Lipped doors on 1970s cabinets
Lip-edged doors from that era need a different hinge than modern overlay doors. We measure the frames and choose the hinge and overlay before ordering.
Serving Northbrook & nearby Glenview, Highland Park
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Northbrook, IL
Made-to-measure cabinet doors and drawer fronts for your Northbrook kitchen, hung on the cabinet boxes you already have.
- Crews working in Northbrook ZIP 60062
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Door and drawer problems we fix in Northbrook
If your Northbrook kitchen has solid cabinet boxes but doors that are dated, warped or peeling, you do not need new cabinets. We replace the doors and drawer fronts, fit new hardware and finish the frames to match.
Thermofoil peeling off the doors
Vinyl wrap that bubbles and peels near the oven cannot be painted or reglued for long. We replace those doors with painted MDF or wood.
Doors that no longer match after an addition
New doors and fronts for every cabinet, old and new, make a mixed kitchen look like one set.
Cracked or split panels
Split panels and separated corners are common on older wood doors. Replacing the damaged ones, or all of them, is straightforward.
Cathedral or raised-panel doors
Arched tops and heavy raised panels are the quickest way to tell a kitchen's age. Shaker or slab doors on the same boxes bring it up to date.
A modern, handle-free look
For a sleek kitchen we make flat slab doors and drawer fronts and fit them full overlay over the frames.
Laminate doors chipped at the edges
Flat laminate doors lose their edge banding and chip at the corners. New doors in wood, painted MDF or a better laminate replace them.
Warped doors that won't close flat
When a door has bowed, adjustment cannot pull it straight. We make a new one to fit the opening.
What's included
- Doors and fronts made to measureEvery piece is made for its opening and finished before it reaches your house.
- Hinge boringDoors are bored for concealed hinges that fit your face frames or frameless boxes.
- Removing old doors and frontsOld doors, drawer fronts and hardware come off and we haul them away.
- Finishing the face framesFrames and exposed ends are cleaned, sanded and painted or stained to match the new doors.
- Hanging doors and fixing drawer frontsWe hang each door, attach drawer fronts to the boxes and line them up row by row.
- Optional glass doors and trimWe can include a few glass doors and new trim while we are installing.
- Final adjustmentHinges are tuned so gaps are even and every door closes softly.
Materials and finishes
Paint-grade MDFThe material we prefer for painted doors, because it stays stable through humid summers.
Slab and flat-panel doorsFlat fronts with no frame, for a clean modern kitchen.
Concealed soft-close hingesAdjustable hinges with a soft-close action, sized for your cabinet frames.
Inset, partial and full overlayHow much the door covers the frame changes the look; full overlay looks most current.
Rigid thermofoil and laminateEasy-clean surfaces for solid colors and wood looks; kept away from direct oven heat.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement before and after — Northbrook homes
Before
AfterNorthbrook kitchen, 1960s ranch: cabinet door & drawer front replacement
The site: a 1960s ranch in Northbrook. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls. The reason for the call: doors that no longer closed right. Finished kitchen: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in sage green with matte black pulls. On site this meant doors and fronts made to measure, hinge boring, plus finishing the face frames.
Before
AfterGlenview kitchen, postwar bi-level: cabinet door & drawer front replacement
A postwar bi-level near The Grove, a typical kitchen for Glenview. Before: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: dated doors on cabinet boxes that were still solid. Finished kitchen: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in light greige with matte black pulls. On site this meant hinge boring, removing old doors and fronts, plus final adjustment.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Glenview →
Before
AfterHighland Park kitchen, postwar bi-level: cabinet door & drawer front replacement
The site: a postwar bi-level in Highland Park. What we started with: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The main complaint was plain flush doors with no character. The result: new flat slab doors in a matte finish and long slim pulls. Work included doors and fronts made to measure, removing old doors and fronts, plus final adjustment.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Highland Park →
Before
AfterA Northbrook 1960s ranch: before and after
What changed: new five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Northbrook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Northbrook
Finished: new cabinets in warm taupe with brushed nickel bar pulls, installed level and ready for charcoal concrete-look quartz counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Northbrook →Day by day
- Measure and chooseA visit to size each door and drawer and pick the look from samples.
- Doors are builtDoors and fronts are made to your sizes and finished, while your kitchen stays as it is.
- Frames preparedFace frames and ends are prepped and painted or stained to match the new fronts.
- Install and alignOld doors come off, new ones go on, hardware is installed and every gap is adjusted.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement questions from Northbrook homeowners
Will new doors match my existing cabinet boxes?
We paint or stain the face frames and exposed ends to match the new doors, so they look like one piece.
What door styles are popular now?
Plain Shaker, narrow-rail Shaker and slab doors, in warm whites, greens and natural wood.
New doors or refacing: what's the difference?
Door replacement changes the fronts only. Refacing changes the fronts and skins every visible box surface in the same material.
Do you sell unfinished doors I can paint myself?
We focus on full installs with finished doors, so the sizing and the alignment are our responsibility from start to finish.
Can I just replace the doors on my cabinets?
You can. The boxes, counters and plumbing stay; only the fronts change, plus the finish on the frames.
Northbrook contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Village contractor license required, good for one year: general contractors $100; electrical $70. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for door replacement in Northbrook?
It depends on the scope. Northbrook's rule in short: Village lists separate permit types: Single Family Alterations - Interior, Electrical (new wiring/outlets), and Plumbing (new fixtures). We handle the permit when one is needed with Development & Planning Services.
Do you work in my part of Northbrook?
Yes. Our crews work across Northbrook, including Techny, Downtown Northbrook — ZIP 60062 — and nearby Glenview, Highland Park, Mount Prospect.
Working in Northbrook
- A lot of Northbrook kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Northbrook homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Development & Planning Services handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
TechnyDowntown Northbrook
ZIP 60062
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement nearby
Other kitchen services in Northbrook
Cabinet RefacingNew doors and fronts on your existing cabinet boxes.
Kitchen Cabinet ModificationCabinets resized for new appliances, panels and fillers.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.