1950s cabinets with heavy face frames
Heavy face frames from that era can be modernized: we skin them and use full-overlay doors so less frame shows.
Serving Skokie & nearby Evanston, Park Ridge
Cabinet Refacing in Skokie, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Skokie, with your counters left in place.
- Serving Skokie ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Skokie
If your cabinet boxes are sound but the doors are dated or failing, we reface them. In Skokie 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.
Door style that dates the kitchen
Cathedral tops and ornate raised panels look their age. We replace them with a cleaner profile and skin the frames to match.
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.
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.
Laminate cabinets with loose edges
Laminate boxes can usually be refaced after proper prep. We test the existing surface so the new skin stays bonded.
Want soft-close, glass doors or new trim
Glass inserts, crown molding and soft-close hardware are easy to add while the cabinets are being refaced.
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.
Drawers that stick or slam
While the fronts are being replaced, we can fit new full-extension, soft-close slides and new dovetail drawer boxes.
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.
- Veneer on face framesFace frames are covered with wood veneer or laminate that matches the new doors, trimmed tight at every edge.
- End panels and exposed sidesWe skin every exposed end, including the island and the panel next to the fridge.
- New doors and drawer frontsDoors and fronts are made to measure for each opening and arrive finished.
- Concealed hingesWe install concealed soft-close hinges and adjust each door for even gaps.
- Final adjustment and cleanupDoors and drawers are aligned, the kitchen is vacuumed and we walk the job with you.
Finishes we offer
High-pressure laminateLaminate resists scratches and moisture well and works for a flat, modern look.
Door stylesShaker suits almost any house; slab doors fit a modern, minimal kitchen.
Soft-close hinges and slidesConcealed hinges and slides that close the last inch gently and quietly.
Rigid thermofoil (RTF)RTF suits clean, solid colors; we keep it away from direct oven heat or add heat shields.
Real wood veneerThin sheets of oak, maple, cherry or walnut, stained and clear-coated to match solid wood doors.
Cabinet Refacing before and after — Skokie homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Skokie
The site: a postwar bi-level in Skokie. Before: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls. What bothered the owners most: 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. On site this meant removing doors, fronts and hinges, concealed hinges, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a brick bungalow from the 1920s, Evanston
A brick bungalow from the 1920s in Evanston, a typical kitchen for Evanston. What we started with: 1960s birch cabinets painted cream over the years, chipped door edges, old brass hardware. The reason for the call: chipped paint and doors that never looked right. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in charcoal gray on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and polished nickel pulls. The job covered veneer on face frames, end panels and exposed sides, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Cabinet Refacing in Evanston →
Before
AfterA Park Ridge postwar Cape Cod: before and after
A postwar Cape Cod in Park Ridge, a typical kitchen for Park Ridge. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls. The reason for the call: a worn paint job on dated doors. Finished kitchen: 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 removing doors, fronts and hinges, veneer on face frames, plus concealed hinges.
Cabinet Refacing in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Skokie
New five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in light greige with matte black pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Skokie →
Before
AfterA Skokie 1950s ranch: before and after
Finished: new cabinets in light gray uppers and dusty rose lowers with matte black pulls, installed level and ready for warm walnut butcher block counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Skokie →How the job 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 siteOld doors come off, frames and ends are skinned, new doors and hardware go on, usually over a few days.
- Adjust and walk-throughEvery door and drawer is aligned and we go over the finished kitchen with you.
Cabinet Refacing questions from Skokie homeowners
Can water-damaged cabinets be refaced?
Only after the damage is fixed. A swollen sink base gets a new floor or is replaced before we put new veneer over it.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
The on-site work usually takes a few days. Before that, the doors take a few weeks to build to your measurements.
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.
What is the downside of cabinet refacing?
The limits are the same footprint and the same insides. We check the boxes first and tell you if refacing is the wrong job.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?
In most kitchens refacing is the less expensive route. Replacement makes sense when the boxes are damaged or the layout has to change.
Skokie contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
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 refacing 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
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Skokie
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.