How I Updated My Oak Cabinets Without Paint by Using Briwax! Easy Budget Kitchen Makeover! Only $24 

Thank you all for the support on this video! I'm a tiny RU-vidr who simply wanted to share a frugal DIY project that worked well for my home. However, there have been a few concerns that aren't mentioned in the video. Please read the notes below before deciding if this is right for you and your home. *PLEASE NOTE* 1. This is my personal experience. You may get different results. I’m not a professional. 2. Briwax has a VERY strong odor! 3. As others have pointed out, it does NOT work on wood that has a polyurethane finish to it. The Briwax will not stick. 4. I suggest trying it on the back of a cabinet door first to see if you get the results you want. 5. If you have specific questions, you can contact Briwax on their website: briwax.com/contact/

Omg....THANK YOU... this is my kind of kitchen update--no removing doors, no sanding, no painting, I love it!🙌🏾 I'm updating my kitchen now and am *sick* of seeing white cabinets, plus, for me, it's just not a practical finish with 3 kids. Can't wait to try this on my oak cabinets.

A wooden skewer works really well for getting the gunk out of the corners and no chance of scratching. It works well on faucet areas too. Thanks Emily.

You sold me on this cabinet upgrade. I've researched painting, gel stain, etc and this is exactly what I'm going for. Thank you so much for your very useful tutorial.

The Briwax really made the wood grain come out in the oak cabinets to give them a different look without painting them. To replace kitchen cabinets can be expensive and sometimes the cabinets that are in the kitchen are good quality and solid wood. I like the knobs and pull handles that you put on the cabinets. They give a more modern look to the cabinets. I like the new kitchen sink faucet too. A good use of money to update your kitchen without construction mess and spending thousands and thousands of dollars. Great job!

I watched your video several times and decided to try briwax for my cabinets which are about 50 years old. I simply love the results!! Thank you so much for your video.

The cabinets look great. I'm most impressed with you installing the faucet! Plumbers are soooo expensive to hire!

Great job, and I like that you matched your hardware to your new faucet! After years of trying to figure out what to do with my yellowed cabinets, you, dear Emily, have solved the problem in seven minutes and forty-two seconds. Wow. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

This looks amazing! It transformed the kitchen entirely. Thank you I had never heard of this product. I will definitely go with this option instead of painting

You go!!! Thank you so much for giving hope to those of us who want to keep our custom wood cabinetry, but simply want an update that isn’t paint.

I love that the fact that you kept the integrity of the wood here. I’m currently looking for a home to buy and so many kitchens have their oak cabinets painted over and it drives me nuts lol

Wow. Never heard of this product. Emily, this was amazing to see how you transformed your cabinets. Mine are about 40 years old and I've been wanting to find some way to brighten them up without a major paint project (not me doing it) or replacing. I found a video also on how to de-gunk them with Tire and Wheel Cleaner, so after I eventually do that, I just might give this a try. Thank you for sharing.

Beautiful job! Love the knobs and faucet. Little things like that make a huge difference! You don’t have to spend thousands.

Thanks Emily! I did it today. I used Dark Brown Briwax as the Tudor was out of stock. Also replaced door handles and drawer pulls. Very pleased with results. (And my clean sink!)

Yes! I found it! This is exactly what I need for the 48-year-old kitchen! Thank you so much for posting this!

I'm currently gel staining a bathroom vanity and stopped to take a break & watch RU-vid videos on cabinet staining. I also have the honey oak cabinets and have been wanting to stain my kitchen cabinets darker, but it's a huge project for me & I've been a little nervous about doing it. I ran across your video and will definitely do the Briwax method for my kitchen. Great job on your update!! I love seeing other moms doing DIY projects! The feeling of accomplishment & seeing the results afterward are always so rewarding!! Thanks for sharing!

This product, new to me, really brought out the beauty of the grain in this wood, very good looking, rich! Thank you for showing us how

I've been wanting to do my bathroom vanity and happened to come across your channel. It was so inspiring that I ordered a can of BriWax right away and look forward to getting to work. Thank you so much!

This is exactly what I was looking for. I am updating on a budget to sell my house. The results are amazing , fresh, and more 2022

You made this a couple,years ago, but this is what I need to refresh my cabinets. Just need to choose the right color. We all thank you!

