Not Bright White: The Paint Color That Gives Dated Honey Oak Cabinets A Fresh Look

The familiar, orangey hue of honey oak cabinets immediately evokes the 1990s, but it's extremely polarizing whether that memory and overall aesthetic are viewed as fond or unpleasant. For one faction of people, honey oak wood is a cruel and dated strain on the eyes. For another, it's rich, comforting, and filled with character. In fact, honey oak cabinets are trendy again, even though they declined in popularity at the start of the 21st century. That's right, everyone had them in the '90s and now some want them in their kitchens again. But if you're in the former camp and your kitchen feels trapped in the '90s and you want to revamp your honey oak cabinets, there's a fresh paint color that does the job: the off-white shade of PPG's Garlic Clove.

So, what exactly makes Garlic Clove the perfect choice for a cabinet update? First off, many people want to say goodbye to stark white kitchen cabinets, and this color finds a striking balance between a calming neutral and an inviting earth tone. PPG describes that color as a "budding off-white with a sage undertone." It's warm, modern, and versatile. Garlic Clove is also part of the brand's Collective Pallette, which emphasizes elegant "pastoral neutrals" that work on everything from interior walls to kitchen cabinets. All it takes is a fresh coat and your home can jump out of the '90s and change decades in the blink of an eye.

Neutral colors, especially warm off-whites, are the most popular choice for kitchen cabinets. Along with creating a look that's timeless and sophisticated, neutrals are incredibly versatile, and Garlic Clove is no different, as you can pair it with an array of colors. Some other corresponding colors in PPG's Collective Palette include jewel tones like Ruby Lips and Briar Rose as well as more vibrant blues and greens like Mallard Green and Walden Pond. The brand specifically marks Thin Ice and Flagstone as grays that are suitable accent colors, too. It's often recommended to match off-white kitchen cabinets with contrasting countertops and backsplashes, which might include darker grays or even wood tones. Adding these wood accents also provides an easy gateway into a modern farmhouse style of kitchen.

Of course, before deciding on all the matching kitchen decor, the first step is painting over those honey oak cabinets. You'll need to remove the cabinets from their hinges, sand the wood — ideally with 120-grit sandpaper — and add primer. You may need to sand again with finer sandpaper before adding two coats of Garlic Clove, or a comparable off-white, paint. If you're really dying for an immediate change, there's an easier way to update honey oak cabinets without painting, and that's simply changing the hardware. That said, painting is a surefire way to completely revamp the look of your kitchen, even if it's hard to say goodbye to the iconic yet divisive honey oak cabinets.