1950s cabinets with heavy face frames
Cabinets from the 1950s often have wide face frames and small door openings. Full-overlay doors cover more of the frame and make the cabinets look current.
Serving Park Ridge & nearby Des Plaines, Glenview
Cabinet Refacing in Park Ridge, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Park Ridge, with your counters left in place.
- Crews working in Park Ridge ZIP 60068
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Park Ridge
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing in your Park Ridge kitchen and replaces everything you see: new doors and drawer fronts, veneer or laminate skins on the face frames and end panels, and new hinges and pulls. The result looks like a new set of cabinets without a tear-out.
Drawers that stick or slam
New drawer fronts are a good moment to fix sticking drawers. We swap in smooth slides and, if needed, new boxes.
Laminate cabinets with loose edges
Older laminate cabinets often lose their edge banding first. If the boxes underneath are solid, we prepare the surface and reface them.
Need a few extra cabinets
Missing storage? A new base or tall cabinet gets the same doors and veneer as the rest of the kitchen.
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.
Can't be without a kitchen for long
Refacing happens with the kitchen mostly usable. The doors are made ahead of time, and the on-site work usually takes a few days.
Door style that dates the kitchen
If the door shape is what bothers you, paint will not fix it. Refacing swaps in a new style and covers the frames so everything matches.
Peeling thermofoil
Once thermofoil starts to bubble and peel, more doors usually follow. A full reface is the lasting fix, with the same boxes underneath.
What's included
- Box inspection and repairsDamaged sink-base floors, loose frames and broken shelves are repaired first, so the new surfaces sit on solid cabinets.
- 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.
- New doors and drawer frontsDoors and fronts are made to measure for each opening and arrive finished.
- Trim, crown and toe kickWe finish the top and bottom of the cabinets with new trim in the same material.
- Drawer boxes and slidesOptional new dovetail drawer boxes and full-extension soft-close slides.
- Final adjustment and cleanupWe fine-tune every gap, clean the kitchen and go through the work together.
Materials and finishes
Real wood veneerWood veneer gives frames and ends the same grain and color as stained wood doors.
Door stylesShaker suits almost any house; slab doors fit a modern, minimal kitchen.
Rigid thermofoil (RTF)RTF suits clean, solid colors; we keep it away from direct oven heat or add heat shields.
High-pressure laminateLaminate resists scratches and moisture well and works for a flat, modern look.
Soft-close hinges and slidesConcealed hinges and slides that close the last inch gently and quietly.
Cabinet Refacing before and after — Park Ridge homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailCabinet Refacing in a postwar bi-level, Park Ridge
This one is a postwar bi-level in Park Ridge. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls. The main complaint was a worn paint job on dated doors. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in forest green on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls. On site this meant new doors and drawer fronts, trim, crown and toe kick, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Before
AfterDes Plaines kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: cabinet refacing
The site: a postwar Cape Cod in Des Plaines. The kitchen as it was: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: heavy wood frames that made the room feel old. The result: 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. On site this meant box inspection and repairs, new doors and drawer fronts, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Cabinet Refacing in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1950s ranch, Glenview
This one is a 1950s ranch near The Glen. The kitchen as it was: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The main complaint was dated wood doors on solid boxes. 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 box inspection and repairs, removing doors, fronts and hinges, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Cabinet Refacing in Glenview →
Before
AfterPark Ridge kitchen, 1950s ranch: cabinet door & drawer front replacement
What changed: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in light greige with matte black pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Park Ridge
New cabinets in powder blue with matte black pulls, installed level and ready for light marble-look quartz counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Park Ridge →How your cabinet refacing goes
- Visit and box checkWe inspect the boxes, measure every opening and show door styles and samples.
- Choose style and finishDoor samples and finish chips help you decide in your own lighting.
- 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 Park Ridge homeowners
Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?
Replacing means tear-out, new boxes and almost always new countertops. Refacing skips all three, so it typically comes in well below replacement.
What affects the cost of refacing?
Kitchen size, the material you pick and extras such as crown, glass doors or soft-close drawers. You get an itemized written estimate after we measure.
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.
Which cabinet colors will age well?
Pick a color you like with your floor and counters rather than chasing a trend. Warm neutrals and real wood tones tend to last.
Refacing or just new doors?
New doors alone leave the face frames as they are, so the frames must be painted or stained to match. Refacing also covers the frames and ends in new veneer.
Park Ridge contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Building contractors must register with the City each calendar year ($50 per firm). We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refacing in Park Ridge?
It depends on the scope. Park Ridge's rule in short: Park Ridge publishes permit guidelines by project type; contact the Permit Technicians to confirm whether a kitchen project needs a permit. We handle the permit when one is needed.
Do you work in my part of Park Ridge?
Yes. Our crews work across Park Ridge — ZIP 60068 — and nearby Des Plaines, Glenview, Skokie.
Working in Park Ridge
- A lot of Park Ridge kitchens date from the 1950s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Park Ridge homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Park Ridge building department handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60068
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Park Ridge
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.