Oak grain showing through
Oak grain shows through paint unless it is filled. You choose smooth or textured, and we show you a sample first.
Serving Skokie & nearby Evanston, Park Ridge
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Skokie, IL
Make your Skokie kitchen look new without replacing the cabinets — for a fraction of the cost.
- Serving Skokie ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Cabinet problems a paint job fixes
If your Skokie cabinets are solid but the color is tired, painting is the fastest way to a new kitchen. Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed off-site, frames are painted in place, and you keep your counters and layout.
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.
Yellowed white cabinets
Oil-based white paint turns yellow over time, especially in darker corners. We repaint with a non-yellowing waterborne cabinet coating.
Holes from old hardware
Old knob holes are filled, sanded and primed before painting, and new pulls are drilled with a jig so every one lines up.
Painted without removing the doors
Hinges painted over and edges skipped — a common shortcut. Our doors come off, and hinges are cleaned or replaced.
Worn finish around handles
Bare wood around pulls and the trash pull-out gets repaired and primed, and new hardware keeps hands off the paint.
Mismatched cabinets
An added island or new uppers that don't match the old cabinets — one paint color makes them look like one set.
What we do on the job
- 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.
- Bonding primerA bonding or stain-blocking primer that grips the old finish and stops tannin bleed.
- Sprayed doorsSpraying the doors off-site gives an even finish with no brush marks.
- Frames and end panelsFace frames, end panels and crown molding are painted in place with masking and floor protection.
- New hardware and hingesOptional new pulls, knobs and soft-close hinges installed during reassembly.
- Filling old hardware holesOld knob and pull holes filled and sanded flush before priming.
Finishes we offer
Grain filling for oakGrain filler before primer makes oak doors look smooth like painted maple or MDF.
Painted with the wood grain showingSome owners like oak painted white with the grain still visible; we skip the grain filler for that look.
Satin vs. semi-gloss sheenMost kitchens look best in satin; semi-gloss suits a more traditional look.
Catalyzed finishesTwo-part coatings sprayed on doors for maximum hardness in busy kitchens.
Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore cabinet coatingsCabinet-grade enamels such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane or Benjamin Moore Advance, tinted to any color.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting before and after — Skokie homes
Before
After
DetailA Skokie 1960s ranch: before and after
This one is a 1960s ranch in Skokie. Before: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: dark wood that made the kitchen feel small. Finished kitchen: the same doors sprayed in powder blue, new satin brass pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. The job covered bonding primer, frames and end panels, plus new hardware and hinges.
Before
AfterEvanston kitchen, 1920s bungalow: kitchen cabinet painting
This one is a 1920s bungalow in Evanston. Before: 1980s honey-oak raised-panel cabinets installed over the old plaster. The reason for the call: dark wood that made the kitchen feel small. After: the same doors sprayed in soft white, new matte black 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 Evanston →
Before
AfterPark Ridge kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen cabinet painting
A postwar Cape Cod in Park Ridge, a typical kitchen for Park Ridge. Before: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. The reason for the call: the dated wood tone. After: the same doors sprayed in light warm taupe, new unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were. The job covered cleaning and degreasing, sprayed doors, plus frames and end panels.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1960s ranch, Skokie
Wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Skokie →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Skokie
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Skokie →How the job goes
- Estimate and colorA quick visit to check what your cabinets are made of, then color samples in your own light.
- Doors come offWe take the doors with us; you keep using the kitchen with the boxes open.
- Prep and primeDegreasing, sanding, repairs and primer on frames in your home, doors in the shop.
- Finish coatsTwo finish coats sprayed on doors; frames finished on site with dust control.
- ReinstallWe rehang, align and do a final touch-up walk with you.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting questions from Skokie homeowners
My cabinets have old paint. Is that safe to sand?
We follow lead-safe practices on older paint — containment, wet methods and HEPA vacuums — so dust stays out of your home.
Is painting cheaper than replacing cabinets?
Yes, by a wide margin, as long as the boxes are solid. New cabinets also mean new counters and installation; paint doesn't.
Painted or stained cabinets — which is better?
Paint gives a clean, solid color and hides wood tone; stain keeps the wood look. Painted edges can chip with hard use, stained wood shows wear less.
Do you paint the inside of the cabinets?
Usually no — the interiors are left as they are. We can paint them for an extra charge if you want.
Is it smelly?
Very little — waterborne coatings, ventilation, and the heavy spraying happens off-site.
Do I need a Skokie-registered contractor for cabinet painting?
Many contractors must be registered and insured with the Village each year; permits are not issued unless all listed contractors are registered and insured. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet painting in Skokie?
It depends on the scope. Skokie's rule in short: Electrical work and plumbing or electrical system changes need a permit. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division.
Do you work in my part of Skokie?
Yes. Our crews work across Skokie — ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203 — and nearby Evanston, Park Ridge, Glenview.
Working in Skokie
- A lot of Skokie kitchens date from the 1950s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Skokie homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60076ZIP 60077ZIP 60203
Kitchen Cabinet Painting nearby
More for Skokie homeowners
- All kitchen services in SkokieRemodels, cabinets, counters, plumbing, appliances and repairs
- Kitchen Cabinet Painting across ChicagolandEvery town we cover for this service
-
CabinetsCabinet Refacing vs Painting vs Replacement: How to ChooseIn cabinet refacing vs painting vs replacement, start with the boxes. Sound boxes and only a color complaint: paint. Sound boxes but a dated or…4 min read
-
Costs and budgetingCabinet Painting Cost: What It Costs to Have Kitchen Cabinets PaintedCabinet painting cost for an average kitchen usually runs about $2,000 to $6,500, or about $30 to $70 per linear foot and $70 to $125 per door…3 min read
-
CabinetsPainting Kitchen Cabinets: Options, Preparation and When to Hire a ProThe best way to paint kitchen cabinets is mostly preparation: remove the doors, degrease every surface, scuff-sand, apply a bonding primer, then two…3 min read
-
CabinetsCabinet Paint Cracking, Chipping and Peeling: Causes and FixesCabinet paint cracking at door joints is usually wood moving with seasonal humidity, not a failed finish. Cabinet paint chipping and peeling almost…3 min read
Other kitchen services in Skokie
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.