or hard (more than two ingredients, or anything like 3:2 or 5:3). And think about those ratios when you are mixing. 2:1 is 66.66%/33.33%; 5:3 is 62.5%/37.5%; 3:2 is 60%/40%. Will you really be able to tell enough of a difference that it is worth the complication????

After saying all that, I must admit I like what you have already. Maybe just add some hardware, change up the lighting, or even stainless appliances.

@kempek01 I don’t hate what I have but I don’t love it. However I probably don’t hate it enough to risk a shoddy outcome. 😉 I’m upgrading the counters and backsplash but this isn’t my forever home (7-10 yrs though) so I’m not looking to do a $20k renovation. I do plan on adding hardware and updating the appliances when they break which should be any time now since they are 20 years old. I’ve been looking at homes for sale In my area to see what people have done with their kitchens and most have left these cabinets as is.

You did good to check out homes in your area and see what they are doing to their kitchens. Since most have left the cabinets as they are why don't you post more photos of your kitchen and let's see what ideas we can offer you to up-date without you having to restain them. I think you are on the right track as far as new hardware, counters and back splash but maybe we can give you some ideas as to what to look for, too. And at the very least, you can go to the Habitat Restore and pick up some oak cabinet fronts and play around to determine if this is a project you want to tackle. And remember the finish will never wear as well as the factory finish.

I recently refinished a table top and although I am happy with the result, it took a lot of time and effort. A lot. You are underestimating the size of the job. It's a big job even for a pro who knows exactly what they're doing.

@tedbixby1981 I will make a new post once I get all my ideas organized. Currently leaning towards a more simple warm white quartz with grey and brown veining with a herringbone backsplash. Only problem is that even that is a $10k upgrade. I was really hoping to stay around 7-8k. I think the bulk of the cost is due to the shape of my main counter area, it’s kind of a hexagon. I looked at granite but most pieces are too busy with my cabinets and I do not want Corian. I’m looking again at different quartz options that will be more in my budget.

Upgrades to your kitchen will help sell it when you list it. Your new countertop, hardware, etc will separate you from the unrenovated homes. Any realtor will tell you to get your kitchen as updated as possible, so keep your eyes on the neighboring houses. If everyone starts painting their cabinets, you should too (for resale). Let us see the whole room so you can get ideas from your Houzz friends.

What sticks out to me in your otherwise nice looking kitchen is that large beige or old microwave / oven hanging over the stove ...if you changed that to something black your whole kitchen would look better already ...going a little bit lighter is going to be hard to do yourself , change lights and any appliances that look as dated as your built in microwave ..would be my first recommendation to change ..then look again ..., I would even change the white electric stove to black ...but ..it's not necessary to start off with . The floor, I would change that to a white beautiful tile.......

The nice raised panel is a classic look . I’d play up the look and not so much the color. Granite w an edge detail ( keep looking you should find one ) maybe soapstone / great hardware maybe some cup pulls / classic backsplash ./ do you have a nice stylish light fixture somewhere? is there a spot where one or two cab doors on wall could be swapped for glass doored fronts? do the things and hold off on alterations to the wood. You will want the things done anyway and you can be surprised.

Oh , and look at the new kitchen design by Donna mc Mahon this week under " latest ", similar looking color cabinets ...surrounded by white and modern floor ...very sleek !

It's better that you don't start another thread as you have started a conversation here and you will have to manage two threads which will only confuse you as those that are trying to help may not know what is being said on the other thread and some of us won't bother continuing the conversation because of the other thread makes it too difficult to keep the flow of conversation going. Just something to think about if you decide to post a new thread.

You want to make sure that you don't overdesign the parts that you do remodel as it will date the rest of the kitchen. I think one thing on your list should be new SS appliances and maybe that is where you should start but hard to say without more photos.

Duplicate posts always make me crazy. What makes me crazier is that Houzz won’t let you delete any of them after the 1 st hour. That said I would find out now what sells because that is as far in the future as you will get. IMO if I was to look at the kitchen I see all kinds of things that I would want to upgrade so I think do what you love for now and forget trying to second guess what might sell in 10yrs. Keep in mind there are no guarentees this will look better without some pro help but I agree the prep is the hard work and takes a ton of time and elbow grease and choose the new counters after that is done.

@tedbixby1981 I was only going to do a separate post because I’m specifically asking about cabinets here. I thought looking at the overal upgrade project would warrant a new post as the advice I would be seeking is different. But here are some photos, it’s a bit messy at the moment. The stripes are paint not wallpaper. Played around one Christmas and decided to try painting stripes. Rest of the home is warmish earth tones. Adjacent living room pic for reference (yes I need new coffee tables...). 🙂

Things already on the list are paint, light fixture, ss appliances, and I’m trying to figure out a countertop and backsplash as that will be the most costly. Eventually I will do the floors but it’s not planned until next year due to budget.

