Old finishes that may contain lead
Sanding an old painted finish in a pre-1978 home can release lead dust. We set up containment, use HEPA vacuums and clean up by the lead-safe rules.
Serving Northbrook & nearby Glenview, Highland Park
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Northbrook, IL
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Northbrook and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Serving Northbrook ZIP 60062
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Northbrook
Refinishing is for owners who like wood but not the color it is now. In Northbrook we take doors to our shop, strip and sand them, re-stain or clear-coat them, and finish the face frames in place while your counters and layout stay untouched.
Thin veneer on panels and end sides
Flat panels and cabinet sides are often veneer over plywood or particleboard. We use strippers and light hand sanding there so we never sand through.
New cabinets don't match the old ones
Mismatched stains between old cabinets and a newer addition are a common complaint. We blend them with one stain and one clear coat.
Finish worn to bare wood near the handles
Hands and wet dish towels wear through the clear coat around pulls and on the sink base. The bare wood turns gray or dark; we sand those areas back, blend the stain and recoat the whole door.
Cabinets too dark for the room
Lightening stained cabinets is harder than darkening them. We strip a sample door, show you the lightest tone the wood will take, and you decide before we do the rest.
Cloudy, milky or white-spotted finish
A milky haze over the stain is moisture inside the finish, common beside the dishwasher. We remove the affected coating and recoat so the color shows clearly again.
Painted wood you want back to natural
Stripping paint off wood cabinets is slow but possible on solid wood. We test how cleanly the paint lifts before quoting the full kitchen.
Want a darker or richer stain
Darker colors cover more of the old tone, so prep is lighter and the job moves faster. We still sand for adhesion and seal with a hard topcoat.
What's included
- Protection and setupWe mask the counters, cover the floor and set up dust control in the kitchen first.
- Deep cleaningGrease and wax are cleaned off first, since both block stain and clear coat.
- Stripping the old finishWe strip the failing topcoat down to wood, or scuff it when the plan is to go darker.
- Sample door and color approvalOne door is finished first in your chosen stain so you approve the color in your own light.
- Stain or tonerThe approved color goes on by wiping or spraying, depending on the wood and the stain type.
- Face frames on siteFace frames, end panels and trim are stripped, stained and clear-coated in place to match the doors.
- Reinstall and hardwareDoors are rehung and adjusted, and new knobs, pulls or soft-close hinges go on if you chose them.
Materials and finishes
Waterborne polyurethane topcoatA clear finish that stays clear instead of yellowing, with low odor while we work.
Catalyzed lacquer and conversion varnishSprayed, cross-linking clear coats that cure harder than standard finishes, for busy kitchens.
Sheen: matte, satin or semi-glossMost owners pick satin for wood cabinets; matte reads more natural, gloss more traditional.
Oil-based and water-based wood stainsPenetrating stains color the wood itself and suit oak and other open-grain species.
Gel stainA thick stain that sits on the surface, good for going darker and for blotch-prone maple or birch.
Kitchens like yours in Northbrook: before and after
Before
After
DetailCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1950s ranch, Northbrook
A 1950s ranch near Techny, a typical kitchen for Northbrook. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. What bothered the owners most: a dull finish worn through near the handles. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. The job covered protection and setup, deep cleaning, plus face frames on site.
Before
AfterHighland Park kitchen, 1950s ranch: cabinet refinishing & staining
A 1950s ranch near Downtown Highland Park, a typical kitchen for Highland Park. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The main complaint was a stain that had gone patchy and tired. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered deep cleaning, stripping the old finish, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Highland Park →
Before
AfterBuffalo Grove kitchen, 1980s two-story: cabinet refinishing & staining
This one is a 1980s two-story in Buffalo Grove. Before: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. What bothered the owners most: bare wood showing where hands touched the doors. The result: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. On site this meant deep cleaning, face frames on site, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Buffalo Grove →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Northbrook
What changed: the same doors sprayed in deep navy, new satin brass pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Northbrook →
Before
AfterA Northbrook 1950s ranch: before and after
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Northbrook →Day by day
- Visit and wood checkWe confirm the cabinets are real wood, find any veneer, and look at how the finish is failing.
- Color sampleOne door is stripped and stained in your chosen color so you can approve it at home.
- Strip and sandOld finish comes off the doors off-site while we prep the frames in your kitchen.
- Stain and clear coatThe approved stain goes on, then sealer and sprayed clear coats with light sanding between.
- Reinstall and walk-throughWe rehang, align, touch up and check every door and drawer with you.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining questions from Northbrook homeowners
Can you re-stain 1970s oak cabinets?
Oak cabinets from those years are some of the best candidates for re-staining. Darker or neutral tones work best.
Can thermofoil or laminate cabinets be stained?
Not with stain. Those surfaces are plastic, so we would suggest new doors or refacing instead.
Can you make stained cabinets lighter?
Going lighter is the hard direction. Stripping, sometimes followed by wood bleach, gets part of the way; for a very light or white look, paint is usually the better choice.
What affects the price of refinishing?
Size of the kitchen, condition of the finish and the color change you want. After the visit we send a written estimate with each item listed.
Is it better to paint or stain oak cabinets?
It depends on the look. Staining keeps oak's grain as a feature; painting covers it with a solid color. We do both and can show samples side by side.
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 cabinet refinishing 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 Refinishing & Staining nearby
Other kitchen services in Northbrook
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.
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.