Honey oak is one of the most common reasons people call us about cabinets. The boxes are solid and the layout works, but the color feels twenty years out of style. Painting them is usually the answer. Here is what to expect before you commit.
Painted oak looks like painted wood
Oak has a deep, open grain. When you paint it, that grain shows through the finish. Most of the customers we’ve worked with understand that painted cabinets are going to look like painted wood, and they don’t mind it.
If you’d rather have a smoother face, we can fill the grain before we paint. Just tell us at the estimate. It’s your call, and we’re happy to do it either way.
You may change your mind about stain
Filiz and Bob, in Edmond, had us paint the outside of their home first. About a year later they asked us to look at their oak kitchen. Filiz wanted the cabinets stripped and re-stained to keep the wood look. Then she tried a few painted colors on a photo of her own kitchen, fell for the painted look, and went two-tone: green on the lower cabinets and island, a lighter shade up top.
“They had to refinish all the wood, paint twice with primer, twice with the color. Matt and his team were professional and meticulous. They did a beautiful job and we love the room. I show before and after pictures to everyone.”
— Filiz P., Homeowner · EdmondIf the stain is still in decent shape and you love the wood, a refresh is possible too: a light sand, a matching stain, and a fresh clear coat.
Why stained oak costs more to paint than painted cabinets
Taking cabinets from stain to paint always costs more than refreshing cabinets that are already painted. There is more prep:
- Sand. A scuff sand or a deeper sand, depending on the surface.
- Clean. A thorough cleaning, so the cabinets end up deglossed and degreased.
- Prime. A bonding primer that helps the new paint stick and not chip.
- Two finish coats of an industrial enamel (Benjamin Moore Command or Sherwin-Williams Forte).
Skip those steps and paint lets go of the wood. We were once asked to quote a repair on cabinets that were peeling in sheets three weeks after another company painted them.
What it costs and how long it takes
Most Oklahoma City kitchens run $5,000 to $10,000. The biggest factor is how many doors and drawers you have. Two kitchens the same size can have double the count, and every piece is painted on one side, flipped, and painted again. A second color adds a little.
A whole kitchen usually takes three to four days, and with the enamels we use you can put it back to work the next day.
Is it going to last?
That’s the question underneath most cabinet calls. Our cabinet work carries a written 2-year warranty that covers premature fading, peeling or flaking, and cracking in the joints and corners. It doesn’t cover impact, like a pot rammed into a door. No paint we know of survives that.
Get your real number
We’ll look at your cabinets with you, tell you honestly whether paint is the right call, and hand you a written price. Free, no obligation, and you don’t pay the balance until you’ve walked the finished job with us.