Kitchen cabinets
Spray finish on the doors, brushed and rolled on the boxes
A sprayed door looks like it came from a cabinet maker. A box has to be finished where it hangs. We do each the way it works best.
Doors and drawer fronts are numbered, taken to our shop on Prospect Street and finished flat on racks, away from your kitchen's dust. The boxes, end panels and face frames are cleaned, sanded, filled and finished in place, with the floors, counters and appliances covered.
Cabinets that are already painted, stained wood and solid-wood doors all take a finish well. Thermofoil and laminate often don't, and we say so at the walkthrough.
On every kitchen
Hardware removed, labeled and bagged by cabinet
Degreased, scuff-sanded and filled under a HEPA vacuum
Cabinet-grade primer, then two finish coats
Doors cured on racks before they come back
Prep is the product
Six things that decide how a cabinet finish holds
Degreasing
Kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking film. Paint over it and the finish peels in sheets.
Sanding
Enough to key the surface, with the dust drawn off at the sander instead of into your kitchen.
Filling
Dings, old hardware holes and open grain are filled and sanded flush when you want a smooth door.
Primer
A bonding primer made for cabinets, chosen for your wood or old finish.
Two finish coats
A hard-wearing enamel with a light sand between the coats.
Cure time
The finish is dry before it is hard. We tell you how long to go easy on the doors.
In the shop, in the kitchen
What happens on which day
Working days for a typical kitchen. Your scope gives the range for yours.
- 01
Step 1: Day 1
Doors and drawer fronts are numbered, hardware is bagged, and the doors go to the shop. Boxes are degreased and masked.
Boxes masked, doors gone Step 2: Days 2–3
Boxes are sanded and filled in place. In the shop, doors are sanded and primed on both sides.
Step 3: Days 4–6
Two finish coats on the doors, with drying time between. Boxes are finished in your kitchen.
- 04
Step 4: Days 7–8
Doors cure, then come back. We rehang, adjust and fit the hardware, then touch up with you.
Final wipe-down
About cabinet work
Cabinet questions we hear most
What finish do you use, and how does it wear?
A cabinet-grade primer and two coats of a hard-wearing enamel, sprayed in the shop for doors and drawer fronts. Edges, hinges and the spot by the dishwasher are where any painted cabinet wears first. Ask for the product data sheet and we'll send it before you decide.
Will my oak grain show through the paint?
It can, and that's your choice. We can fill the grain so doors read smooth and modern, or leave it so the texture shows. We paint a sample board so you can see both before we commit.
Can you paint thermofoil or laminate cabinets?
Sometimes. Thermofoil that is peeling or bubbling usually can't hold paint, and we'll say so at the walkthrough instead of taking the job. In that case replacing the doors is the honest answer.
What happens to my hinges and pulls?
We remove them, label every door and bag the hardware by cabinet so it goes back where it came from. We can reuse it, clean it or fit new pulls you choose; new hardware is its own line on the estimate.
How do you protect my floors, counters and appliances?
We cover floors, counters and appliances with paper and plastic, mask the walls and keep a HEPA vacuum on the sanders. Doors are finished in the shop, away from your kitchen.
Can you help me choose a color?
Yes. Bring a swatch, a photo or the color of your counters, and we'll paint sample boards on the same primer so you see the color at your window, in your light.
Count your doors with us
A walkthrough is about an hour, and we leave you a written scope and price.