1970s cabinets with heavy face frames
Wide frames and lots of visible wood between the doors look dated. Larger, full-overlay doors hide most of the frame after refacing.
Serving Oak Brook & nearby Villa Park, Lombard
Cabinet Refacing in Oak Brook, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Oak Brook, with your counters left in place.
- Serving Oak Brook ZIP 60523
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Oak Brook
If your cabinet boxes are sound but the doors are dated or failing, we reface them. In Oak Brook that means made-to-measure doors and drawer fronts, a matching skin over every exposed frame and side, and new hardware, usually installed in a few days on site.
Oak frames that don't suit a new look
Frames are covered in the same material as the new doors, so no old oak peeks out between them.
Old exposed hinges and loose doors
Visible hinges that sag and squeak go away with refacing. We fit hidden hinges that adjust in three directions so gaps stay even.
Want to keep granite or quartz counters
If you replaced the counters a few years ago, refacing lets you keep them. The boxes underneath never move.
Need a few extra cabinets
New cabinets can be built to match the refaced ones, so an added pantry or a wider range of storage fits in.
Scratched or damaged end panels
Chipped and scuffed cabinet sides are covered with new panels that match the doors and frames.
Can't be without a kitchen for long
There is no demolition, no plumbing disconnect and no weeks of takeout. Most of the waiting happens while the doors are being built.
Peeling thermofoil
Thermofoil peels when heat and steam soften the glue. We replace the failed doors and add heat shields where a range or wall oven sits close to the cabinets.
What the work covers
- Removing doors, fronts and hingesOld doors, drawer fronts, hinges and pulls come off and leave with us.
- Surface prepWe degrease and scuff every surface that will receive veneer or laminate.
- Veneer on face framesA new skin goes on each frame stile and rail so no old finish shows between the doors.
- End panels and exposed sidesVisible cabinet sides get new plywood or laminate panels in the same finish as the doors.
- New doors and drawer frontsDoors and fronts are made to measure for each opening and arrive finished.
- Pulls and knobsKnobs and pulls go on in the layout you pick, drilled square and level.
- Trim, crown and toe kickCrown molding, light rail, scribe and toe-kick are replaced or added to match.
Finishes we offer
Painted MDF and solid wood doorsPaint-grade MDF center panels stay flat, and solid hardwood frames hold hinges well.
Real wood veneerWood veneer gives frames and ends the same grain and color as stained wood doors.
Rigid thermofoil (RTF)A vinyl surface pressed over MDF, easy to clean and good for solid white and painted-look colors.
Door stylesShaker, slab, flat recessed panel, beadboard and simple raised panels are the most requested.
Two-tone and wood-plus-paintPainted perimeter cabinets with a wood-veneer island is a popular refacing combination.
What the work looks like in Oak Brook homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailOak Brook kitchen, 1970s split-level: cabinet refacing
The site: a 1970s split-level in Oak Brook. The kitchen as it was: dark stained oak cabinets with wide face frames and a scalloped wood valance over the sink. What bothered the owners most: dated wood doors on solid boxes. After: new flat slab doors with a thin edge in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and brushed nickel bar pulls. On site this meant surface prep, veneer on face frames, plus trim, crown and toe kick.
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a postwar Cape Cod, Villa Park
This one is a postwar Cape Cod in Villa Park. Before: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. The main complaint was dated wood doors on solid boxes. 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. Work included surface prep, end panels and exposed sides, plus pulls and knobs.
Cabinet Refacing in Villa Park →
Before
AfterA Lombard postwar bi-level: before and after
The site: a postwar bi-level in Lombard. What we started with: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The main complaint was heavy wood frames that made the room feel old. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. The job covered removing doors, fronts and hinges, veneer on face frames, plus new doors and drawer fronts.
Cabinet Refacing in Lombard →
Before
AfterOak Brook kitchen, raised ranch: cabinet door & drawer front replacement
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in forest green with unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterAn Oak Brook raised ranch: before and after
New cabinets in light sand beige with brushed nickel bar pulls, installed level and ready for light marble-look quartz counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Oak Brook →How your cabinet refacing goes
- Visit and box checkWe inspect the boxes, measure every opening and show door styles and samples.
- Choose style and finishYou pick the door style, material, color and hardware from samples in your own kitchen.
- Doors are madeDoors, fronts and skins are built to your measurements while the kitchen stays as it is.
- Install on siteWe skin the boxes, hang the new doors and fit hardware, typically in a few working days.
- Adjust and walk-throughFinal adjustments, cleanup and a walk-through to check every detail.
Cabinet Refacing questions from Oak Brook homeowners
Can I use the kitchen during refacing?
Mostly, yes. The sink, appliances and counters stay connected. A few cabinets will be open at a time while we work.
Refacing or painting: which should I choose?
If your doors are thermofoil, laminate or a style you dislike, reface. If they are good wood in a shape you like, painting is the lower-cost choice.
Is it worth it to reface kitchen cabinets?
It is worth it if you like the layout and the boxes are in good shape. If either one is the problem, new cabinets are the better spend.
Can you reface laminate or thermofoil cabinets?
Often, yes. The boxes are what matter; we check that the surface is sound and prepare it so the new skin bonds.
What is the downside of cabinet refacing?
You cannot move cabinets or change their sizes much, and worn interiors stay unless we add new drawer boxes or shelves.
Do I need a Oak Brook-registered contractor for cabinet refacing?
Oak Brook does not require contractor registration; no village-specific requirements for residential alterations. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refacing in Oak Brook?
It depends on the scope. Oak Brook's rule in short: Village publishes a Residential Permit Requirement Listing; its Residential Alteration category requires contract/scope of work, architectural plans and plat of survey. We handle the permit when one is needed with Development Services (Building).
Do you work in my part of Oak Brook?
Yes. Our crews work across Oak Brook — ZIP 60523 — and nearby Villa Park, Lombard, Elmhurst.
Working in Oak Brook
- A lot of Oak Brook kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Oak Brook homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Development Services (Building) handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60523
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Oak Brook
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front ReplacementReplacement doors and drawer fronts in any style.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Custom Kitchen CabinetsBuilt-to-fit cabinetry up to the ceiling.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.