Oak grain showing through
Open oak grain shows through paint. We can fill the grain for a smooth, modern look or leave a light texture if you prefer it.
Serving Des Plaines & nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Des Plaines, IL
Make your Des Plaines kitchen look new without replacing the cabinets — for a fraction of the cost.
- Crews working in Des Plaines ZIP 60016, 60018
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Cabinet problems a paint job fixes
If your Des Plaines cabinets are solid but the color is tired, painting is the fastest way to a new kitchen. Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed off-site, frames are painted in place, and you keep your counters and layout.
Sticky, greasy cabinet doors
Grease near the range never quite wipes off. A deep degrease is the first step, before any sanding or primer.
Dated oak or honey maple
Golden oak and honey maple look tired next to modern floors and counters. Paint gives you a new color without new cabinets.
Holes from old hardware
Switching from knobs to pulls leaves old holes. We fill and sand them flush before primer, so they disappear under the new finish.
Painted without removing the doors
If the last painter left the doors on, you'll see paint on hinges and edges that never got coated. We remove, strip where needed and refinish every surface.
Peeling or chipped paint
Peeling paint usually means it went on over grease or gloss with no primer. We remove the failing coat and refinish properly.
Yellowed white cabinets
Old white finishes yellow with age. A modern waterborne urethane or acrylic cabinet paint stays white.
Mismatched cabinets
An added island or new uppers that don't match the old cabinets — one paint color makes them look like one set.
What we do on the job
- Cleaning and degreasingA full degrease of doors and frames, especially near the range and sink.
- Sanding and repairsScuff sanding, filling dents and gouges, fixing loose trim and edge damage.
- Sprayed doorsDoors and drawer fronts are sprayed in a controlled setting for a smooth finish.
- Frames and end panelsCabinet boxes are masked off and finished in your kitchen to match the doors.
- Reinstall and adjustmentDoors rehung, hinges adjusted so gaps are even, and touch-ups done on site.
- New hardware and hingesWe can drill for new pulls and swap in soft-close hinges while the doors are off.
- Filling old hardware holesOld knob and pull holes filled and sanded flush before priming.
Materials and finishes
Grain filling for oakFilling the open oak grain gives the smooth finish most people expect from painted cabinets.
Catalyzed finishesThe hardest sprayed finish — chosen for high-traffic kitchens and rentals.
Waterborne urethane cabinet paintA tough cabinet coating that stays white and doesn't smell up the house.
Satin vs. semi-gloss sheenSatin hides small flaws and fingerprints; semi-gloss is easier to wipe but shows more.
Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore cabinet coatingsWe use cabinet enamels from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore, matched to the color you pick.
Kitchens like yours in Des Plaines: before and after
Before
In progress
After
DetailDes Plaines kitchen, 1960s ranch: kitchen cabinet painting
The site: a 1960s ranch in Des Plaines. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. The reason for the call: the dated wood tone. Finished kitchen: the same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. On site this meant frames and end panels, reinstall and adjustment, plus filling old hardware holes.
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Painting in a 1960s ranch, Mount Prospect
A 1960s ranch in Mount Prospect, a typical kitchen for Mount Prospect. What we started with: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The reason for the call: orange-looking wood that made the room feel old. Finished kitchen: the same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. The job covered sanding and repairs, sprayed doors, plus reinstall and adjustment.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Mount Prospect →Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1950s ranch in Park Ridge
The site: a 1950s ranch in Park Ridge. Before: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The reason for the call: the dated wood tone. Finished kitchen: the same doors sprayed in light warm taupe, new unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. The job covered sanding and repairs, sprayed doors, plus reinstall and adjustment.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a postwar Cape Cod, Des Plaines
Wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterA Des Plaines postwar bi-level: before and after
New five-piece shaker doors in creamy white uppers and navy lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Des Plaines →How the job goes
- Estimate and colorA quick visit to check what your cabinets are made of, then color samples in your own light.
- Doors come offDoors and drawer fronts go to our spray area; the kitchen stays usable with open shelves.
- Prep and primeClean, sand, fill and prime — the steps that decide how long the paint lasts.
- Finish coatsDoors get sprayed finish coats while frames are painted in place.
- ReinstallDoors go back on, hinges adjusted, hardware installed and touch-ups done.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting questions from Des Plaines homeowners
My cabinets have old paint. Is that safe to sand?
On homes built before 1978 we treat old paint as possibly lead-based: plastic containment, no dry power sanding and HEPA cleanup.
Can you paint laminate or thermofoil cabinets?
Laminate takes paint with a bonding primer. Peeling thermofoil needs replacement doors instead.
How long does painted cabinet finish last?
Many years with proper prep and a cabinet-grade coating. For the first couple of weeks the finish is still curing, so go easy.
Do you paint bathroom vanities too?
Yes — bathroom vanities and laundry cabinets are painted the same way as the kitchen.
Is it smelly?
Very little — waterborne coatings, ventilation, and the heavy spraying happens off-site.
Do I need a Des Plaines-registered contractor for cabinet painting?
Contractors must register with the City (via the online portal); registrations expire Dec 31. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet painting in Des Plaines?
It depends on the scope. Des Plaines's rule in short: A building permit is required for any residential kitchen remodel; non-structural work uses the Kitchen/Bath Non-Structural permit ($150 fee, rough and final inspections). We handle the permit when one is needed with Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Des Plaines?
Yes. Our crews work across Des Plaines — ZIP 60016, 60018 — and nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village.
Working in Des Plaines
- A lot of Des Plaines kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Des Plaines homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60016ZIP 60018
Kitchen Cabinet Painting nearby
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Other kitchen services in Des Plaines
Cabinet Refinishing & StainingRe-stained wood cabinets with the grain still showing.
Cabinet RefacingNew doors and fronts on your existing cabinet boxes.
Kitchen Cabinet & Drawer RepairHinges, drawer slides and water-damaged sink bases fixed.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Countertop Fabrication & InstallationQuartz, granite and butcher block, templated and installed.