What a BRILLIANT HACK! I used the TEAK Briwax on my tired, dated medium oak kitchen, and it LOOKS GREAT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

So it IS actually possible to change the color of those yellowish-orange oak cabinets without taking everything apart, sanding, stripping, etc. Yay! Love this! Thank you thank you!!!!!!

The kitchen looks great. I have painted and stained all my life and I must say you did a terrific job.

thank you thank you for this. I've been looking for a solution to my oak cabinets that didn't require removing and sanding and you have been the answer to my prayers. thank you so much, I can't wait to try this.

WHAT A GAL YOU ARE! Thank you for sharing this simple but yey extravagant makeover with us! Beautiful!

This looks great!!! I've been wanting to give my kitchen cabinets an update but really wasn't looking forward to sanding and staining...I want to give this a try!!

You did a beautiful job with updating the cabinets as well as replacing your faucets, it look so nice! I also like that the counters are clutter free.

Wow I love how this came out ! Great job

THANKS! I’m doing this; same situation I’m doing it myself, on a budget, and I’m so happy I found your site! 😃

Thanks for this. I have honey oak cabinets that I don't love, and I've been trying to decide what to do with them. I can understand why a lot of people would really love this look, and I appreciate your posting this video... because it's confirming that what I really hate about the cabinets is not so much the warm honey color, but the heavy distinctive oak grain. An update that highlights the grain would, I think, just make me hate them more. (This is my preference, y'all. Please don't take it personally.) There's no money in the budget for cabinet replacement and my early-2000s cabinets are pretty sturdy anyway. So I think I'm going to be filling the grain, sanding, priming, and painting -- not that I'm looking forward to that, but I'm convinced it's the way for me to go. Again, I really appreciate seeing what you've done with your cabinets because it's been so helpful to me in knowing what I do and do not want.

Kitchen looks great and boy, do I wish I had your energy.

Just waxed our bathroom vanity and I am so pleased. I applied with wax brushes from Amazon. It was so simple. Thank you for sharing this helpful tip. 😁

Just found this! BriWax is one of my favorite products. I have used it on cabinets and furniture and it is always amazing at the change it makes.

Wow! It looks so good! Great work!

The cabinets look so nice!!

I looked into chalk paint etc. I am happy to have found this because it keeps the oak looking so nice & new.

Omg this is fantastic! That yellow tinted wood reminds me of college dorm furniture and I so do not want that in my kitchen. Amazing!

Guys, I got sucked in by this video. It doesn’t work if your cabinets have any finish whatsoever. This will NOT STAIN POLYURETHANE, it will only change the color if you sand off most of the finish. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I tried it. Absolutely no change whatsoever (except to the worn areas) and I used BLACK!

Looks great! I never even new about that briwax!

Great tutorial! I really love the idea to keep the wood look over painting on a color. Thanks again. They look great!

It looks so good, the hardware really made a difference. It looks like whole new cabinets.

Beautiful job I was wondering what I should do and I wanted something not to time consuming and difficult because we have the same cabinetry and just finished concrete counter tops and thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for sharing!!! You saved me a ton of work. I was going to either paint or gel stain. This looks so much easier and with a very nice result. Great video!

It looks really nice! Very proud of you! Hard working lady!💪👏

GREAT JOB SIS!! I've watching vids all weekend on painting, staining, cerusing, you-name-it... my 80's gold oak cabinets. I'm still deciding but your idea just moved to the top of my list!! Bravo!!

Thank you for this post .👍🏻👍🏻. I have the same solid oak cabinets. I keep seeing videos of people painting their lovely wood cabinets and it makes me nuts 😵😵😵. You video has given me a great alternative to consider to update our 1998 kitchen. Well done and thank you. 😃

Thanks for sharing. This looks like something I can do. Most of the videos I have watched show taking the doors off, sanding and painting over the wood to make them look smooth. I do not want to do this because it is a part of the style of my older house. I just want to update them. Looks great.

Great video, this is exactly what I'm hoping to do with mine so I'm glad it was recommended. I find it funny that you say "update" since I'm wanting to actually "downdate" mine to look more antique, which I feel is sort of what you accomplished, which is a good thing. It really shows the wood grain better. I'm glad you even mentioned the laminate piece on the side which I have as well and it looks like that piece turned out fine for you.

