9 Wood Finishes That Are Dating Your Home, And How To Update The Look

Wood is one of the most enduring and beloved materials in home design, but just like paint colors and tile choices, certain wood finishes can quickly fall out of fashion. In this House Digest exclusive, top designers reveal which wood finishes are dating your home and how to update the look. Whether it's overly glossy floors or orange oak cabinets, the wrong finish can make your home feel stuck in another decade, even if the bones are beautiful. It's not just about color, either — the sheen of a finish can influence how current (or outdated!) a space can feel. Today's most inviting interiors have texture and finishes that feel warm and natural, not overly processed or polished.

The good news is you don't have to start from scratch. With the right updates, like some light sanding or a simple stain change, you can breathe new life into dated wood surfaces and create a more modern feel throughout your home. Whether you're planning a full renovation or just want to refresh a few key pieces, our experts' advice will help you make confident choices that keep your home feeling fresh and timeless.

Both high gloss finishes and lighter woods like maple were once quite popular in the 1990s and early aughts. "High-gloss maple was once a go-to for sleek, modern interiors — especially in kitchens and open-plan spaces," Lisbeth Parada, color & design lead at Minwax, shares exclusively with House Digest about the favorites of this time. However, having them in your home today doesn't quite work, as Parada explains that modern design prefers a warmer, deeper feel. "The yellow undertones and ultra-shiny finish can feel cold and out of step with current design trends," she explains.

If you have high-gloss light maple cabinets or panels in your home, you don't need to rip them all out to successfully modernize the space. To correct the wood's color, she suggests an easy DIY staining project to deepen the wood's tone instead. Using Minwax Wood Finish in Espresso or Dark Walnut can completely refresh its appearance, lending it a contemporary, luxurious feel. "For those who still love a glossy finish, the right polyurethane topcoat can deliver that luxe shine — just in a much more contemporary context." She continues, "Think sleek walnut cabinetry or high-gloss espresso floors that feel tailored and architectural, not dated." The Minwax Helmsman Water Based Spar Urethane is a great place to start for just the right amount of gloss.

If you live in modern suburbia, it's likely that you have a touch of orangey oak finish somewhere in your house. "This orange-toned, 'builder-grade' favorite of the late '90s and early 2000s was often found in kitchens and on staircases," Parada shares. Oak has a natural, honey-like tone to it, but during this period of design, many builders likely also exaggerated this warm tone with orange-tinted finishes to create a cozier space — or so they thought. Yet, its appeal hasn't held up. "Today, it can make interiors feel dated and overly traditional," she continues.

Thankfully, to bring your home into the modern era, it doesn't take much. "Refinish with a modern and more neutral shade such as Minwax Wood Finish in Weathered Oak for a soft, contemporary feel," she says. This creates a similar coziness, without the overwhelmingly cheap look that too much orange on natural wood can sometimes create. "If replacement isn't in the budget, balance it with muted tones like soft sage, charcoal, or creamy white to reduce the visual impact," award-winning interior designer Kathleen Jennison, founder and principal of KTJ Design Co., adds. Sherwin-Williams Soft Sage, Westchester Gray, and Creamy White all work as great starting options. You can also incorporate these colors into textiles as well, like curtains, hand towels, or even throw pillows.

If you don't want your home to look more like an old-fashioned Olive Garden, or straight out of a design show from the 1990s, it's time to move on from heavy, distressed faux-antique finishes. "This finish was trendy during the farmhouse and Tuscan design booms, but now can feel overly busy or inauthentic, especially when factory-applied," Parada says. "In addition, white-washed or gray-washed wood finishes, which were also trendy with the farmhouse aesthetic, can be seen as lacking warmth."

Yet, fans of the modern farmhouse style don't need to worry — you can simply implement a few modern updates. Luckily, many of these upgrades are DIY-friendly, and it won't take you more than a weekend to make the swap. "Sand down some of the artificial distressing and opt for a cleaner, hand-applied finish using a subtle stain shade like Minwax Wood Finish in Driftwood," she continues. The SKIL 5" Random Orbital Sander is an easy pick to remove the old veneer. If you don't want to purchase one, a sander is also one of the tools you can rent from stores like Lowe's. By sanding, Parada shares that you can highlight the wood's natural grain, giving it a more polished, updated appearance. She also recommends using a matte polyurethane finish, like Minwax Polycrylic Protective Wood Finish, to complete the look.

You couldn't go anywhere 20 years ago without seeing this wood finish. "Often found in oversized dining sets and 'executive' home offices, high-gloss red mahogany exudes a sense of formality that feels out of step with today's more relaxed, layered sensibility," Rachel Blindauer, interior & product designer at Rachel Blindauer, shares in a House Digest exclusive. "It tends to absorb light and feel heavy — even when surrounded by more modern elements." Think bulky desks, large vanities, or even massive, multi-level entertainment cabinets — this furniture takes up a lot of room and the deep wooden color makes it unmissable.

So, how do you fix it? First, try refinishing it. "Tone down the gloss. Consider a professional matte recoat or a tinted wax finish to reduce the red and soften the glare," she says. The Minwax Natural Paste Finishing Wax can be good for this. Next, "surround the piece with textural upholstery (bouclé, washed linen) and abstract art to introduce contrast and lightness," she says. You can DIY a bouclé chair for your office, for example. If neither option works for you, you can always "paint it out in off-black or deep charcoal for a chic, transitional vibe," Jennison adds. For this, Sherwin-Williams Black Magic is a good place to start.

