Cabinet Painting in Chicago: Give Tired Kitchens New Life

Chicago’s older housing stock, especially the bungalows and two-flats around Logan Square and Avondale, often has original oak or maple cabinets built before 1950. These need extra prep work because of decades of grease, varnish, and old shellac finishes. Get that prep right and the paint job holds. Skip it, and it peels within a year.

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Cabinet Painting for Chicago's Vintage Kitchens

Walk into a lot of the two-flats around Avondale and Logan Square, and you’ll find the original kitchen cabinets still standing. Solid wood. Built to last. But that old finish – shellac, varnish, sometimes just decades of grease – doesn’t want new paint sitting on top of it.

We see this every single week. A homeowner tries a quick roll-on job over old varnish, and six months later the paint’s chipping at every corner. That’s not a paint problem. That’s a prep problem.

So what’s different about painting a 1920s cabinet versus one from a newer condo build? Everything starts with what’s already on the wood. We test the surface first, figure out what finish is on there, then build our prep plan around it. Skip that step and no amount of quality paint saves the job.

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   Based on 25 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
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   Isabel Ugaz 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We are very satisfied with the service provided by Empire Painters Chicago. After trying a couple of companies to repair our building fence, a neighbor recommended Empire Painters. Jorge was very fast to reply to our inquiry. He booked us in a timely manner and the job he and his team did was excellent. We will be recommending him to our neighbors and look forward to working with his team in future painting projects.
  
 
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   Alice Vila 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jorge did a great job. He protected all of the woodwork and cleaned up. Did work as promised in the tine frame we required. Very professional. Would definitely hire again.
  
 
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   maryann Sprinkle-Walker 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly recommend Jorge for painting & accent walls! His precision & attention to details is insane!! A true perfectionist! I wish I had taken photos on him taking measurements, marking the spaces like an engineer with the various tools!! Added wainscoting on staircase Accent wall in dining room & family room
  
 
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   Deanne Schaefer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Outstanding workmanship More than I even hoped for Referring to mybfriends
  
 
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   manuel moncada 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you, Jorge, for all your work and professionalism. It's been a pleasure to witness how you take care of every detail and take ownership of each project. See you next time.
  
 
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   Randy Brown 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The team did a great job on my project. I had several contractors turn down the job due to some of the specs. Very happy with the way the painting of my building and cabinets turned out.
  
 
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   Rogelio Carrasco 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Empire Building Inc is a great company, provides a great service, they are honest, reliable, professional, and very responsible.
  
 
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   Diliana Teran 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I worked with Empire Building Inc. team for an interior painting to my house and I need to said, that was excelente experience from they started their job until finished it. The more important,  was how they managed stress-free the entire process felt. His owner Jorge handled everithing with professionalism and confidence. From day one, I felt that the project was fully under control, we had communication, organized planning, they gave me updates papers. Another, the best part was how they were to work, like  preparation and protection of the house. All furniture and floors were carefully covered, the space stayed clean, and there was great attention to detail throughout the job. It was obvious this wasn’t just painting. It was a professionally managed service. The final result looks beautiful and precise, but what really made the difference was they gave me  peace mental.  I didn’t worry or supervise anything. Jorge  knows what he was doing and took responsibility for the outcome. If you’re looking for a painter interior professional  on Chicago who gave you high-quality results and makes the process easy. totally, I recommended to  Empire Building Inc., team.
  
 
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   Michelle Scianna 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Empire Building was both friendly and professional.  We were so happy with how our garage turned out (painted).  We would highly recommend Jorge (Empire Building).  We will also call on Empire Building for future projects.

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Painting vs. Refacing vs. Replacing Cabinets

So how do you know which route is right for your kitchen? It comes down to what’s under the paint, not just how the doors look today.
If the boxes and doors are solid wood or a paintable material, and the layout still works for you, painting is usually the smart move. We see this all the time in older Chicago two-flats and bungalows, where the original cabinets are solid but the finish has gone flat or yellowed over the years.

Here’s the thing, you can’t tell which category you’re in just by looking at the surface. We check hinges, corners, and the inside of the boxes before we ever talk color.
A cracked or peeling finish doesn’t always mean the cabinet itself is bad. But swollen particle board at the base, or doors that won’t sit flush anymore, that’s a different problem paint won’t solve.
Most kitchens we walk into don’t need replacement. They need someone to look before quoting.

Fearing kitchen cabinets look like an amateur DIY project.?

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When Cabinet Painting Isn't the Right Fix

Not every cabinet needs paint. Sometimes it needs a repair, not a color change.
If your cabinet boxes are swollen from a leak under the sink, paint won’t fix that. Water damage repair has to happen first, otherwise the wood keeps moving and any paint job cracks within months. We see this a lot in older Logan Square two-flats where the original kitchen plumbing has been patched more than once. Same goes for doors that are warped or hinges that no longer sit flush. Paint hides color problems. It doesn’t hide structural ones.
If your cabinets are laminate or thermofoil and already peeling at the edges, that’s a different job than painting solid wood or MDF. The surface prep and primer choice change completely, and skipping that step is how you end up with paint that never really bonds.
And if you’re just tired of the hardware or the layout, not the color, that’s not a paint problem at all.
Here’s the honest version: if your cabinets are solid, the boxes are square, and you just don’t like the finish anymore, you’re a great fit. If there’s rot, mold, or the doors don’t close right, get that handled first. We’d rather tell you that upfront than paint over a problem that comes back in a year.