No idea how this womans video blog came up. Notwithstanding, I enjoyed her explaining her kitchen cabinet makeover. Great video hostess and her end result came out attractive. Thank you for this.

Thank you, this looks great!

I love this. Very practical and it looks great! I want to get this product for my kitchen table and some shelves to match them with my other furniture 🙂

After watching other videos where colored wax was used to change the look of wood, I wondered if it would work to change the color of my "orangey" oak cabinets without having to sand. I googled that question and your video popped up. Not only was my life changed, but you have my exact kitchen!!!! I was able to learn how to execute exactly what I was hoping to be able to do with my cabinets, PLUS I already know what it will look like!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for the time you spent making this video and giving others the confidence to see that, like you, we really can do most projects ourselves....we just need to be shown how.

I've been looking to upgrade our kitchen on a budget since we won't stay in this house forever. I have the same oak cabinets in this honey color, I absolutely love this idea and will first try it in our bathrooms and powder room to practice! I will certainly follow you for more ideas! Thank you!!!

To get dirt and gunk out of tight places use a hand held steamer. Best $30 I ever spent on Amazon. I steamed my windows, mattresses, bathtub, sinks, cabinets, and soon. I have the Bissell steam shot.

What a great transformation!

Thank you so much Emily! You save me money from hiring painters! Plus you gave me ideas on my kitchen decor! Good Job!! Well done!

It really highlighted the grain in the oak,I love my oak cabinets,they are the exact cabinets I have ,love the video !

You are amazing!

Hi Emily. Can you tell me how much of the Briwax did you use? Your cabinets turned out super great. I love the grain contrast, and the wax sure did tone the color down. Thank you :D

I watched this video and ordered everything used. I had 1950 kitchen cabinets with useless brass ornate center pulls. Removed all 20 from drawers and cupboards. Cleaned, Bri wax ( used a paint brush) , wood filler in two holes of each cupboard, added new modern bar handles to each corner and all drawers. Had hubby involved to drill holes. I can’t stop admiring our work. Cost me around $80.00 total and they look WONDERFUL! Thank you. The Brie wax soaked into worn areas around the corners of frequently used cupboards since the middle pulls were useless, making the cupboards look new. They are walnut, but I used the same color as you since they was out of the darkest color.

Tooth brush cleaning is amazing. U r a ⭐. Not many people clean like that.

Love this. I've been trying to come up with a way to update my cabinets without painting. I love seeing the wood grain, but I don't love the color.

I’m curious to know how this has stood up to wear and cleaning. Does it diminish at all with cleaning/wiping?

These look great! Definitely going with this approach over painting and sanding

I have an 1980 wood wall that needs updating. I dreaded the idea of sanding and re-staining. Thanks to you I have a much easier option!

I owe Emily a huge apology. I blamed the process and the product on my lack of success, when in reality it was my own inexperience and impatience that caused my poor result. I kept trying and finally got the hang of it! My results were not as good as Emily’s, but that is mainly because the finish on many of my cabinets was in pretty rough shape. But! On the areas where the finish was fairly intact, my results were good. I also used Dark Brown, as opposed to the Tudor Brown, and I think that was also an issue. The darker wax got into those places where the finished was trashed, and made those spots MUCH darker than the other areas. I think with the Tudor, the contrast would have been less obvious. Couple things I learned that gave me much better results - first, use the smallest amount of wax that you can. Second, don’t buff too hard! Gently, just enough to give it a nice luster. And third….if you really need to go over an area more than once, use a tiny amount of wax and just barely touch your previous coat. New wax dissolves old wax! I’ve done all the wood in the house (kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and a linen closet) on 1 and a half cans of Briwax. I think that if I were to do it again, I could probably do it in one can because I wasted a LOT. Emily, THANK YOU for this video….and don’t listen to idiots like me who blame you for their own incompetence, LOL.

Looks nice!! And I love the finish of the new faucet and how it looks with the updated cabinet finish.

