The Overlooked Style That Updates Honey Oak Cabinets Without Painting Everything

It may be true that honey oak cabinets from the '90s are back in style, but that doesn't mean they can't be a little much. Luckily, there are some easy ways to update them to help them mesh with your modern decor better. If you enjoy your honey oak cabinets but wish they weren't as overwhelming, or if you just don't have the time to repaint everything, you might want to try turning them into tuxedo-style cabinets. You may not have heard the name, but you've almost certainly seen tuxedo-style cabinets before. That's what it's called when the upper and lower cabinets are different colors.

The tudexo look can have several benefits for your kitchen, but importantly, for honey oak cabinets, they add variety to prevent a room from becoming monotone. If all your cabinets are honey oak, your kitchen may start to feel like a wall of bright, orangy wood. Even if you enjoy the color on a smaller scale, it can be a bit overwhelming. By reducing the amount of it in the room and limiting it to either the upper or lower half, it breaks up the wall of color. The result is a more cohesive kitchen that has honey oak cabinets as a statement piece. Additionally, since you're only painting one set of cabinets, you can save time, money, and energy.

Typically, the lighter of the two colors goes on the upper cabinets, while the darker color is on the lower ones. This has a nice balancing effect, with the darker color grounding the kitchen and the lighter color making the room feel taller. Honey oak cabinets tend to be on the lighter side, but they aren't fully pastel. They can work as either the upper or lower cabinets, depending on the other color you choose.

What color you choose for your other cabinets can make or break the tuxedo style. If you want to keep things fairly neutral, a creamy white or pale gray will pair nicely with them. You can also pick another wood tone, such as a darker brown, to keep your kitchen looking rustic and natural. If neutral is the furthest thing from your mind, consider using blue as your second color to complement the orange tones in the honey oak. Green may also be a nice choice if you want a soothing, forest-inspired kitchen. 

You should also consider the other colors already in use in your kitchen. You might want to look at 2026 cabinet color trends if you're interested in balancing the vintage honey oak color with something more current. Pulling inspiration from your kitchen decor can make everything feel more cohesive, while matching one set of cabinets to your walls can make them fade into the background, letting your honey oak cabinets take all the focus.

If you would rather have the honey oak cabinets play support while the other cabinets shine, consider updating your cabinets with wallpaper for a stylish refresh instead of painting them a solid color. If you choose a multicolored pattern, make sure each color pairs well with honey oak to avoid accidental clashing. Whether you're using paint or wallpaper, it's a good idea to bring home a sample before making your final choice. Since you won't need to paint everything, you also won't need to repaint everything if the color you pick doesn't work out. However, it can still be frustrating to have to undo your work, so it's better to take the extra time to test your color out first.