Table of Contents:
- Refinishing vs. Refacing vs. Replacing: What Do You Actually Need?
- How Much Does Cabinet Refinishing Cost?
- Cabinet Refinishing with The Painting Craftsmen
- What Does the Cabinet Refinishing Process Look Like?
- Cabinet Refinishing Options
- What Cabinet Refinishing Trends Are Jacksonville Homeowners Choosing?
- How to Prepare for Cabinet Refinishing
- Why Refinishing Makes Sense for So Many Jacksonville Kitchens
- See What Your Cabinets Could Become
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line:
If you like your kitchen layout and your cabinets are still in good condition, you probably don’t need to replace them to get a new look. Cabinet refinishing keeps your existing cabinetry and transforms the color and finish, making it one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to upgrade your kitchen.
Refacing makes sense when you want new cabinet doors. Replacement makes sense when the cabinetry itself — or the entire kitchen layout — needs to change. The right choice depends on what you already have, what you want to change, and how much construction you really want to take on.
Refinishing vs. Refacing vs. Replacing: What Do You Actually Need?
These three options can all transform a kitchen, but they solve very different problems.
Cabinet Refinishing
Cabinet refinishing keeps your existing cabinet boxes, doors, and drawer fronts and gives them a new finish. Depending on your cabinets and the look you want, that could mean a new solid color, stain, lacquer, glaze, distressed finish, or another custom treatment.
Refinishing is usually the right choice when your cabinets are structurally sound, you like the existing layout and door style, and you mainly want to change the way they look.
Cabinet Refacing
Cabinet refacing keeps the existing cabinet boxes but replaces the doors and drawer fronts. It’s a great middle ground when your cabinet boxes are still in good condition, but the door style feels dated or no longer fits your kitchen.
At The Painting Craftsmen, we can pair custom-crafted hardwood doors and drawer fronts with professionally refinished face frames for a cohesive finished look.
Cabinet Replacement
Replacement removes the existing cabinets and installs completely new cabinetry. It gives you the most flexibility, but it also comes with more demolition, cost, downtime, and construction.
Replacement is usually the better choice when cabinets are badly damaged, poorly constructed, or part of a larger renovation that changes the kitchen layout.
How Much Does Cabinet Refinishing Cost?
Cabinet refinishing cost depends on the kitchen size, number of doors and drawers, condition of the cabinetry, selected finish, repairs, hardware, and specialty details.
As a broad planning guide:
| Option | Typical Planning Range* | Best For |
| Cabinet Refinishing | $2,000-$7,000+ | Sound cabinets that need a new color or finish |
| Cabinet Refacing | $4,000-$10,000+ | Good cabinet boxes with doors you want to replace |
| Cabinet Replacement | $6,000-$30,000+ | Damaged cabinets or major layout changes |
*These are general planning ranges rather than quotes for Jacksonville projects. Actual pricing varies considerably by kitchen and project scope.
Cabinet Refinishing with The Painting Craftsmen
Of all the transformations our team takes on, cabinet refinishing is one of our specialties.
Your cabinets are high-touch surfaces that require careful preparation, the right products, specialized application techniques, and a much finer level of finish. Our team of craftsmen approaches each project with care and precision. Cabinet doors and drawer fronts are removed and taken to our refinishing facility, where they can be prepared and professionally sprayed in a controlled environment. Back in your home, we carefully refinish the cabinet boxes and face frames so the entire kitchen comes back together in one cohesive finished piece.
And because our craftsmen work with everything from clean solid-color finishes to stains, glazing, distressing, and other custom treatments, we are not limited to simply painting your cabinets a different color. We can help you find the finish that works with the cabinetry you have, the style of your home, and the kitchen you actually want to live in.
That combination of careful prep, professional equipment, and an artisan’s eye is what turns cabinet refinishing from a quick update into a true transformation.
What Does the Cabinet Refinishing Process Look Like?
Professional kitchen cabinet refinishing is much more involved than putting a coat of paint over an old finish. Cabinets are high-touch surfaces exposed to grease, moisture, cleaning products, fingerprints, and everyday wear. The preparation underneath the finish matters just as much as the color you see on top.
At The Painting Craftsmen, our team typically:
- Inspects the cabinetry to understand its material, condition, existing finish, and any repairs needed.
- Removes and labels doors and drawer fronts before taking them to our Jacksonville refinishing facility.
- Cleans, repairs, and hand-sands the surfaces to create the right foundation for the new finish.
- Removes dust and debris so particles don’t get trapped beneath the coating.
- Professionally sprays doors and drawer fronts in a controlled shop environment.
- Prepares and refinishes cabinet boxes and face frames on-site while protecting the surrounding kitchen.
- Reinstalls and inspects everything once the finish is ready.
