The Best Wood For Kitchen Cabinets, According To HGTV's Jenny Marrs

After sharing tips on how to design a timeless kitchen, HGTV's Jenny Marrs is back with another kitchen styling hack. This time, she's sharing her top choice of material for kitchen cabinets, and it's none other than white oak. As someone who likes to blend modern comfort with natural elements, Marrs appears to adore white oak as it can add a warm and inviting feeling even to the busiest space inside the house.

In one project she did with her husband, Dave, for their show "Fixer to Fabulous," Marrs did not hesitate to incorporate white oak cabinetry as part of a kitchen remodel. "I wanted this space to have a Scandinavian vibe that feels organic, so I incorporated some natural elements into its design," she said of her decision to use white oak in a post she shared on the Dave & Jenny Marrs blog, adding, "[We] installed the gorgeous white oak cabinets around the large window to frame the beautiful view."

Marrs also proudly showcased the finished product on her Instagram by uploading a series of photos featuring the renovated kitchen with the new cabinets. "Bringing warmth to the kitchen with gorgeous white oak cabinets," she captioned her post. As seen in the snaps, the white oak paired well with the white walls and ceiling, giving the kitchen space an elegantly simple vibe that is also effortlessly cozy.

Considering Jenny Marrs likes to introduce texture into the kitchen, her choice of white oak is not that surprising. The material's natural color, texture, and signature grain pattern can soften the atmosphere of any space and add a layer of visual interest that feels organic rather than overly polished. This may explain why white oak flooring never goes out of style.

For the mountain log cabin project, since she was aiming for a Nordic or Scandinavian kitchen, Marrs' decision to use white oak worked well because the material's organic texture complemented the minimalist style of the space. After tweaking the layout of the old kitchen to make it more open and spacious, she and her husband ditched the old stained hardwood cabinetry and replaced them with a combination of white oak cabinets and open shelving. This design choice adds to the airy, open aesthetic that white oak can bring to your space.

To highlight the natural pattern of white oak kitchen cabinets, follow Marrs' lead and opt for a clear sealer instead of a pigmented stain. This is a smart way to protect the wood from moisture, sunlight, and natural wear and tear while letting its natural beauty shine through. "I'm so happy with the way the kitchen turned out," she said of the outcome.