I have also considered doing a few glass doors but not sure which ones would make the most sense. Either the 2 of the very right in the first photo or I would maybe do the 2 small in the middle and one on the far right.

Just had an appraisal done and it came it at $300k. I don’t feel that if I spent $10k on updates to the counter and backsplash that I would get that back but I could be wrong. My friend is in real estate and could give me her opinion.

These are a few photos off of the MLS listings in my area. In general I don’t see many people painting the cabinets because most of the homes have oak trim throughout. I for one don’t want to repaint all the oak in my house and it’s grown on me over the years. I do see a lot of the beige granite but I’m not really a fan of it. I think it’s too busy with the grain in the oak. I’m also not a fan of dark or non-neutral colored countertops. I’d really prefer a simpler countertop and then have a really pretty backsplash. I really love herringbone, and as a backup would do a subway tile. I’m trying to care less about what happens when I sell and more about picking what makes me happy. Nobody will love what I pick, but I also don’t want to over invest in something that has little return.

Would you please take a photo that shows a full cabinet door so we can see what kind of wood it is?

I suggest you buy a small used piece of furniture such as an end table or coffee table in the same type of wood. In my area, it'd run $25-$50 if in good shape. Practice stripping and sanding it, then apply the whitening treatment you have in mind, followed by two or three coats of polyurethane. You'll have a much better basis for deciding if you want to do that to a full kitchen worth of cabinets.

@apple_pie_order Here is a close up.

Yes, you should pick what makes you happy as your timeline for possibly selling is to far down the road to pick something that could be "in" at the time you go to sell. And the reality today is that unless you are selling tomorrow you shouldn't be thinking of wanting to get an investment back. There are too many variables that may make that possible and many that won't. And 7-10 yrs from now, someone that buys your house may want to gut it and those $10K plus items have no value to the buyer. Do what you want to do to make you happy and is to you worth spending the money on and is in your budget.

That said, I do believe one thing that in the long term that you would get your money back on is if you have the floors sanded and restained. Not only will that help in resale but it will really help those kitchen cabinets as a new floor stain will offer a contrast against the cabinets. Right now the two match and don't offer any visual interest.

I think you are on the right path and the only thing I can say is if you are wanting to stain, get a door from Habitat and play around it with it and that will give you your answers as to whether it is a DIY project for you.

I like the tones in the living room end. . .But they're not really complimentary to the floor, trim and cabinet tones. That's life. Or a lot of work to get to where it blends together beautifully.

@tedbixby1981 The floor is pergo! Thats why it’s next on the list. 🙂

Ha-ha... not often I'm fooled! Got me-lol...

Could just clear the counters and put a bowl of delicious fruit on the island. A cheap and tasty update!

@Sue54321 ABC And budget friendly lol. But for real, I’ve been wanting new countertops since I moved in 10 years ago. The ones I have are light but with almost a confetti print on it and there are several stains from wine, pepper ring juice, etc. I’ve tried everything including mineral spirits to get the stains out.

Thanks for photo. The cabinets are oak. Small oak pieces (for practice and experimenting) such as end tables or chairs are easily found in my area for not much money.

Google "pickled oak cabinets" to see what bleached oak cabinets looked like when they were popular back in the 1980s-1990s. Often they were pinkish. There are other finishes you could look into.

Burtnkys - could try the renters hack. Get some removable peel and stick wallpaper and cover them up. Cheap and if it doesn’t look great when it’s time to sell, just peel it back off. https://www.amazon.com/Peel-Stick-Countertops/s?k=Peel+and+Stick+Countertops

I tried to read through all the comments and didn't see this. Do all your testing on the inside of your cabinet doors over the fridge and microwave. If you mess up most people (guests) will never see those. Also, you need to pick a color that will compliment your floors which in the picture appear to have a lot of orange in them. It will definitely be easier to go darker than lighter. But that will make the kitchen darker, which again appears dark in the pictures. I think if you go whitewashed or pickled it will look dated. Unless YOU absolutely LOVE it (because then who cares if I think it's out of style) don't do it!

Here's my story: I was going to refinish my cabinets (I have refinished many pieces of furniture) and started with my lower peninsula. Cabinets are a whole new animal, especially with the raised panels. Like others have said if you don't get them completed striped and sanded it will not turn out well. I ended up only doing the peninsula and painting the rest I have over 30 doors). *sidenote, Paint store sold me wrong paint for the job, so had to strip all 10 years later and repaint again, then painted the peninsula.

I'm a wood/furniture refinisher/painter. I've redone those oak cabs many times. If you're a novice, forget about staining them and having them look good. they need to be completely stripped, sanded and redone. It's a huge job and seldom looks good w/those oak cabinets.

However, painting them, although a lot of work, is a bit easier and will look better. Since you have some cash to do some upgrades, here is what you need to do.

