Kitchen cabinet refinishing in Saint Paul, MN is one of the smartest upgrades you can make, and Dale’s Furniture Refinishing has been doing it by hand for over 40 years. If your cabinets are solid but tired, worn, or just dated, refinishing transforms the whole kitchen without the cost and mess of a full replacement. Dale serves homeowners throughout Saint Paul and the greater Twin Cities.
Our cabinet refinishing process
Good cabinet refinishing comes down to careful prep and a quality finish. Dale removes the doors, drawers, and hardware, hand-strips or sands the old finish, and addresses any worn edges or minor repairs. He then applies a durable, hand-rubbed custom finish built to stand up to daily kitchen use.
Whether you want to keep a natural wood tone, go richer and darker, or change the color entirely, stain and finish are matched by eye to get it just right. Our custom finishes give a unique sheen and bring the wood to life, guaranteed not to have a manufactured look. Because the work is done by hand rather than sprayed on in a factory, the grain still shows and the finish has real depth.
What we refinish in the kitchen
- Cabinet doors and drawer fronts
- Cabinet boxes and face frames
- Kitchen islands
- Pantry and built-in cabinetry
- Bathroom vanities
- Bookcases and other built-ins
What cabinet refinishing costs
Cabinet refinishing is priced by the piece, so the honest answer is that it depends on your kitchen. The number of doors and drawers, the wood, the amount of stripping and repair needed, and the finish you choose all affect the total. What stays true is the comparison: refinishing your existing solid wood cabinets costs far less than tearing them out for new ones, and usually less than refacing.
The best way to get a real number is a FREE in-home estimate. Dale looks at your actual cabinets, talks through the finish you want, and gives you an honest quote with no obligation. You can also review our pricing guide for how we approach cost across all of our work.
Refinishing vs refacing vs replacing
- Refinishing keeps your existing doors, drawers, and boxes and gives them a new stain and finish. It keeps the most of what you already own and costs the least when your cabinets are solid wood.
- Refacing keeps the boxes but installs new door and drawer fronts and covers the face frames with veneer. It costs more than refinishing and throws out doors that are often better built than the replacements.
- Replacing removes everything and starts over. It is the most expensive and disruptive option, and older solid wood boxes are frequently higher quality than what is sold today.
When your cabinet boxes and doors are sound, refinishing is almost always the best value. If a few doors are damaged beyond saving, Dale can repair or replace those individually and refinish the whole kitchen to match.
Refinish or paint your cabinets
Refinishing restores and restains the natural wood so the grain shows through. If you would rather have a smooth, solid color instead, Dale also offers cabinet painting with a hand-applied painted finish. Both are done by hand in the same shop, and Dale will help you decide which suits your kitchen during the free estimate.
Why choose Dale’s for cabinet refinishing
- Hand-applied finishes by an experienced craftsman, not a crew
- Custom color and stain matching for the exact look you want
- Fair, affordable pricing with FREE estimates
- We always guarantee our work
- 40+ years of craftsmanship, serving the Twin Cities since 1975
- Local Saint Paul service, across Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Refinish instead of replacing your kitchen
New cabinets can cost thousands, and existing cabinets are often higher quality solid wood than what is sold today. By refinishing, you can save up to 70% compared to replacement while getting a fresh, custom look. It is the eco-friendly, budget-friendly way to renew your kitchen.
Call Dale at (651) 748-9465 for a FREE estimate, or reach out through our contact page. You may also like our furniture refinishing and commercial furniture refinishing services, or our current pricing.