Looking for fabulous, high-impact ideas to update your home? Who isn’t? Want easy-to-do home renovations that won’t break the bank? We’re with you. Oh, and who wants to get rid of that dated 90’s honey oak trim? Read on to learn how to bring out the beauty in your home without breaking the bank (and how to modernize honey oak trim without painting)!
Want to update a 90’s home and modernize honey oak trim without painting? We do.
Sheri is the DIY queen – and no job is too daunting. Armed with her tools, apron and an eye for design, Sheri has tackled an impressive list of DIY updates for her late 1990s home. We’re not just talking wall paint.…although she loves to paint too. What we love most about Sheri’s skills? Her eye for good design and ability to bring out the natural beauty in a home.
In walking into Sheri’s beautiful home, we were immediately struck with a sense of comfort. It was such an inspiration! You see, we drool over the pages of magazines featuring old or expensive rooms full of character, sky-high ceilings, and the latest finishes. Sigh. But what we have to work with is 90’s honey oak, and a lot of it. We want to update our home, but not break the bank trying and we don’t want to paint all the real wood. If that’s you too, you’ll love Sheri’s ideas to modernize!
Bringing out natural beauty in what you have by using your skills.
What do you like about your home? What skills do you have to work with?
Sheri is a gifted artist, and enjoys creating unique works in stained glass, and she’s always up for learning something new. Here’s some of the inspiring DIY projects Sheri has successfully tackled with amazing results:
- Handcrafted, stained glass art for the windows (note…this is not your granny’s stained glass. The first piece she designed looks more mid-century mod and very cool.)
- A beautifully renovated banister and handrail plus window trim
- Glass sidelights to complement a richly refurbished front door of solid wood
- Sliding barn door, beautifully refinished, installed in the doorway to the kitchen (and with a fun twist you’ve got to see – below)
- Added wide-plank flooring in dark wood (installed by a patient husband) and showcased with taller baseboards
- Trendy faux finish for “new” kitchen countertops
Sheri has a unique talent to bring out natural beauty with the materials she chooses. We’re convinced it’s a gift, one that brings a certain authenticity to her projects and her home. One step into her house, and you’re feeling at home. The space is warm, comfy and filled with trendy touches that showcase her family’s personality.
You can do this, too! Are you an artist, writer or photographer? Why not blow up some of your work and display on your walls? Do you sew? How about creating some trendy throw pillows, reupholstering an ottoman or headboard, or trying your hand at some custom window coverings? The biggest lesson we learned from Sheri was that our home should relfect who we are!
It’s not easy to find an affordable way to update all that 90’s.
So, our love for Sheri’s home prompted us to look at our own, built in 1995…honey oak and “dentil trim” is everywhere. Everywhere. Not exactly a “modern finish,” but it is real wood and we do love natural wood.
We didn’t know where to start with the projects. Do we paint the wood white, black, or some shade of gray? Do we remove and replace it with something more modern? Do we leave it? We decided that while we love the warmth of natural wood tones, we definitely wanted to give it a little update. So, we did what any DIY wannabe would do…we called Sheri.
Sheri suggested we update the honey oak trim with gel stain. Have you heard of it?
Here’s what we learned about gel staining – a great way to update honey oak trim:
- It’s easy, even for a beginner. No sanding between coats is required (you can if you want.)
- Drastic transformation. Wow, we can’t believe how it morphed that honey oak.
- Easy to become addicted to this…refer to #1 and 2. Already we want to re-finish bathroom cabinets, bookshelves, and wall frames… But our next project will definitely be transforming our 1995 banister…
Sheri shows us how to apply stain and topcoat.
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Okay, who’s ready for a project? Check out the gel stain here: General Finishes Gel Stain <–affiliate We used Candelight for most of our projects, and are planning to use Brown Mahogany for our banister project.
How to modernize honey oak trim with gel stain:
- Prep your project surface. Clean and sand it first. Be sure to sand existing finish that is rough or peeling. Remove all excess dust. You want the stain to adhere directly to the project surface.
- Test the stain in an unobtrusive place. Be sure the stain is the color you want and your method for application is working.
- Apply the stain to the project surface in one even coat using a cloth, natural bristle, or foam brush. Note: the amount of time you allow the stain to “dry” on the project surface will affect opacity and coverage of the finish.
- Wipe the stain away with a clean cloth or high-quality paper towels. Note: be sure to go with the grain of the wood!
- Let the surface dry between coats. Note: drying time will depend on the nature of the project. Refer to manufacturer recommendations.
- Repeat steps 3-5! Apply another coat of stain and wipe away, until you’ve achieved your desired color. For a richer, more opaque look, apply more stain.
- Allow the project surface to dry and apply a topcoat. We used a clear polyurethane.
We really liked how our new gel-stained cabinets turned out. Hope we made Sheri proud! Some day we’ll feature her painting and home décor skills for her beach house.