The Honey Oak Kitchen is Toast

At 30 years of age, honey oak trim and cabinetry easily goes from dated to unsightly. Such was the case with these homeowners who had wanted to chuck the traditional look of oak for more years than they care to think about.

“It wasn’t just about the honey oak,” explains Murphy Bros. design/build consultant Courtney Cartee, “Although that was a big part of it. The overall end goal was a lighter, brighter ambiance, better workflow, and a complete rethink on dining space.”

Most kitchens of that 90’s era featured inadequate lighting and small islands or peninsulas. In this particular case, the homeowners even wanted to eliminate the traditional family breakfast table.

“They really got excited when I showed them the comma-shaped island with room enough to seat the entire family and still have plenty of space for additional culinary pursuits,” explained Cartee.

The project was complicated by the use of mixed flooring materials, with tile in the kitchen and adjoining hardwood flooring and carpet. We removed the tile & carpet and extended the hardwood flooring from the living room and entryway into the kitchen. Since it was originally a lighter oak stain, we refinished it in a darker shade to make sure no honey oak remained!

At some point, perhaps during a previous remodel years before, the house shifted and settled, taking the ceiling and floor out of level by an inch or so. "It happens from time to time,” says Cartee, who has worked on homes much older, “but our carpenters did a masterful job of compensating for the drop with the careful application of flat crown trim, especially over the vent hood where complications from a previous bath remodel were encountered.”

The homeowner also wanted the bath vanity to match kitchen cabinets.  So, what started as a simple update, soon turned into a fairly extensive bathroom redo.