How to modernize your orange oak kitchen with modern decor

Modernizing your orange oak kitchen with modern decor can be a great way to add a fresh and contemporary look to your space. With a few simple updates, you can transform your kitchen from dated and tired to vibrant and stylish. Whether you are looking to make a big change or just want to update your existing design, here are some tips on how to modernize your orange oak kitchen with modern decor. 

1. Paint the fronts of your kitchen furniture

This will not only refresh the doors, hiding the traces of time, but also change the color to a more current / light / cheerful.

To paint old MDF film fronts, it is recommended that you first remove the film. To do this, it will be necessary to heat it up well. Then the MDF needs to be sanded down, wiped with a dry cloth and degreased with a special agent. The next step is priming. Acrylic primer for wood and MDF is suitable. Priming is necessary several times (letting the previous layer dry), until the MDF surface is absolutely smooth to the touch. The primer can be lightly sanded before painting. Acrylic paints, also recommended for wood, are suitable for painting.

Facades with plastic coating are painted the same way, but the plastic (laminate) do not need to remove. It is washed, well sanded, washed and degreased again. Then comes a primer with a high level of adhesion, designed for problematic surfaces (such as glass and plastic). Among paints, it is better to choose one that is recommended specifically for furniture.

Veneered doors should be washed with a degreaser and wiped dry, then sanded. Priming is generally not necessary. Acrylic wood and metal paint is good for staining.

2. Remove the fronts from the upper cabinets, leaving them open.

If the doors are quite bad, but the frames are still good – from the cabinets you can leave only the “boxes”. This is a very current option – even new kitchens are sometimes ordered in such a design.

The inner surfaces of the cabinets can also be painted or wallpapered.

3. Removing the fronts of the lower cabinets, closing them with curtains

The use of “skirts” instead of doors is typical not only for country and rustic, but also for modern design (including loft).

4. Replace part or all of the upper cabinets with open shelves

Another common solution, even for new interiors. Such storage spaces will cost mere pennies, while the work area will become lighter and visually lighter. By the way, the shelves can be constructed from elements of old furniture.

5. Decorate the fronts

The doors of the set can be subjected not only to painting, but also other finishes. For example, cover them with thick vinyl wallpaper. This method is suitable only for those cabinets that are remote from the sink and stove. Also facades can be covered with PVC-foil or cloth (the fabric top covered with varnish), tiled with mosaics, cover with planks, etc.

6. Change handles

Fittings seem to be a trifle, but very important. New topical handles will give the old headset a much more modern look.

7. Tile or mosaic the old countertop

It’s common to replace a countertop with a new one, even with a budget kitchen renovation. After all, the cost of laminated chipboard countertops is not at all low. But if you do not want to remove and remove the old surface, and then bring in and install a new one, there is a way out. You can tile or mosaic the lost look countertop. Yes, it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s pretty fast. And you can buy the easiest tile to solve this problem, on the stock (leftovers).

If the remnants are different – no big deal. Combined cladding is quite acceptable.

8. Paint the tiles

Tiles on the walls and on the floor can be covered with paint – this will refresh the surface and change the color. We wrote about this in detail in the article “How to paint tiles”.

9. Cover the apron with a new material

If the wall in the working area has more than deplorable appearance, you can hide it behind laminated chipboard, MDF panels, plywood sheets, mirrors, linings, etc. In this case, the old finish of the apron does not have to be removed.

10. Wallpaper the wall in the work area and cover it with glass.

Tempered glass, if it is not decorated with a photo print, is not too expensive. This method of mounting the apron is easy, clean and fast. However, the old trim, if any, will most likely have to be removed.

11. Tile the floor with PVC tiles.

There are vinyl coverings in the form of tiles, the size of which corresponds to the dimensions of the floor tiles. However, there are also variations under the parquet. They can be glued directly on the tiles or planks. This will quickly and very inexpensively update and transform the floor. Of course, such finishing will not last too long, but as a temporary option will justify itself.

12. Lay a large rug.

Carpeting in the kitchen is not so bad. It’s warm and cozy with them. And the order is not difficult to maintain, if you have a vacuum cleaner in the house. It is better, of course, to take a dark carpet, so that stains (and they will appear sooner or later) will not be so noticeable.

Hygienic are woven mats – they can be cleaned with a rag and mop just like a regular floor.

13. Decorate the wall near the dining table

Stylish and comfortable dining area can become the main decoration of the kitchen interior. It will draw attention to itself, making the flaws of the old kitchen much less noticeable. Fortunately, to transform the dining area is much easier than the working area.

Particular attention should be paid to the wall, near which the table is located. If the finishing in the kitchen is very old and there is no way to change it, then you should refresh at least this wall. It is not necessary to remove the old coatings and thoroughly prepare the surface. Even over old wallpaper, tiles or paint you can install, for example, clapboard, panels, laminate, mirror or glass panels, etc.

14. Change the dining chairs.

This will instantly change the look of the kitchen (for the better, of course). Especially if the choice falls not on the classic elegant models, but on something modern and/or bright.

15. Introduce bright accents.

Colored elements will make even the moodiest kitchen more lively, modern and cheerful. However, it is important to avoid chaos and excessive mottling. Accents should be one or two colors. The number of bright details should also be limited. Everything is good in moderation.

16. Decorate the interior

Decorative little things turn the kitchen into a nice cozy nest. Minimalism is good in an expensive interpretation, and the old interior should be decorated properly – new elements of decoration will draw much of the attention from the old surfaces and worn items.

Wall decorations, hiding old decorations (paintings, posters, mirrors), baskets and boxes for storage, live plants (visually freshening up the interior) will be appropriate. However, do not overdo it; do not let the decor clutter up your kitchen.