Follow this tutorial to a tee and your cabinets will look great.

https://www.evolutionofstyleblog.com/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets-like

Upgrade your end panels, and the panels around the island for a finished look. (and get an overhang on the island countertop)

see how this island is trimmed out around the edges and the base? you do this to the island and do the end panels on the bottom cabs.

This one is the simplest, but there are others that tell you exactly what to use. (search "how to trim island panels" )

You can also do simple wood work and take your cabs to the ceiling. this will really upgrade the look (and it's not difficult.) you can search this how to also

simple MDF panels and trim. pay a local carpenter to do this part for you. then you'll prime it and paint it.

you could also do open cubbies

want to see how to do it? go to the link on this picture

here are some before/after of oak cabs and painting.

This one turned out very nice. Try Oxford White, add some glass to a few of the uppers (DIY this) a new pendant light, Kohler Whitehaven drop in farmhouse sink, new hardware

as for countertops, if you're in an area that has pre-fab granite/quartz, you can save a thousand or so.

appliances? craigslist. check for deals daily.

If you decide to paint them, don't use PPG Breakthrough, Advance, SW Emerald, or any of that other consumer level stuff. Those are great trim paints, but for cabinets that experience heavy wear in the kitchen none of those are up to the task, and there are many 1K and 2K water based pigmented topcoats from companies like Renner that will far, far outperform anything you can find at your local paint store.

@Beth H. :Thank you for that ideas!! I love the idea for the island and also taking the cabinets to the ceiling. If I did go that route though I would have to also have someone take the top of the cabinets off right? Not sure what to call it, but the cabinet equivalent of a crown molding?? One of the photos appears to have lighting at the top which looks really nice!! Would you take all the cabinets to the ceiling ? I have one standalone and then also by the fridge. Would you really do an overhang on the island? The island is not fixed to the ground but I feel like there is not enough room. For reference it’s about 112” across from cabinet to cabinet. I could do an extension, but would not put chairs there because it would be cramped I think.

I really do not want to paint the cabinets though. I’ve never liked white kitchen cabinets (personal preference) which is why I was looking to stain or just leave as is. Plus all of the trim, baseboard and bathroom cabinets are all the same wood. I do plan to update the floors to either a ceramic wood look tile or the linoleum wood look tile possibly but in a different color to break up all the orange.

A creamy/ivory white would look nice with the rest of your oak throughout so you wouldn't have to paint anything but the cabinets.

I wouldn't do the overhang for seating on the island. I think you need 36" between counters. Yours looks narrower than that. Remember you don't have to have a white kitchen to be neutral. A greige, pale grey or a muddy green can be really pretty.

Yes, you will have to remove the crown molding to add the cabinet boxes on top. This is the link for the white and blue kitchen with the baskets and added cabinet boxes that @Beth H. :showed you https://www.thriftydecorchick.com/search/label/Kitchen%20%28previous%29 she has all the steps.

yes, I'd take them all up.

(this only shows part way, but you get the idea. remove the crown from the cabinets and put them on the new portion, hopefully against the ceiling if you can)

didn't know your island was cramped like that, so no overhang. but I would trim out the panels to make it look finished. something simple, along this line. (also do the end panels in the same trim on your bottom bank of cabinets)

I can assure you that staining these cabs darker, or your whitewash, will not give you fantastic results. The grain on your wood is very prominent.

doing a whitewash means stripping it down to bare wood (an enormous amount of work, trust me on this) and carefully applying the whitewash evenly. (But this went out in 2002. I know, because I had it done on my oak cabinets) And the last thing you want is to go darker.

That's why I mentioned painting. you don't have to do white.

Although, this creamy white and soft griege would look great in your house)

there are million other colors. This is one of my favorites color combos

as for the rest of the wood trim, it doesn't matter. leave it. painting the oak in the kitchen and on the cabinets is different. it will be fine.

Here is a whitewashed oak that got redone in green

they put new door fronts on the tops that matched the bottom doors. not a big deal.

@Beth H. :I have an extreme aversion to painting cabinets and if I hated it I don’t think I could ever get the wood look back without significant work. I think it looks nice but I’m too scared I won’t like it long term. I’m non committal about even putting holes in my walls. I think I would consider painting just the island as a first step unless it would look tacky.

Burtnyks, what did you finally decide to do? I'm in a similar situation and would love to see your finished project. Thanks!

If you decide not to stain them you can paint them any other color. I know rustoleum makes a cabinet restoration paint kit. with no sanding! There’s also a company called heirloom traditions that has pretty good stuff that I know of, also no sanding! I think even Joanna Gaines has a cabinet paint line.

l k. not sanding is the quickest way for paint to peel. I don't care what the paint manufacturer says. If you want the paint to last more than 6 months, you've got to sand. period. (and think about the years of grime and grease on those cabs. not everyone is a diligent cleaner)