Oak kitchen cabinets are still a popular choice among homeowners remodeling their kitchens, not because they’re going for a retro 1980s look, but because oak cabinets have so much to offer.

Oak is durable.

This hard wood can stand up to the wear and tear your busy kitchen will dish out, and it’s handles the moisture of a kitchen better than other woods as well. That’s why so many homes still have the original oak kitchen cabinets: The homeowners haven’t had a reason to replace them!

Oak is flexible.

Although the noticeable grain of oak offers a natural beauty, oak kitchen cabinets are perfectly happy hidden under stains, glazes and even paint. Only look at this elegant kitchen to see how well oak takes on a dark, rich brown color for a kitchen that looks luxurious without sacrificing the durability of oak.

On the other hand, oak can be rustic and artisanal in appearance, as with the kitchen pictured here. The oak kitchen cabinets are stained dark brown, but the beautiful wood grain shows through and integrates perfectly with the rough stone work on the walls.

Oak also pairs well with almost every kind of color. If you want oak kitchen cabinets, but not a whole room full of wood (as in the kitchen described below), you can use a mix of natural oak cabinets with cabinets painted white, gray or a custom color. Or keep the oak cabinets as oak and use the color on the walls or in the accessories instead. We’ve seen kitchens pairing natural oak with yellows, pale mint green, and even red walls—and each kitchen was stunning.

Oak is beautiful.

The owners of the kitchen pictured here opted to go all out oak, taking advantage of the natural beauty of oak kitchen cabinets and then enhancing that unadorned beauty with simple wood flooring, walls and ceiling. Is it overpowering? Not at all, because the golden hue of the oak, the pattern of the grain, and the warmth of the wood create an inviting, cozy space. The addition of a few curvy embellishments and cornices work well against the neutral backdrop of wood.

If you’re planning a kitchen remodel and you want cabinets that will last for many years to come, consider oak. Oak doesn’t have to mean you’re going to a country kitchen look, because it’s flexible enough to be whatever you’d like it to be. But it won’t ever lose its durability, no matter the style, stain or color you choose.