Oak grain showing through
On 1960s oak cabinets the choice is grain-filled and smooth or painted with the texture showing — we show you both on a sample door.
Serving Mount Prospect & nearby Des Plaines, Arlington Heights
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Mount Prospect, IL
Make your Mount Prospect kitchen look new without replacing the cabinets — for a fraction of the cost.
- Serving Mount Prospect ZIP 60056, 60005
- 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 Mount Prospect 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.
Worn finish around handles
Finish worn through around pulls and the trash cabinet shows bare wood. We repair, prime and add hardware so hands touch metal, not paint.
Yellowed white cabinets
Oil-based white paint turns yellow over time, especially in darker corners. We repaint with a non-yellowing waterborne cabinet coating.
Mismatched cabinets
An added island or new uppers that don't match the old cabinets — one paint color makes them look like one set.
Brush marks and drips
Brush strokes and paint runs from an earlier job are sanded out, and the doors are sprayed smooth.
Peeling or chipped paint
Paint peeling near the dishwasher or chipping on the edges usually means it was applied without proper prep. We strip the failing areas, prime and refinish.
Dated oak or honey maple
If the wood tone is the problem, paint fixes it — white, warm gray, sage or deep blue — while the cabinets stay put.
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.
What the work covers
- Door and drawer removalWe remove and number every door and drawer front so each one goes back in its spot.
- Cleaning and degreasingEvery surface is cleaned with a cabinet degreaser before any sanding.
- Sprayed doorsDoors and drawer fronts are sprayed in a controlled setting for a smooth finish.
- Reinstall and adjustmentWe reinstall, align every door and drawer and do a final touch-up walk.
- New hardware and hingesOptional new pulls, knobs and soft-close hinges installed during reassembly.
- Filling old hardware holesWe patch old hardware holes so they vanish under the new finish.
- Island and bathroom vanitiesThe island, a pantry or bathroom vanities painted in the same visit, in matching or contrasting colors.
Options to choose from
Grain filling for oakFilling the open oak grain gives the smooth finish most people expect from painted cabinets.
Painted with the wood grain showingIf you like texture, we paint oak without filling the grain so it shows through softly.
Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore cabinet coatingsWe use cabinet enamels from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore, matched to the color you pick.
Satin vs. semi-gloss sheenMost kitchens look best in satin; semi-gloss suits a more traditional look.
Popular colorsWarm white, greige, sage green, navy and charcoal are the most requested this year.
What the work looks like in Mount Prospect homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailBefore and after: a 1950s ranch in Mount Prospect
This one is a 1950s ranch in Mount Prospect. What we started with: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The main complaint was the dated wood tone. After: the same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. The job covered reinstall and adjustment, new hardware and hinges, plus island and bathroom vanities.
Before
AfterA Des Plaines postwar Cape Cod: before and after
This one is a postwar Cape Cod in Des Plaines. Before: 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. Work included cleaning and degreasing, reinstall and adjustment, plus island and bathroom vanities.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Des Plaines →Before
AfterAn Elk Grove Village 1950s ranch: before and after
This one is a 1950s ranch in Elk Grove Village. Before: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: orange-looking wood that made the room feel old. After: the same doors sprayed in creamy white uppers and navy lowers, new brushed nickel bar pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. On site this meant door and drawer removal, cleaning and degreasing, plus new hardware and hinges.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Elk Grove Village →
Before
AfterMount Prospect kitchen, 1960s ranch: cabinet refinishing & staining
What changed: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Mount Prospect →
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1960s ranch, Mount Prospect
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Mount Prospect →Day by day
- 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 primeDegreasing, sanding, repairs and primer on frames in your home, doors in the shop.
- Finish coatsDoors get sprayed finish coats while frames are painted in place.
- ReinstallWe rehang, align and do a final touch-up walk with you.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting questions from Mount Prospect 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 cabinets in a condo?
Yes. Spraying the doors off-site keeps fumes out of the building, and we work within the association's hours.
Is it smelly?
We use waterborne cabinet coatings with low odor, and the doors are sprayed outside your home.
Can you paint laminate or thermofoil cabinets?
Laminate takes paint with a bonding primer. Peeling thermofoil needs replacement doors instead.
Can you paint cabinets that are already painted?
Usually. Sound old paint is sanded and primed; peeling or very thick layers are stripped first.
Do Mount Prospect condo associations need to approve cabinet painting?
Associations usually set rules for work hours, elevators, deliveries and insurance, and many require approval for plumbing, electrical or structural changes. We provide the certificate of insurance and follow the building's rules.
Do I need a Mount Prospect-registered contractor for cabinet painting?
A Contractor's License is required for general contractors (and listed trades); $200, valid one year, applied for through the online portal. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet painting in Mount Prospect?
It depends on the scope. Mount Prospect's rule in short: Kitchen remodels need a permit and a code review (about 10 business days). We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services.
Do you work in my part of Mount Prospect?
Yes. Our crews work across Mount Prospect — ZIP 60056, 60005 — and nearby Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village.
Working in Mount Prospect
- A lot of Mount Prospect kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Condo or townhome? We follow association rules on work hours and elevators and bring the insurance certificate your board asks for.
- We know how Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60056ZIP 60005
Kitchen Cabinet Painting nearby
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Other kitchen services in Mount Prospect
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.