How beautiful! I loved your video and just the right length! You are so talented!🥰

Emily, I am literally blown away! We moved into our home three years ago and every time I walk into the kitchen, I contemplate painting the awful oak cabinets. I’ve seen a few articles on Pinterest about the briwax but not a lot of instruct or tutorials. This was exactly what I needed to convince me! I can’t wait, thank you!!! P.S. how many briwax containers did you go through during the project?

Looks great! Does the Briwax have a strong smell? I'm thinking about trying it for my RV cabinets.

That looks fantastic!!! So much nicer then just paint.

I had white cabinets, then installed oak just like these. Later moved to a house with white cabinets (again) and have had them for 30 years. Believe it or not, both were easy to care for, even with kids. This technique is a great option to revitalize tired looking cabinets without costly renovations. Thank you for sharing!

Is this permanent, how does it hold up to cleaning?

Wax on, wax off...not just for martial arts.

Our home was built in 2000and I have the same cabinets. I’ll be looking into Brywax. Thanks for the info, your kitchen looks great! Also, I watched your method of cleaning a white porcelain sink and tried it and now my sink looks so clean. I was wanting to replace it but now, there is no need.

Good job Emily. I am looking forward to seeing your other podcasts!

Maybe it’s just me, but they still look super dated. No longer 90s, but now they look 70s 🤷🏼‍♀️

Your hard work really paid off! ❤️

I am about to do this dark stain to freebie Oak furniture...because I love the wood grain, and black stain the legs and feet to .modernize it. So it was fun to relate to what you did! Looking good girl!!!

Just found you. Thanks you. Never new there was a product like this. I dont care 4 oak as well. Beautiful.

All I can say is wow!! Great job they look brand new!!

Oh wow it really clings on to the pores and line of the cabinets. Looks beautiful

Thank you so much!! You answered all the questions I was looking for!! Can't wait to start mine!!

Nice work. Simple, effective and not alot of hassle. My kind of DIY project. Thank you.

Did the same with my in-laws Kitchen cabinets. they absolutely loved it.

I’ve always used Old English. Started out using the light color with lemon oil, then found the OE for dark woods. I liked the way it turned out, but am so excited to try the Briwax. With it getting warmer weather though, I may need to wait till fall. I love the black knobs you used!! I have black appliances & sink so it would really be an awesome update. God Bless you for sharing this; you’ve helped many 🥰

I am sure there was more work involved then it looks. Bravo! Great job.

Ordered a can to try on a cabinet in the hallway if I like it will do my kitchen cabinets. Thank you so much for posting this video 😊

Your 'new' cabinets look fantastic. Well done you.

I did the Tudor Brown on my oak cabinets, it looks great! Funnily enough we also put in a sink faucet and cabinet hardware in the same tone as yours.

I love how these came out!

what a BEAUTIFUL DIFFERENCE !!!!!!!! WOW !!!!!!!

You did an awesome job! Great update.

Thank you. I've been wondering what to do with two group home kitchens on a shoe string budget and it always comes back to the yellowish brown clashing with everything. This is a good and easy solution that is simple to do and won't have to worry about residents getting into paint.

Thanks for sharing your great tips and ideals I will sure do that to my cabinet, because I’m trying to keep the cost down, i just spent a lot to have my kitchen and living room floors done and I wanted to do some low cost upgrades on a budget 😅

Love the job on your kitchen! It does look so much better! Great way to save time and money on cabinet re-do! I'm doing this now to using dark brown Briwax on our honey oak cabinets and love how it looks so far!!! I used liquid sand paper to strip laminate off (do not wipe in circles as instructions say or you will have circular patterns showing up after applying Briwax) I used rubbing alcohol to clean cabinets first. Vinegar is suppose to work well to clean cabinets too. (I'll try that next). Wear a mask, gloves, and have ventilation. Smells goes away in about 2 hours. Good Luck 🍀

This is just what we (wife and I) have been looking for!!

Awesome! Really enjoyed this quick makeover!

It looks great!! I have been wanting to update my cabinets but not looking forward to the sanding and all that work. I am going to try this!!

This is very encouraging! I have the same orangy/yellow oak look and even though I picked it out almost 25 years ago, I am so over that look. Thanks for the tip on the smell and polyurethane finish.....I don't think I will attempt this inside....as time consuming as it will be I think I should take all the fronts off and do it outside....I dread the work and time commitment....but I really think I should try what u did! Thanks 👍👍