Kitchen Cabinet Refacing in Chicago

Cabinet Refacing: New Faces on the Cabinets You Have

Cabinet refacing keeps your cabinet boxes where they are. We cover the frames and exposed sides with new veneer, then add new doors, drawer fronts, hinges and pulls. The kitchen gets a new look, but the walls, plumbing and countertops can stay in place.

It fits Chicago-area homes where the layout already works and the boxes are still solid. That is common in bungalows, Georgians and suburban ranches with well-built cabinets that just look dated, like dark oak or worn laminate.

We handle the whole job: checking the boxes, measuring, ordering the doors, veneering the frames and installing everything. If a few boxes need to change, such as a new pantry or a microwave cabinet, we can build that in too.

Kitchen with white cabinets, a stone backsplash and a stainless steel range hood

Are My Cabinets Good Enough to Reface?

This is the first thing we check, because refacing only makes sense on sound boxes. New doors will not fix a cabinet that is sagging, loose or soft from water.

In older Chicago homes we often find solid wood or plywood boxes that are in better shape than they look. The finish is tired, but the frames are square and the shelves are flat. Those are good candidates. Cheaper particle board boxes are a different story. Once water gets into particle board, it swells and crumbles, and new veneer will not hold well on it.

We open every cabinet during the visit and tell you honestly which way to go.

Good signs: solid wood or plywood boxes, flat shelves, square face frames
Warning signs: swollen or soft bottoms under the sink or dishwasher
Warning signs: boxes pulling away from the wall or sagging wall cabinets
If only one or two boxes are damaged, we can often replace just those

Refacing, Painting or New Cabinets: Which One Makes Sense?

This is one of the most common questions we hear. Painting keeps your old doors, so the old door style and wood grain still show through. Paint on cabinets also takes daily wear, and chips around handles are common. Refacing gives you new doors in a new style, with a factory finish.

New cabinets are the right call when you want to change the layout, move the sink or range, or when the boxes are damaged. They also let you change cabinet sizes and heights, which refacing cannot.

Refacing sits in the middle. It changes how the kitchen looks, keeps your counters and plumbing in place and is a much smaller job than a tear-out. There is no demolition, usually no plumbing or wiring work and no long stretch without a sink.

Paint: keeps the old doors, the smallest change
Refacing: new doors and fronts, same layout and boxes
New cabinets: new layout, new boxes, the biggest project

Can I Keep My Countertops When I Reface?

In most kitchens, yes. The counters sit on top of the boxes, and refacing works on the front and sides. We veneer around the counter edge and do not need to lift it. That is one of the main reasons people choose refacing when they have granite or quartz they still like.

There are exceptions. A counter with a very small overhang can make it hard to fit the new veneer neatly, and an old laminate top may not look right next to new doors. We look at the edge detail during the visit and tell you if anything needs to change.

If you do want new counters, the best order is to reface first and template the new tops after, so everything lines up.

Granite and quartz tops usually stay in place
Your sink, faucet and dishwasher stay connected
The backsplash can stay, or we can plan a new one with the doors

What Can I Change Besides the Doors?

Refacing is more than a door swap. Since the boxes stay, it is a good time to make the inside work better too. Small changes can make a narrow Chicago kitchen feel much easier to use, especially in bungalows where every cabinet has to earn its space.

You also choose the finish. Wood veneer shows real grain and suits a stained look. Painted or smooth finishes suit a clean, modern kitchen. Next to a range or a self-cleaning oven, some finishes need a heat shield, and we plan for that when we measure.

We talk through how you cook and store things, then suggest upgrades that fit your boxes.

Soft-close hinges and drawer slides, plus new pulls and knobs
Pull-out trash, pull-out shelves and tray dividers
Crown molding, light rail and new end panels
A new tall pantry or microwave cabinet where the layout allows
Glass-front doors on a few wall cabinets

Kitchen Updates by Our Team

Before, in-progress and after photos from kitchens our crews have updated in the Chicago area. See more in our project gallery.

Before, in-progress and after photos of a kitchen going from dark wood cabinets to white cabinets with dark counters — Kitchen update: dark wood cabinets before, work in progress, white cabinets after.

Before, in-progress and after photos of an older kitchen turned into a bright kitchen with a white island — Kitchen update: the old kitchen, the work in progress and the bright finished room with a new white island.

Before, in-progress and after photos of a kitchen going from wood cabinets to blue and white cabinets — Kitchen update: wood cabinets before, work in progress, blue and white cabinets after.

