Update a Wood Kitchen Without Painting Cabinets

Want some tips/ideas to update a wood kitchen without painting cabinets?  I hope you enjoy this very budget friendly kitchen makeover in our small townhouse.  When we purchased the house, we didn’t love the kitchen, but we didn’t have a budget to replace it.  I knew that with a few little changes, we could make it a lot cuter!  Here’s how we updated our wood kitchen on a budget – a small budget!  Our budget was so small that we actually had to spread out the makeover, updating the cabinets first and then replacing the counter and tile backsplash the following year!

The Wood Kitchen Before:

The backsplash tile had a very random pattern of just a few of these fruity tiles, not spaced equally or in any pattern that made any sense?

Little details bothered me, like the light being installed off center from the sink:

Peel & Stick Tiles Temporarily!

At first, all we had time and budget for was to clean and add peel & stick tiles to hide the fruity ones lol.

Re-Varnishing the Cabinets:

The wood tone on these cabinets wasn’t offensive, but the finish had worn away from years of use.  I also hated the hardware.

First, I stripped and re-varnished the wood cabinets.  I used a chemical stripper because the cabinet fronts are veneer and I didn’t want a belt sander to strip below the veneer.  I love the look of the painted cabinetry, but the cabinet fronts had some really nice grain and hubby really wanted to keep the wood cabinets.  Already, this little change made the kitchen look so much better!

Ooo, at this point the cabinet fronts were already stripped and re-varnished–so glossy!

Painting Inside Cabinets + Installing New Hardware:

I caulked and then painted the insides of the cabinets a nice, clean white.  They were already painted, but in rough shape.  Now they look nice and new(er).  We also replaced the hinges and handles on the cabinets.

New Tile Backsplash and Counters:

We couldn’t afford to change the white and black tile floors or the white appliances, so we chose a white backsplash to complement both.  This kitchen also doesn’t have a window (the light comes from across the dining room, through the doorway and passthrough), so I thought white tile would help the space feel brighter and larger.  For something a little special, we installed the basic, inexpensive subway tile in a herringbone pattern.

We opted for brushed silver edging (here’s how to install it) that matches the new brushed silver hardware and new light fixtures.  This pattern required LOTS of measuring, cutting, swearing, re-measuring, cutting . . .  We also installed the new countertops ourselves (it is laminate, but I think it looks like concrete–I love it!).  We did a lot of research and it turned out to be a pretty easy task, which saved us $400 of labor.  We did opt to pay for delivery though, because we have a small car.

A new laminate counter and inexpensive tile backsplash made such a BIG difference!  This kitchen was just so tired, even a little TLC brought life back into the space.

After caulking, the wood kitchen actually started to look so beautiful!  Seeing everything together, the wood cabinetry looks beautiful.  The finish really glows and with a fresh new tile backsplash and new laminate counter, this wood kitchen makeover feels more extensive than it was in reality.

Hiding an Off Center Light Fixture:

To fix the off-centered lighting problem, I actually found a pretty and modern overhead light that is cantilevered – making this look like a design choice and not a mistake!

A New (Old) Mid-century Dining Dining Table:

We posted a want add on an online classifieds looking for a mid-century teak dining table.  A lovely couple replied and we purchased the set below.  The table is in the dining room and we purchased another round teak table to pair with these chairs in the kitchen.  We reupholstered the chairs with a black and white houndstooth to complement the existing floors.

I don’t even really hate the floor tile, it’s cute!

Art Always Makes the Space:

Finally, an unexpected touch: vintage posters as art, to add some color to this space!  I also think the mid-century posters, with the mid-century teak furniture and herringbone backsplash, suggest this wood kitchen is “vintage” and “cool,” not old and dated.  While the art added color, I also think it pulled the space together because the brown cabinetry/furniture is a color picked up in the art, and the graphic style complements the floor, houndstooth upholstery, and herringbone backsplash.

Here’s a look at the whole kitchen together!  (Note: in the photo below we did replace the fridge, after the old one died).

If you’re looking for ideas for how to update a wood kitchen without painting cabinets, I hope this gave you some hope!  Of course, you can always re-stain wood cabinetry as well, but even refreshing it with new varnish makes old wooden cabinets look much newer.  And by replacing hardware, and a couple of surrounding elements, the kitchen looks brand new – even though the cabinetry, flooring, and most appliances (all of the big ticket items) stayed the same!

P.S. Want to See More Small Budget Kitchen Makeovers?

This melamine kitchen had seen better days – this is the before (it’s my Mom’s place):

We repainted the melamine cabinets, painted the old laminate counter, and put down a peel and stick floor!  We were VERY thrifty with this makeover, and even refinished the original brass hardware.  You can find all of the details of this DIY budget friendly kitchen makeover here.

This wood kitchen got a different kind of makeover – I finally got to paint!  This was the before:

First it got a little makeover with painted cabinets, painted vinyl floor, and a unique spin on open shelving.  We also made solid maple wood counters from scratch.

10 years later, it got a full gut job!  Okay, admittedly the second, mid-century modern inspired kitchen renovation wasn’t budget friendly, but I couldn’t help but share!  I kind of came full circle back to wood kitchen cabinets – plus you can still see my love of color and mid-century modern style.