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 Downers Grove & nearby Lisle, Woodridge
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Downers Grove, IL
Make your Downers Grove kitchen look new without replacing the cabinets — for a fraction of the cost.
- Serving Downers Grove ZIP 60515, 60516
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Cabinet problems a paint job fixes
We paint kitchen cabinets in Downers Grove with durable cabinet-grade coatings, not wall paint. Proper cleaning, sanding and primer are what make the finish last — that is where most of our time goes.
Yellowed white cabinets
Oil-based white paint turns yellow over time, especially in darker corners. We repaint with a non-yellowing waterborne cabinet coating.
Sticky, greasy cabinet doors
Years of cooking grease build up near the range. We degrease with a cabinet cleaner before sanding — paint will not stick to grease.
Painted without removing the doors
Hinges painted over and edges skipped — a common shortcut. Our doors come off, and hinges are cleaned or replaced.
Worn finish around handles
Bare wood around pulls and the trash pull-out gets repaired and primed, and new hardware keeps hands off the paint.
Dark kitchen
Light painted cabinets reflect light across the room — the cheapest way to brighten a dark kitchen.
Holes from old hardware
Old knob holes are filled, sanded and primed before painting, and new pulls are drilled with a jig so every one lines up.
Mismatched cabinets
Old and new cabinets that don't match look like two kitchens. One paint color ties them together.
What the work covers
- Cleaning and degreasingA full degrease of doors and frames, especially near the range and sink.
- Sanding and repairsWe sand for adhesion and repair dings, cracked filler and loose moldings.
- Bonding primerA bonding or stain-blocking primer that grips the old finish and stops tannin bleed.
- Sprayed doorsSpraying the doors off-site gives an even finish with no brush marks.
- Frames and end panelsCabinet boxes are masked off and finished in your kitchen to match the doors.
- Reinstall and adjustmentWe reinstall, align every door and drawer and do a final touch-up walk.
- Filling old hardware holesWe patch old hardware holes so they vanish under the new finish.
Finishes we offer
Grain filling for oakFilling the open oak grain gives the smooth finish most people expect from painted cabinets.
Popular colorsWarm white, greige, sage green, navy and charcoal are the most requested this year.
Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore cabinet coatingsCabinet-grade enamels such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane or Benjamin Moore Advance, tinted to any color.
Satin vs. semi-gloss sheenMost kitchens look best in satin; semi-gloss suits a more traditional look.
Catalyzed finishesTwo-part coatings sprayed on doors for maximum hardness in busy kitchens.
Kitchens like yours in Downers Grove: before and after
Before
In progress
After
DetailA Downers Grove postwar Cape Cod: before and after
The site: a postwar Cape Cod near Denburn Woods. Before: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. The main complaint was orange-looking wood that made the room feel old. After: the same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. Work included cleaning and degreasing, bonding primer, plus filling old hardware holes.
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Painting in a 1990s two-story colonial, Lisle
A 1990s two-story colonial near Oakview, a typical kitchen for Lisle. The kitchen as it was: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs. The main complaint was dark wood that made the kitchen feel small. The result: the same doors sprayed in pale mint green, new matte black pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. Work included sprayed doors, frames and end panels, plus reinstall and adjustment.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Lisle →
Before
AfterA Woodridge two-story colonial from the 1990s: before and after
A two-story colonial from the 1990s near The Ridge, a typical kitchen for Woodridge. What we started with: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above. The reason for the call: orange-looking wood that made the room feel old. Finished kitchen: the same doors sprayed in light sand beige, new brushed nickel bar pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. Work included cleaning and degreasing, bonding primer, plus frames and end panels.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Woodridge →
Before
AfterA Downers Grove postwar Cape Cod: before and after
Wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterA Downers Grove postwar bi-level: before and after
Finished: 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 Downers Grove →Day by day
- Estimate and colorWe check the cabinet material, count doors and drawers and help you choose color and sheen.
- Doors come offWe take the doors with us; you keep using the kitchen with the boxes open.
- Prep and primeClean, sand, fill and prime — the steps that decide how long the paint lasts.
- Finish coatsTwo finish coats sprayed on doors; frames finished on site with dust control.
- ReinstallWe rehang, align and do a final touch-up walk with you.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting questions from Downers Grove 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.
Is it smelly?
Very little — waterborne coatings, ventilation, and the heavy spraying happens off-site.
Do you paint bathroom vanities too?
Yes — bathroom vanities and laundry cabinets are painted the same way as the kitchen.
How long will the kitchen be out of use?
Most kitchens take about a week. You can use the counters and appliances the whole time — only the doors are away.
Painted or stained cabinets — which is better?
It's a look and maintenance choice: paint for color, stain for wood grain. We do both and can mix them, e.g. painted perimeter and stained island.
What kind of Downers Grove homes do you work in?
In Downers Grove we see Mix of housing from mid-19th century onward, Sears and other kit homes and Frequent teardowns replaced by new houses. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a permit for cabinet painting in Downers Grove?
It depends on the scope. Downers Grove's rule in short: Village states most projects require a permit and applications are submitted online; First review about 10 business days. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department, Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Downers Grove?
Yes. Our crews work across Downers Grove, including Denburn Woods, Shady Lane Estates, E.H. Prince Subdivision — ZIP 60515, 60516 — and nearby Lisle, Woodridge, Oak Brook.
Working in Downers Grove
- A lot of Downers Grove kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Downers Grove 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.
Denburn WoodsShady Lane EstatesE.H. Prince Subdivision
ZIP 60515ZIP 60516
Kitchen Cabinet Painting nearby
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Other kitchen services in Downers Grove
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.