Most Painting Craftsmen cabinet refinishing projects take approximately three to five days, although larger kitchens and specialty finishes may require additional time.
Cabinet Refinishing Options
One of the best parts of refinishing is how much flexibility you have. Our team of craftsmen can create looks ranging from clean and contemporary to highly detailed and traditional. Popular cabinet refinishing options include:
- Solid-color finishes: A smooth, sprayed finish in whites, neutrals, greens, blues, charcoals, or just about any color that works with your kitchen.
- Stained or translucent finishes: Preserve the character and natural grain of the wood while updating its tone.
- Antique glazing: Adds depth around profiles, corners, and architectural details.
- Distressed finishes: Carefully creates the character and appearance of naturally aged cabinetry.
- Rub-through and accent glazing: Reveals subtle layers of color or wood along selected edges and details.
- Two-tone cabinets: Combine finishes between an island and perimeter cabinets or between upper and lower cabinetry.
This is also where craftsmanship matters most. Glazing, distressing, staining, and other specialty treatments rely on the hand and eye of the person applying them.
What Cabinet Refinishing Trends Are Jacksonville Homeowners Choosing?
White cabinets are not going anywhere, but homeowners have more choices than the all-white kitchen that dominated the last decade. We are seeing continued interest in:
- Warm whites, creams, taupes, and other softer neutrals
- Sage, olive, navy, and deeper blue-green shades
- Natural wood tones and visible grain
- Contrasting kitchen islands
- Two-tone cabinetry
- Timeless finishes that complement the home rather than chasing a short-lived trend
The best cabinet finish is not necessarily the one getting the most attention online. It is the one that works with your countertops, floors, backsplash, lighting, architecture, and the way you want your home to feel. Our team can help you look at the kitchen as a whole before you commit to a color or finish.
How to Prepare for Cabinet Refinishing
A little planning makes the project easier for everyone. Before work begins, we typically recommend that homeowners:
- Empty their cabinets and drawers.
- Clear countertops and nearby surfaces.
- Decide whether they want to replace knobs, pulls, or other hardware.
- Save a few inspiration photos or finish examples.
- Plan for somewhat limited kitchen access while on-site work is underway.
One advantage of our process is that much of the detailed refinishing happens away from your home. Doors and drawer fronts go to our shop, while the fixed cabinetry stays in place and is refinished on-site. That means less disruption without sacrificing the quality of a controlled spray finish.
Why Refinishing Makes Sense for So Many Jacksonville Kitchens
Jacksonville has plenty of kitchens with cabinets that are solid and functional, but no longer the homeowner’s style. If the cabinetry is still well built and the layout works, replacing everything can mean paying a lot of money to solve a problem you do not actually have.
Cabinet refinishing in Jacksonville allows homeowners to keep the craftsmanship that is already there while updating the part they see every day.
You get a dramatic visual change with less demolition, less waste, and usually significantly less expense than a complete replacement. And when the cabinets genuinely need something more? We will tell you.
If the boxes are sound but the doors need to change, refacing may be the answer. If the cabinets are deteriorated or the entire kitchen needs to be redesigned, replacement may be worth the investment. The best option is the one that gives you the kitchen you want without replacing more than you need to.
See What Your Cabinets Could Become
Before you tear out a kitchen full of cabinetry, let our team of craftsmen take a look at what you already have. We can evaluate the cabinets, talk through refinishing and refacing options, and help you choose a finish that makes sense for your kitchen and your home.
Cabinet refinishing is one of our specialties because it brings together what we do best: careful preparation, technical skill, professional finishing, and a little artistry along the way.
Explore our cabinet refinishing services or call/text 904-507-5700 to get started today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cabinet painting the same as cabinet refinishing?
Cabinet painting is one type of cabinet refinishing. Refinishing can also include staining, lacquer, glazing, distressing, rub-through effects, and other specialty finishes.
Is it cheaper to refinish or replace kitchen cabinets?
In most cases, yes. Refinishing keeps the existing cabinetry, which avoids much of the material, demolition, disposal, and installation cost associated with full replacement.
How long does cabinet refinishing take?
Most Painting Craftsmen cabinet refinishing projects take approximately three to five days. Larger kitchens and more detailed finishes may take longer.
Should I refinish or reface my cabinets?
Refinish when you like the cabinet boxes and door style but want a new finish. Consider refacing when the cabinet boxes are worth keeping but you want new doors or a different door profile.
Can stained kitchen cabinets be painted?
Yes. Many stained wood cabinets can be successfully refinished with a painted or solid-color finish when they are properly cleaned, sanded, prepared, and coated.
Are professionally refinished cabinets durable?
They can be very durable when the cabinets are properly prepared and finished with professional-grade products suited to cabinetry. The prep work and application process are critical to how well the finish performs over time.