How Cabinet Refacing Works

Step 1

Free in-home visit

We open your cabinets, check the boxes and measure every door, drawer and frame. You tell us the look you want.

Step 2

Choose doors and finish

You pick the door style, color or wood finish and hardware. We give you a fixed written quote.

Step 3

Doors are made to size

Doors and drawer fronts are made to your measurements. Your kitchen stays usable while you wait.

Step 4

Veneer and install

We veneer the frames and sides, hang the doors, add the hardware and adjust every hinge before we clean up.

Cabinet Refacing FAQ

Much less time than with a full remodel. The longest part is waiting for the new doors and drawer fronts, which are made to your measurements. During that time your kitchen works as normal. Once the doors arrive, the work in your home usually takes a few days, depending on the size of the kitchen and any extra cabinets. Your sink, range and counters stay connected, so you can still cook most evenings. In Chicago bungalows and condos with small kitchens, that is a big reason people pick refacing over a tear-out. We give you a clear schedule before we start, and we clean up at the end of each day.

It depends on the doors you have now. If you like the door shape and just want a new color, painting can work. But paint keeps the old grain and dents, and painted doors tend to chip around the handles with daily use. Refacing gives you new doors in a new style, with a factory finish, plus veneer on the frames so everything matches. In many older Chicago-area kitchens the doors are the flat or dated part, so painting them does not change much. We explain the trade-offs in our budget kitchen makeover tips. At the visit we look at your doors and tell you honestly which choice fits your kitchen and your plans.

Sometimes. It depends on the condition of the boxes, not only the material. If the particle board is dry, flat and firm, it can take new veneer. The trouble is water. Under the sink and next to the dishwasher, old particle board often swells, softens or breaks apart. New veneer will not hold well on that, and it would only hide a problem. In that case we can replace the damaged box and reface the rest, or we may suggest new cabinets if many boxes are in poor shape. Many older cabinets are solid wood or plywood, while many lower-cost builder cabinets use particle board, so the only way to know is to look. We check each box during the visit.

Refacing usually costs less than new cabinets, because the boxes stay and there is no tear-out, plumbing work or new countertops. The final number depends on the number of doors and drawers, the door style and material, the veneer finish, any new boxes such as a pantry, and upgrades like soft-close hardware and pull-outs. The height of your ceilings and how much crown molding you want also matter. If you are weighing refacing against a bigger project, our guide to kitchen remodel costs in Chicago explains what drives the price of a full remodel. After the free visit, we give you a fixed written quote, so you know the full price before any work starts.

Only a little. Refacing keeps the boxes in place, so the sink, range and main runs of cabinets stay where they are. What we can do is small changes within that layout. We can replace one box with a different type, like a drawer base instead of a door base, add a tall pantry at the end of a run, build a microwave cabinet, or add an end panel or a small island in a larger kitchen. If you want to move walls, add a big island or change where the plumbing goes, new cabinets are the better path. Many Chicago bungalows and two-flats have narrow kitchens where the layout is fixed by windows and doors anyway, so refacing often fits well there.

More Kitchen Remodeling Services

Other kitchen remodeling work we do across Chicago and the suburbs. See everything on our kitchen remodeling page.

Kitchen Cabinet Installation

Custom, semi-custom and stock kitchen cabinets, installed level and square with crown molding, fillers and hardware. We also make the wall, floor and wiring changes the new layout needs.

Kitchen Island Design & Installation

Islands and peninsulas sized for your kitchen, with seating, storage, outlets and pendant lighting. We plan the clearances first, so the island fits the way you cook and move through the room.

Kitchen Countertop Installation

Quartz, granite and other countertops measured, templated and installed on new or existing cabinets, with sink and cooktop cutouts and a matching backsplash plan.

Kitchen Backsplash & Tile Installation

Tile backsplashes in ceramic, porcelain, glass or stone, installed straight and fully sealed around outlets, windows and range hoods. Often done with new counters or as a quick kitchen update.

Get a Free Cabinet Refacing Estimate

Tell us about your kitchen, and we will come to your home to check your cabinets and measure for new doors. Call us at (773) 968-3606 or send the form at the top of this page. We are available Monday through Friday 7 AM to 7 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday 9 AM to 3 PM.

Serving Chicago and the suburbs · Licensed & Insured

Free on-site estimate

We come to your home. No charge, no obligation.

Contact us Call (773) 968-3606

Kitchen Cabinet Refacing in Chicago, IL