Not Honey Oak Cabinets: The '50s Material That's Dating Your Kitchen

Some kitchen finishes immediately reveal their eras of popularity; think of avocado green and harvest gold appliances, for example, and you are transported to the 1970s. A strong association with a particular era can easily make a finish seem dated, but it can also create a sense of nostalgia that inspires us to bring the finish back or hang onto it. Knotty pine kitchen cabinets instantly evoke the trends of the mid-century, especially the 1950s, and if your kitchen has them, you are likely teetering on the side of outdatedness. It's among the wood finishes that are dating your home.

Knotty pine, an abundant softwood with visible knots, has been used in home construction since before the American Revolution, becoming especially popular in the 1940s through 1960s because it was inexpensive and aligned with an aesthetic that favored natural materials. Knotty pine suggested the look of a Wild West ranch, which was huge in mid-century pop culture. While knotty pine is still manufactured and sold today, it's probably not the same material used in the 1950s, when "heart pine," a harder, denser knotty wood was considered more suitable for cabinets.

For many beholders of knotty pine kitchen cabinets, the outdated look doesn't come so much from the wood itself, but from the amber shellac used on it that creates an orange cast. Thus, if you love your knotty pine kitchen cabinets but don't like the orange, refinishing is an option.

In fact, just as you can find lots of ways to modernize knotty pine walls for an updated, sophisticated look, so you can also do with cabinets. One easy update is changing out cabinet hardware, especially if you're still using the iconic black wrought iron hardware so often accompanying 1950s knotty pine cabinets. Consider the kitchen cabinet trend that allows you to mix and match hardware for a more modern look.

The truth is, many people wouldn't have knotty pine kitchen cabinets if they didn't love them, so feel free to hang onto yours if you're passionate about them. Just be aware that you can have your cake and eat it, too, with paint, stain, and hardware updates that make your knotty pine look up to date. If you're hunting for similar texture but a slightly different feel, keep the knotty, but ditch the pine — it's less durable than options like knotty cherry.