If you bought a new home about 20 years ago, it's very likely you have espresso-stained cabinets. "Espresso wood cabinetry had its moment in mid-2000s kitchens and bathrooms, but the deep, nearly black stain can now feel overly slick and one-note — especially in spaces that lack natural light," Blindauer warns House Digest readers. What once felt sophisticated, can now come across as dated and heavy-handed. Instead, today's homeowners are favoring lighter, more natural finishes that open up the space and showcase the wood's grain.

Luckily, if you're a fan of the darker stain, or you don't want to refinish all of your cabinets, there is another way to refresh the look into something a touch more modern. "Swap out harsh chrome hardware for aged brass, add a creamy zellige tile backsplash, or incorporate warm metals and soft textiles nearby," she continues. The COTYKILEY Antique Brass Kitchen Cabinet Handles will do the trick, as will the Franklin Brass Solid Bar Cabinet Handles. After the swap, if you want something more substantial, handmade zellige tile is becoming more and more popular due to its inherent individuality and patina. It has an old-world look, which ironically fits perfectly with more modern tastes. "If refinishing is on the table, opt for natural walnut tones — still rich, but more nuanced and current," Blindauer continues. For this, Minwax Polyshades in Antique Walnut might fit the bill.

There's retro charm, and then there's design that feels stuck in the past, and knotty pine often falls into the latter. "Knotty pine paneling screams 'vintage ski lodge,' but not in the chic, Instagrammable way," Blindauer says. "The color and busy grain often overwhelm a space and make it feel cramped or nostalgic for the wrong reasons." Even in houses where classic old-fashioned touches might work, knotty pine can still make the room look less appealing. Its strong wood pattern and old-fashioned color often take over the space instead of working nicely with other decor. This makes it difficult to create rooms that feel both warm and modern at the same time.

To update the finish, Blindauer recommends making it markedly less orange as a great first step. "Whitewashing or limewashing can preserve the texture while neutralizing the orange," she says. Interior whitewashing to lighten up your home is becoming increasingly popular. Minwax Color Wash in White Wash is an easy-to-use option. However, if you don't like the whitewashed look and would prefer to cover things up completely, painting is also an option. "In some cases, painting the walls a creamy neutral and keeping the ceiling pine can create a Scandinavian-meets-Americana warmth," she continues. "Let it breathe, don't let it dominate."

For some designers, cabinets that match the banisters that match the wall panels might sound like a dream. But this is quickly becoming a major indicator that your space is out of date. "When the floors match the cabinets match the furniture, the room begins to feel more like a showroom than a home," Blindauer says of the trend. Unlike the Japandi style, which still has warmth in its tone and plenty of different textures, these matching sets feel bland and flat. "This was popular in the early 2000s, but today's interiors thrive on intentional contrast and visual layers," she continues.

If your home is stuck in the past, the best thing to make it modern is to introduce variety. "Break it up," Blindauer suggests. "Keep the flooring, but paint or refinish cabinetry in a complementary tone." Just make sure that when you're choosing a new wood tone, it's not another one on this same list of outdated options. Next, Blindauer suggests introducing other textures to the space to keep the eye moving. "Leather, cane, painted finishes, or upholstery — to shift the room from coordinated to curated," she says. With just a few updates, even the most dated spaces can feel refreshed and intentional. If you're really feeling stuck, often throwing a few treasured antique items in the mix can give a room real character. 

Millennials love grey, but like many trends that were once everywhere, it's now quickly falling out of fashion. "Grey wood finishes had a major moment in the 2010s, but now give off 'quick flip' energy," Courtney Batten, founder and lead interior designer at Paige Studio, warns House Digest readers exclusively. "Grey is often a choice homeowners made when they want something that feels 'modern,' but it usually comes off as lacking in depth and feeling very synthetic." Much like chevron patterns or even subway tile, the ashy tone of gray that was once everywhere is now too tied to a specific era. So, it's time to move on.

Yet, many still do love the overall vibe that the subtlety of gray brings to a space. If you're someone who wants to stay away from lighter finishes, Batten still has suggestions for a few alternates. "If you're looking for something darker and moodier, I suggest going with a deep, cool toned brown for a more timeless look," she says. For the best chance at getting these colors naturally, try ash, maple, or even pine. "If you're after that light and modern feel, opt for a natural or clear coat white oak instead, it will feel fresh, organic, and the minimal staining means it will wear beautifully over time," Batten continues. Look for wood tones that show off natural grain. This will bring warmth to the space, rather than trying to force a "modern" look with gray stain.

Overly glossy finishes might seem like the easiest way to keep things looking polished, but they can actually have the opposite effect. "High shine wood, especially on floors, can quickly date a space. It can feel very stuffy and traditional at a time when home trends are leaning into a more effortless feel," Batten says. Plus, high-gloss finishes also tend to show every scratch and speck of dust, especially in high-traffic areas. If you have a busy home, it might not be the best fit for you anyway, regardless of whether or not it's in style.

If you're updating flooring or cabinetry, consider dialing back the shine. Satin or matte finishes offer a softer, more modern look without sacrificing practicality. "I prefer satin finishes for cleanability that gives you just enough shine that you can wipe it down but not so much that it feels high maintenance," she continues. These sheens are also a touch more forgiving and easier to maintain. If you're working with existing wood that feels too shiny, consider using a light sanding and applying a new topcoat in a lower sheen to tone it down.