(Disclaimer: If you’re partial to honey oak kitchen cabinets…you might want to divert your eyes)
All joking aside, I know there have to be a slew of people out there who love the color of honey oak. That’s totally cool, I get it. But, this is another post about a homeowner who was over it.
My customer was ready for a new look in her kitchen. Their home is only 15 years old, but her taste and style have changed over time. She conveyed to me how she wanted a brighter, lighter kitchen and no more honey oak.
Coming right up!
I painted the cabinets in Aria Ivory which is an old Sherwin Williams color. It’s been discontinued, but if you ask for it by name they can still pull up the color formulation in their system and mix it.
I wish it wasn’t discontinued because it’s truly a beautiful shade of cream that’s not too yellow and doesn’t go peachy.
And you can click through to this post that outlines the steps I use to paint oak cabinets.
Along with the obvious painting, the only other change was installing pulls on the drawers instead of using the original knobs. This is a great way to update the look of your kitchen!
My personal preference is to have knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. Plus, it creates a more interesting look in the kitchen.
To fill the knob hole on the drawers:
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(By the way, if you want a full supply list of all of the tools, primers, paints, etc that I use, click here to download my free supply list!)
I squeezed a healthy dose of wood filler into the hole. Don’t be shy, you need to really fill the hole up completely with the filler. Allow the filler to dry for a couple of hours, then sand smooth.
Then, using a putty knife, I spread this Bondo Glazing Putty thinly over the hole. Let that dry and sand it smooth again.
Sometimes you’ll need to repeat the Bondo step a second time if a divot is still present. When there’s no more trace of where the hole used to be, you’re ready to prime and paint!
Always keep in mind…filling holes completely so there’s no trace of where it used to be is never a one-step process.
For drilling holes for your new hardware, I like to use this simple template.
Couldn’t be easier!
Pretty fabulous, huh? The color is Aria Ivory by Sherwin Williams. I used shellac base primer and PPG Breakthrough paint.
You can also check out this post where I list more of my favorite cabinet paint colors that look great in almost any kitchen!!
Download my FREEBIE Paint Supply List!
Everything you need to paint your own kitchen cabinets!
One more thing! If you’re wanting to get rid of the wood grain in your cabinets before painting them, I’ve made a free mini course that will show you the simplest way to do so!
Click here to get the grain filling video!
If you want more tips and tricks for painting oak cabinets, my great friend Jenny over at Evolution of Style Blog has lots of awesome before and afters to check out!! For example: Just look at this post where she used Dorian Gray to completely make-over this dark kitchen!
Until next time, my friend!
xo Kayla
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Pssst….your pinterest board called, it wants this pic
Linda says
As always, fabulous job! Looks wonderful
Kayla says
Thanks Linda:)
DiB says
Looks great. I ve always had white cabinets in my home(s)never regret it.
Ellen says
Hi Kayla.
When painting the honey oak cabinets and also the aqua blue drawers, did you spray both projects? I only ask because the finish is so smooth without a single brush mark, its just beautiful perfection!
If your answer is yes, could you please recommend the best spray unit you have used. There are so many on the market that its almost impossible to compare them all. And do you find that you spray everything, or are there certain pieces that you still use a brush?
Many thanks,
Ellen from
The Moth and Butterfly
Australia 😉
Jennifer says
Hello! Looks amazing! Did you use anything to fill the wood grain of the cabinets? Or does the shellac and paint cover it?
Kayla says
Thanks Jennifer! I did not do any grain filling on these cabinets. It’s important for me to note that the grain was not especially deep on this wood. After the coats of shellac and paint, it hid the grain fairly well, but did not fill it in 100%. xo Kayla
Stephanie says
Hi! What is the name of the color you used to paint these cabinets. I absolutely love them!
Thanks!
Jennifer says
Whats the color name and brand you used on these cabinets??
Chris says
Hi–I love what you did here! We have honey oak cabinets that I’m thinking of changing. Would chalk paint work, and could I do it by hand? Thanks. Chris
Kristy says
Hi! Would this paint pull out good on darker colored cabinets??? Just thinking of redoing so I was wondering and did you have to apply two coats of paint??
Jack C. says
The cabinets looks fantastic! Did you use a sprayer for this kitchen painting project? If so, can you share which model?
Thank you.
Jo-Ann Proctor says
Could I, or should I, use melamine paint to cover my cabinets. My contractor said if I paint them, eventually the paint will wear around the knobs and pulls???? They are maple cabinets but stained the same honey oak as your example above.
Janice says
What finish did u use on Dover White cabinets?
I used satin but they don’t look like this.
LuRinda Johnson says
Hello! Just saw this post as I would definitely like to update my cabinets too. Was your trim already white in the room or did you have to paint all the trim? I’m not sure how it would look if everything is light but the trim is still the honey oak. Thanks! Your kitchen is beautiful and exactly what I want! ☺️
Kelley says
Excellent transformation! I still use Aria Ivory, too. Thanks for sharing your process and tips.