Call now for a free estimate. Empire Painters Chicago is ready to help.

Inside a Professional Cabinet Painting Process

Cabinet painting isn’t a weekend spray job. It’s a sequence, and skipping a step shows up later as chipping or a cabinet door that sticks in humid weather. We treat every kitchen like a small construction project, because that’s really what it is.

Remove doors, drawers, and hardware, then label everything so nothing gets mixed up at reassembly.
Clean and degrease every surface. Chicago kitchens build up cooking residue fast, and paint won't grip over grease.
Sand and fill dents, dings, and old chips so the surface is flat before anything goes on.
Prime with a bonding primer made for cabinet surfaces, not a wall primer.
Spray or brush the finish coat in a controlled space, away from dust and foot traffic.
Let everything cure fully before rehanging doors and drawers.

That curing step trips up a lot of DIY attempts. Paint can feel dry to the touch in a day, but cabinet finishes need real cure time before they can handle daily use. Rehang too early and you’ll see fingerprints and soft spots within weeks.
We spray most cabinet boxes and doors off site or in a sealed area of the home, then bring them back once cured. Some homeowners want everything done in place to avoid the wait, and that’s fine too, but it changes the finish quality slightly.
, the jobs that go wrong skipped step three or four.
So the process matters more than the paint can label. A good process with an average paint beats a great paint applied carelessly, every time.

How Cabinet Painting Costs Are Structured

Cabinet painting quotes almost never look the same from one company to the next. That’s not a red flag by itself, it usually just means each contractor is pricing a different scope of work.

Most painters price cabinet jobs by the linear foot or by door and drawer count, not by the room. A kitchen with 30 doors and drawers takes more labor than one with 18, even if both kitchens look about the same size standing in them.

Number of doors, drawers, and cabinet boxes being painted, not just square footage of the room
Condition of the existing finish, since old lacquer or oil paint needs more sanding and priming before new paint goes on
Whether cabinets get sprayed off site or painted in place, which affects setup time and how long the kitchen is out of use
Type of paint and primer used, since cabinet-grade coatings are built to handle daily hand contact and cost more than wall paint
Extra scope like crown molding painting or accent wall painting done at the same time

Before you hire anyone, ask how they price the job. Ask if the quote covers full color matching, hardware removal, and cleanup, or if those get added later. A written proposal should spell that out. We build our proposals around the actual scope we see during the walkthrough, not a rough guess over the phone.

Common questions about Cabinet painting

How long does cabinet painting take from start to finish?

Most kitchens take several days to about a week, depending on the size and how much prep the cabinets need. We remove doors and drawers, clean and sand every surface, then prime and paint them away from dust and foot traffic. The slowest part is cure time, not the painting itself. Cabinet finishes need real time to harden before doors get rehung and used every day. Rushing that step is the main reason DIY jobs fail early, so we build extra time into the schedule on purpose.

Why do older Chicago cabinets need extra prep work before painting?

Older cabinets in Chicago bungalows and two-flats around Logan Square and Avondale often have original oak or maple boxes finished with shellac or oil-based varnish decades ago. New paint won't grip over that without real degreasing and a bonding primer made for cabinets. Skip that step and the paint chips at the corners within months. We test the existing finish first and build the prep plan around what's on the wood, not just what the cabinet looks like on the surface.

How do I know if I should paint, reface, or replace my cabinets?

It depends on what's happening underneath the finish, not how the doors look today. If the boxes are solid and the layout still works, painting is usually the right move. Refacing makes sense when doors are damaged but the boxes are still sound. Replacing is the right call when there's water damage or swollen particle board. We check hinges, corners, and the inside of the boxes before quoting, because a bad finish doesn't always mean a bad cabinet.

What should I expect when your team arrives to paint my kitchen cabinets?

We start by pulling every door, drawer, and piece of hardware, labeling each one so nothing gets mixed up later. Then we test the old finish before touching a paint can, since shellac, varnish, and grease all need different prep. Most spraying happens off site or in a sealed part of your home to keep dust out of the finish. You'll see us checking hinges and box corners too, because that tells us if there's a bigger issue hiding under the old paint.

Can you paint over laminate or thermofoil kitchen cabinets?

Yes, but it takes a different process than painting solid wood. Laminate and thermofoil surfaces already peeling at the edges need special surface prep and a different primer, or the new paint won't bond correctly. Skipping that step is how paint jobs fail early on these materials. If your cabinets are already lifting at the corners, that's a sign the surface has moved past a simple wipe-and-paint job, and it needs to be addressed before any color goes on.

Why do some cabinet paint jobs peel or chip within a year?

Most peeling comes down to a missed prep step, not the paint itself. Grease near the stove, old varnish, or skipping the bonding primer all stop new paint from sticking properly. We see this often when a quick roll-on job goes straight over an old finish without degreasing or sanding first. Rehanging doors before the paint has fully cured causes the same problem. A careful process with an average paint holds up longer than a great paint applied carelessly.