Is oak old fashioned?

[mummyhaschangedhername]

I am doing work to my house and was talking to a friend about our plans (and talking about work she had done and wanted to do), I said I was hoping to get a solid oak worktop as a lot of our furniture is oak. She said oak was old fashioned. I said I found oak to be great with the kids as it's been indestructible and at surface issues can be sanded down and waxed. She said again she thought it was quite old fashioned.

I don't think I'm that bothered, I like oak a lot, our kitchen will be white high gloss and oak (I've seen pictures on Pinterest and it seems to work), plus there is no way I'm replacing our oak furniture, but I'm curious if perhaps I'm style is old fashioned? I tend to stick with items, furniture and even clothes that are more classic and less in fashion (timeless I tell myself), but I am wondering if at the grand age of 35 I have become old fashioned in my "style". As I stated I'm not really bother if I am, I like what I like, but just wondering if I am old fashioned (before I replace skirting boards and doors with oak 🙈😂).

Me and my partner picked our kitchen at the ripe old age of 27!
We have oak and don't think it's remotely old fashioned.. I love it and we get lots of compliments..
Pic was to show someone the floor but u can see the work tops

I like oak worktops, had them in our flat and want to fit them in this house when we do the kitchen. We oiled them once a year with Osmo oil and used a trivet for hot things, I think they looked great. Personally I prefer a shaker style kitchen to high gloss but it's all personal preference
Oak is nice, solid, can be stained or painted if you change your mind in future - it's not the latest trend, but it's hard-wearing and unless you are going to be redecorating every two years you won't have the latest trend anyway.
In short, it's your home - have what you like!

Oo, @Bigonesmallone3, I see you have an undermounted sink with oak worktops. It looks lovely, how is it standing up to water splashes etc? Have you had it long?

Yes it is old fashioned. Nowadays the popular woods are either very pale (Scandi influence) or very dark (mid century influence). Oak is very 1990s.

I love oak, had all internal doors, skirting and architrave replaced with it a few years ago and still looks like new and very modern (& no more gloss painting!! 😁)

Pine I would say is old fashioned but not oak.

I love oak, I think it's timeless a very neutral wood so you can match many colours to it. Have what you like, it's your house.

If you like it have it. I have pale cherry wood units and black marble workshops and black slate tiles and love it, put it in 10 years ago and do not care if they are or are not in fashion.

I think classic is the word she was looking for!
It's not remotely old fashioned, she plainly just has no idea of taste, it's your house. Go with what suits it and what you like!

Thankyou @taybert we moved in November 2017, it's been perfect and looks like new still, I always wipe it down and never leave water on it.
The draining area is obviously more for show, we have a dishwasher so rarely have a need for it but if I do I have a dish drying mat that I will put there

People have their own ideas about furnishings and preferences come and go over the years. What you like is the most important thing and nothing to do with what a friend likes. Your preference is also based on practicalities which is very wise and probably prove so when your friend’s choices prove not so. However, keep those thoughts to yourself as she should have done.

Oak is classic and looks lovely. It does need properly looking after though and black marks can appear. Love the way you can sand it and it looks like new again.

Thanks everyone.

@Bigonesmallone3 - that's the exact idea I'm going for. Looks lovely. My husband liked the shaker range but I like the handless range, especially as our kitchen is now going to be open plan and I like the idea of it looking more seamless (one less discussion about which handles too).

Thanks all, I feel very reassured.

@Backseatonthebus - yes I love it can be "repaired" by sanding etc. Mind you, two christmas' ago I forgot the dreaded reindeer dust so late of Christmas Eve we were making it (unfortunately just with glitter and oaks as that was all I had), there was glitter left on the table and I throughly I would leave it as it seemed Christmassy 🙈 unfortunately it has seemingly been absorbed into the wood. I really need to get around to sanding it down and sorting it but every time I see it I smile.

As a kitchen designer, Oak is still very popular and in the recent weeks have seen a lot more people opting for wood worktops.

I have oak worktops and they may look nice but you have to really take care of them to keep them in good condition. I have a shaker kitchen in a rather odd colour, but I hate the wood with a passion, after 10 years Im fed up of all the maintenance in what was a very expensive hand made kitchen.

A small tap leak had made all the area black and no end of sanding oiling can get rid of it

Im saving for a new kitchen and choosing a full on industrial style (if i can get away with it) with no wood in sight.

But having said all that if you like it go for it, who cares what anybody else thinks if its old fashioned or not, its your kitchen!

I love oak work tops. It does look lovely but I know that I would ruin it in 2 seconds and I want the worktop to look good always.

The fact it would need sanding down would mean it had got to a stage where it didn’t look good.

I have white glitter quartz which is pretty indestructible and wipes down easily.
If there is a stain then a quick dab and wipe down with a bit of bleach brings it back sparkling white

We chose them because they’re immensely practical and hard wearing, I don’t care about what’s fashionable or otherwise, but people seem to really like them, always comment on how lovely they are.

Sanded and oiled once a year, 10 years old now they look like new.

It's a fairly classic material that comes and goes in designs however I always advise clients to pick kitchens for what they like rather than current fashion. Kitchens should have a fairly long design life so fashion shouldn't really be a factor as what's in this seasons designs will be out by next season but your kitchen will still be there. Go with your gut, what suits you and your house after all it's you that has to live with it.
Btw I have a beautifully crafted handmade solid oak kitchen with cream silestone worktops, stainless steel and everyone who visits loves it - in fact the guy who made it should pay me for the advert as quite a few visiting clients (I'm an architect) have gone on to use him for their houses.

Great, thanks everyone.

I am aware the worktop will take work, my mother keeps warning me too. I'm prepared for that, or I should say my husband is prepared for that.

Not old fashioned at all - timeless.

Anything currently very fashionable will just look dated in a few years.

I have oak cabinets in my kitchen, it's classy not old fashioned!

I think oak is timeless not old fashioned. It stands the test of time. Grey wood is fashionable now but I think it will drop out of fashion, unlike your oak!

I agree, I always thought it was timeless, but then I was thinking how much I dislike woods like mahogany and feel its old fashioned so I was wondering if some people saw oak that way. My oak has been ordered.