Updating Oak Furniture: How to Get a High End Look (Without Replacing It!)

Have you ever looked at an old piece of oak furniture and wondered if it could be saved? What if I told you that updating oak furniture is easier than you think? I’m going to show you how to get a high end look without replacing it, using paint or stain!

With these painting furniture ideas and the right techniques, you can transform your old oak piece into something special. Keep reading for all the details!

I can’t tell you how many oak pieces of furniture I have seen in thrift stores or on Facebook Marketplace just waiting for someone to take them home. People get rid of them all the time because the orange stain doesn’t match today’s design, and they just scream 80s or 90s.

But here’s the thing: oak furniture is usually solid wood and built to last. So, instead of passing them up, I’ve picked up oak pieces, updated them, and made them look high end enough to be proud to keep them in my own home.

And today, I want to show you how you can do the same thing. With stain or paint, oak furniture can go from dated to designer with just a little work. The wood itself is strong, durable, and better built than a lot of furniture you can buy today. So, why get rid of something solid when you can update it to match your home?

Oak usually has warm, orange undertones when you stain it, and this dated orange look is what makes it feel out of place in today’s homes. But here’s the secret: you can cancel that orange undertone with the right stain. Or, if stain feels too intimidating, paint is always a great option too.

Staining Oak Furniture

One of my favorite latest projects was this oak dining table. I found it was solid wood, but the finish was this warm orange tone, and the leaf had probably been in storage, so it didn’t look the same as the rest of the table. Not exactly what I want in my house.

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I’ll be honest, I put this project off for months as I tried to come up with a game plan. I was so nervous about messing it up and having to redo it. Oak is notorious for pulling red and orange tones when you stain it, and the last thing I wanted was to do all that work and end up with a stain that clashed with my kitchen cabinets. I just kept thinking, what if I ruin it?

Finally, I stripped it down and tested a custom stain mix to cancel the orange: first, ebony, then a dark walnut mixed with a green stain. I tested it under the leaf, and it was promising, but not exact.

So, I was still nervous as I stained the legs of the table. But if I messed up here, at least it would just be the legs that I would have to redo. It worked like magic, though. The orange disappeared, and I was left with this deep neutral finish that matched my kitchen cabinets perfectly.

Instead of that dated 90s orange oak, I ended up with a piece that looks like it came from a high end furniture store. It felt like the table belonged in my home for the first time. That relief and pride in the after, that’s what makes these projects so worth it.

Painting Oak Furniture

Now, maybe you’re thinking, “Staining sounds scary or messy.” And that’s totally fine! Paint is an incredible way to update oak furniture, too.

One of the most simple yet powerful transformations was an oak bookshelf I did for a client. Honestly, I did not think that it would look good painted, but once it was done, it completely changed my mind.

That project actually made me pick up a bookshelf of my own just a few months ago. Check out the full makeover in my painting an oak bookcase blog post.

Sometimes the pieces you think won’t look very good in the end end up being the biggest surprises. And honestly, I could show you painted transformations like this all day long.

If you want more inspiration, I put together a free furniture makeovers lookbook. It’s full of real before and after photos from pieces I’ve painted, and it will give you tons of ideas for what you can do with your own furniture. You’ll see projects that went from heavy and outdated to light, fresh, and modern. And I promise it will make you excited to start your own!

Another project was an oak dresser I painted creamy white. The original finish made it feel old and heavy, like it belonged in Grandma’s house, but with creamy white paint, it suddenly felt light and fresh.

The dark stained top added a unique touch where you could still see the wood grain, but it accented the white in a way that felt stylish and modern. And now it can go in almost any room. Here’s painting oak furniture white for the full makeover!

And I’ll never forget this big oak nine drawer dresser I painted in deep gray. That one sold so fast. Everyone loved it because deep warm grays are trendy right now, but also neutral enough to work with almost any decor.

A piece like this would easily sell in a furniture store for over $1,000, but it wouldn’t even be built as well as this dresser. I spent under $200 and some time, and turned it into a beautiful high end looking piece that was gone in no time. Here’s painting a dresser gray for all the details.

The same thing happened with an oak dining set I painted black. The table and chairs didn’t even match at first, but once they were painted, they looked like they belonged together. The black paint instantly modernized the whole set and made it look like something brand new.

That one also sold quickly because black is classic and fits in just about any home. Check it out in my painting a dining table black blog post!

Now, if you want to take this even further, my furniture painting course dives into my entire system for painting furniture from start to finish. I cover everything from prep to painting to finishes so you can get a flawless, durable result every single time.

It’s not just about one single project. It’s about giving you confidence to tackle any furniture makeover and know it will hold up. If you’ve ever worried about paint chipping, brush marks, or just not knowing the next step, this course takes away all the stress.

Updating Oak Furniture

The truth is, updating oak isn’t complicated. Staining it the right color mix or painting it in a neutral tone makes a huge transformation. The warm orange disappears. The furniture suddenly feels modern, and you still have the durability of solid wood that’s built to last.

Instead of replacing your old furniture with something new and probably flimsy, you can keep what you have and love it even more. And honestly, it feels amazing to take something old and make it beautiful again.

Watch this and get more inspiration in our YouTube video below:

I love looking back at these projects because every single one of them could have easily been tossed or left behind in a thrift store. Instead, they became pieces that are stylish, modern, and totally unique. That is the power of updating oak furniture.

So, next time you see a piece of oak furniture that feels outdated, don’t overlook it. Picture what it could look like with stain or paint. And remember, you can make it happen. With the right guidance and the right products, it really isn’t as hard as it may look. And the pride you feel when you see the finished piece in your home makes it all worth it.

More Painting Furniture Ideas

• White Wash Furniture With Chalk Paint
• Best Type Of Furniture Paint For Beginners
• How To Highlight Furniture Details With Paint

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