New cabinets don't match the old ones
When new cabinets sit next to older ones, the stain rarely matches out of the box. Refinishing the older run, or both, brings them together.
Serving 49 Chicago-area suburbs
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Chicago & the Suburbs
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Chicagoland and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Serving the Chicago suburbs, from Naperville to Evanston
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Chicagoland
Refinishing is for owners who like wood but not the color it is now. In Chicagoland 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.
Cherry that turned too red
Cherry darkens and reddens with light over the years. If it now reads too red, a toner or a browner stain can pull it back toward a neutral tone.
Patchy or blotchy stain from an earlier job
Uneven, splotchy doors from a do-it-yourself stain job can be corrected. Stripping, a wash coat and the right stain type give a consistent tone.
Painted wood you want back to natural
Painted-over wood cabinets can often go back to a stained finish. The test door tells us how much paint is locked in the pores.
Want a darker or richer stain
To move from golden oak to a deep brown or espresso tone, we often skip full stripping and build the new color with toner coats under the clear finish.
Finish worn to bare wood near the handles
Once the topcoat wears away, water soaks into the wood and darkens it. Sanding, re-staining and a fresh clear finish close it up again.
Dark water stains near the sink
Dark rings and streaks on the sink base are water damage in the wood itself. We treat and sand what we can, and if a panel is too far gone we replace it and match the stain.
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.
What's included
- Protection and setupWe mask the counters, cover the floor and set up dust control in the kitchen first.
- Door and drawer removalDoors and drawer fronts are numbered, hinges bagged, and the parts go to our shop for stripping.
- Stripping the old finishWe strip the failing topcoat down to wood, or scuff it when the plan is to go darker.
- Sanding and repairsDoors and frames are sanded through finer grits, and dents, chips and loose joints are repaired.
- Sample door and color approvalYou sign off on a finished sample door before we stain the rest of the kitchen.
- Sealer and clear topcoatDoors get a sealer and multiple sprayed clear coats, sanded lightly between coats.
- Reinstall and hardwareWe reinstall every door and drawer front, align the gaps and fit new hardware.
Finishes we offer
Waterborne polyurethane topcoatA clear finish that stays clear instead of yellowing, with low odor while we work.
Catalyzed lacquer and conversion varnishThe toughest clear finishes we spray, chosen when the cabinets take heavy daily use.
Gel stainA thick stain that sits on the surface, good for going darker and for blotch-prone maple or birch.
Oil-based and water-based wood stainsPenetrating stains color the wood itself and suit oak and other open-grain species.
Wood bleach for spot correctionBleaching treats dark water stains and uneven color so the new stain reads even.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining across Chicagoland
The same job looks different in a 1920s bungalow, a 1970s split-level and a new subdivision. Here is what we plan for in different parts of the region.
Prewar towns
Original cabinets in an older Berwyn and Oak Park home
Prewar built-ins and original kitchen cabinets often have shellac or old varnish that strips well. We restore the wood rather than replace work that is hard to rebuild today.
Postwar suburbs
Can you re-stain 1980s oak cabinets?
Yes. Oak from that era is usually solid on the doors and frames and takes stain well. We check the panels for veneer before choosing how to strip.
Winfield, Hoffman Estates, Northbrook, Elgin, West Chicago, Highland Park
What cabinet refinishing changes: before and after
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1950s ranch, Glen Ellyn
A 1950s ranch in Glen Ellyn, a typical kitchen for Glen Ellyn. What we started with: 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 natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered sanding and repairs, sample door and color approval, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Glen Ellyn →
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1920s bungalow, Evanston
A 1920s bungalow in Evanston, a typical kitchen for Evanston. The kitchen as it was: 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 natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered protection and setup, stripping the old finish, plus sample door and color approval.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Evanston →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Geneva
A two-story colonial from the 1990s near Mill Creek, a typical kitchen for Geneva. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The reason for the call: a dull finish worn through near the handles. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. On site this meant door and drawer removal, stripping the old finish, plus sanding and repairs.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Geneva →How your cabinet refinishing goes
- Visit and wood checkWe confirm the cabinets are real wood, find any veneer, and look at how the finish is failing.
- Color sampleYou see a finished test door in your own light before we commit to the color.
- Strip and sandDoors go to the shop for stripping and sanding; frames are prepped in place under dust control.
- Stain and clear coatColor first, then several clear layers for a hard, smooth finish.
- Reinstall and walk-throughWe rehang, align, touch up and check every door and drawer with you.
Questions we hear about cabinet refinishing
Is it worth refinishing kitchen cabinets?
It is worth it when the cabinets are well built and only the finish is tired. If the boxes are damaged or the layout does not work, new cabinets make more sense.
Is it better to paint or stain oak cabinets?
Stain if you want to keep the wood look; paint if you want white or a solid color. Oak grain shows through paint unless it is filled.
Can you make stained cabinets lighter?
Sometimes, within limits. Lighter requires stripping to bare wood, and some stain stays in the pores. We strip a test door to show you the lightest realistic color.
How long does a refinished finish last?
A well-applied clear finish lasts many years. Most wear shows first at handles and the sink base, which can be recoated later.
Can thermofoil or laminate cabinets be stained?
Not with stain. Those surfaces are plastic, so we would suggest new doors or refacing instead.
Which towns do you serve?
Chicago and 49 suburbs, from Naperville and Aurora to Evanston, Schaumburg and Orland Park. Pick your town below for local details and ZIP codes.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining near you
Pick your town for local details, ZIP codes and nearby projects.
