Orange Maple Kitchen Cabinets Get a Two-Tone Makeover With Dark-Stained Uppers and White Lowers
Orange maple cabinets ran from the floor to the ceiling, covering the kitchen walls around the sink, dishwasher, and windows. The wood had a glossy honey-colored finish, with black hinges and handles standing out against the cabinet doors. White countertops broke up the brown surfaces, but the amount of orange wood dominated the room.
Replacing the cabinetry would have meant removing storage built around the existing windows and appliances. Minneapolis furniture painter @jasonpaintsmpls took another approach, refinishing the upper cabinets with a custom blend of Rubio Monocoat and painting the lower cabinets with Benjamin Moore Scuff-X. The finished kitchen pairs dark wood grain above with white cabinetry below, connected by new brass hardware.
Orange Maple Cabinets Covered the Original Kitchen
Raised-panel doors filled the upper wall around the wooden-framed window, with smaller cabinets extending across the top near the ceiling. A tall storage cabinet stood beside the dishwasher, while drawers and lower doors occupied the space beneath the sink.
Black metal hardware contrasted with the honey-colored finish, and decorative crown molding ran across the cabinet tops. The white countertop, stainless-steel dishwasher, and brown tile floor were also visible in the original kitchen.
The Coffee Station Had Matching Orange Wood Cabinets
Another section of the kitchen contained a narrow coffee station between a tall cabinet and a window. Glass-front upper doors displayed drinking glasses, while the counter held a kettle and coffee equipment.
The same maple finish continued across the cabinet frames and window trim, connecting this area to the main kitchen.
The Upper Cabinet Doors Were Removed for Refinishing
With the doors removed, the upper cabinet frames exposed their wooden interiors and back panels. The open compartments made it possible to reach surfaces that had been concealed behind the original doors.
The countertop below was covered with protective material, with sanding equipment and tools placed nearby as work progressed.
White Paint Covered the Cabinet Interiors
The preparation photographs show one cabinet compartment coated white while the adjacent section retained its original wood finish. Blue painter’s tape protected the surrounding frame, with paper covering the crown molding above.
Painting the interiors created a contrast with the wood finish planned for the outer frames. The white surfaces would remain visible when the upper doors opened.
Rubio Monocoat Changed the Upper Cabinets to Dark Brown
The upper cabinet frames received a custom Rubio Monocoat blend, changing the honey-orange maple to a dark brown finish without hiding the grain.
The photograph shows the stained frame extending across the sink window, with white cabinet interiors and shelves visible inside. The original wooden window casing remained between the two sections.
The Lower Cabinets Were Prepared for White Paint
With the upper sections refinished, work continued across the base cabinets and the tall cabinet beside the dishwasher.
Drawer fronts and doors had been removed, leaving the storage compartments exposed. White preparation coats covered parts of the lower cabinetry, while yellow painter’s tape protected shelf edges and the countertop.
Benjamin Moore Scuff-X was used for the painted lower cabinets and trim, separating the white base from the dark-stained wood above.
The Coffee Station Received White Cabinets and Brass Hardware
The finished coffee station has white lower doors and drawers fitted with brass cup pulls and round knobs. Dark-stained upper cabinets frame the window, while the white countertop holds an espresso machine and other coffee equipment.
The original storage arrangement remains, with four drawers on one side and two cabinet doors beneath the counter. White trim extends around the opening, connecting the coffee station to the surrounding walls.
Dark Wood Uppers and White Lowers Complete the Kitchen
The finished sink wall has dark brown upper cabinets, with the maple grain visible across the raised-panel doors. Brass hinges and knobs replace the original black hardware, while a brass faucet introduces the same metal finish above the sink.
White lower cabinets contrast with the stained wood, and the painted tall cabinet beside the dishwasher separates the darker upper section from the adjoining wall.
The kitchen retains its cabinet arrangement around the window and appliances, but the two finishes change how the original woodwork appears. Rather than covering every surface with paint, the renovation keeps the maple grain visible where it occupies the upper walls.
Another furniture makeover used a similar combination of paint and exposed wood, with two old maple dressers painted navy blue while their wooden drawers retained a stained finish.
Would you have stained the upper maple cabinets dark brown or painted the entire kitchen white?
Images and project details courtesy of @jasonpaintsmpls.