1990s cabinets with heavy face frames
Heavy face frames from that era can be modernized: we skin them and use full-overlay doors so less frame shows.
Serving Aurora & nearby Batavia, Warrenville
Cabinet Refacing in Aurora, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Aurora, with your counters left in place.
- Crews working in Aurora ZIP 60506, 60502, 60505, 60504, 60503
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Aurora
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing in your Aurora kitchen and replaces everything you see: new doors and drawer fronts, veneer or laminate skins on the face frames and end panels, and new hinges and pulls. The result looks like a new set of cabinets without a tear-out.
Good boxes, worn-out finish
Many kitchens have well-built boxes and tired doors. Refacing puts money into the visible parts and leaves the solid structure alone.
Old exposed hinges and loose doors
Loose, exposed hinges are replaced along with the doors. Concealed soft-close hinges come standard in most of our refacing jobs.
Oak frames that don't suit a new look
If you want white or gray cabinets but the frames are golden oak, refacing skins them to match the new doors exactly.
Peeling thermofoil
Vinyl film lifting near the oven or dishwasher cannot be glued back for long. Refacing replaces those doors and fronts and gives the frames a new matching surface.
Scratched or damaged end panels
Exposed ends get the most abuse. Refacing skins every visible side, so the dings and worn spots disappear.
Door style that dates the kitchen
If the door shape is what bothers you, paint will not fix it. Refacing swaps in a new style and covers the frames so everything matches.
Laminate cabinets with loose edges
Laminate boxes can usually be refaced after proper prep. We test the existing surface so the new skin stays bonded.
What the work covers
- Surface prepWe degrease and scuff every surface that will receive veneer or laminate.
- Veneer on face framesFace frames are covered with wood veneer or laminate that matches the new doors, trimmed tight at every edge.
- End panels and exposed sidesWe skin every exposed end, including the island and the panel next to the fridge.
- Concealed hingesNew doors hang on hidden, adjustable hinges, usually with soft-close.
- Trim, crown and toe kickWe finish the top and bottom of the cabinets with new trim in the same material.
- Drawer boxes and slidesDrawers can be rebuilt with smooth slides while the fronts are being changed.
- Final adjustment and cleanupDoors and drawers are aligned, the kitchen is vacuumed and we walk the job with you.
Materials and finishes
High-pressure laminateA tough plastic laminate in wood grains and solid colors, often used for slab-style refacing.
Soft-close hinges and slidesConcealed hinges and slides that close the last inch gently and quietly.
Two-tone and wood-plus-paintPainted perimeter cabinets with a wood-veneer island is a popular refacing combination.
Painted MDF and solid wood doorsPainted doors use MDF panels that will not crack at the joints; stained doors use hardwood.
Door stylesShaker, slab, flat recessed panel, beadboard and simple raised panels are the most requested.
Before and after: kitchens near Aurora
Before
In progress
After
DetailBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Aurora
The site: a two-story colonial from the 1990s near Tanner. Before: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above. The reason for the call: dated wood doors on solid boxes. After: new five-piece shaker doors in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. Work included end panels and exposed sides, trim, crown and toe kick, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Batavia
This one is a 1990s two-story colonial in Batavia. Before: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs. The main complaint was a door style they no longer liked. After: new flat slab doors with a thin edge in white uppers and deep green lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. Work included surface prep, veneer on face frames, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Cabinet Refacing in Batavia →
Before
AfterA Geneva two-story colonial from the 1990s: before and after
The site: a two-story colonial from the 1990s near Mill Creek. Before: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim. The main complaint was peeling thermofoil doors. Finished kitchen: new five-piece shaker doors in sage green on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. On site this meant surface prep, trim, crown and toe kick, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Cabinet Refacing in Geneva →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Aurora
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in muted blue-gray with satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Aurora →
Before
AfterAurora kitchen, 1980s two-story: kitchen cabinet installation & replacement
What changed: new cabinets in warm taupe with satin brass pulls, installed level and ready for dark soapstone-look quartz counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Aurora →Day by day
- Visit and box checkAt the visit we confirm the boxes are worth keeping and take exact measurements.
- Choose style and finishYou pick the door style, material, color and hardware from samples in your own kitchen.
- Doors are madeProduction happens off-site; nothing changes in your kitchen until the parts are ready.
- Install on siteOld doors come off, frames and ends are skinned, new doors and hardware go on, usually over a few days.
- Adjust and walk-throughEvery door and drawer is aligned and we go over the finished kitchen with you.
Cabinet Refacing questions from Aurora homeowners
Is it worth it to reface kitchen cabinets?
For many kitchens, yes. Refacing changes everything you look at while keeping the parts that still work.
Refacing or painting: which should I choose?
If your doors are thermofoil, laminate or a style you dislike, reface. If they are good wood in a shape you like, painting is the lower-cost choice.
What is the downside of cabinet refacing?
The limits are the same footprint and the same insides. We check the boxes first and tell you if refacing is the wrong job.
Can water-damaged cabinets be refaced?
We repair or replace the damaged box first; refacing over soft, swollen material would fail.
Can I use the kitchen during refacing?
You keep a working kitchen. Expect some open cabinets and tools in the room during the install days.
Do I need a Aurora-registered contractor for cabinet refacing?
Contractors must be registered/licensed with the City (application, required testing if applicable, proof of insurance naming the City as additional insured). Homeowners may act as own contractor if owner-occupied 6+ months with a Homeowner Liability Waiver. We take care of that before work starts.
What kind of Aurora homes do you work in?
In Aurora we see Victorian, Prairie School, Sears catalog homes and Lustron steel houses. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refacing in Aurora?
It depends on the scope. Aurora's rule in short: Interior remodels, structural changes and interior plumbing always need a permit; electrical/mechanical may. We handle the permit when one is needed with Division of Building and Permits, City of Aurora.
Do you work in my part of Aurora?
Yes. Our crews work across Aurora, including Near Eastside, Tanner, Riddle Highlands, Palace Street — ZIP 60506, 60502, 60505, 60504, 60503 — and nearby Batavia, Warrenville, Naperville.
Working in Aurora
- A lot of Aurora kitchens date from the 1990s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Aurora homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in a historic district? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Near EastsideTannerRiddle HighlandsPalace StreetWest SideFar East Side
ZIP 60506ZIP 60502ZIP 60505ZIP 60504ZIP 60503
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Aurora
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front ReplacementReplacement doors and drawer fronts in any style.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Custom Kitchen CabinetsBuilt-to-fit cabinetry up to the ceiling.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.