Cabinet Refinishing
Kitchen Cabinet Painting & Refinishing in Ontario
Refinishing solid, well-built cabinet boxes costs a fraction of replacing them, and in most Ontario kitchens the boxes are in far better shape than the finish on the doors. The catch is that cabinets are the least forgiving surface in the house — they get touched, wiped, splashed with grease and knocked with pans every single day.
That means brush-and-roll is the wrong tool. BrightLook Paintings Inc removes doors and drawer fronts, labels and maps every piece, degreases with a proper cleaner rather than water, scuff-sands the full surface, applies a bonding primer matched to the existing finish, and sprays the topcoats so there is no brush texture anywhere on the finished piece.
Cured properly, a sprayed cabinet finish looks and behaves like factory work. Rushing the cure is what causes doors to stick and finishes to print, so we build the full cure window into the schedule rather than handing back a kitchen that is dry to touch but not yet hard.
What's Included
- Door, drawer front and hardware removal, labelling and mapping
- Degreasing with a dedicated cleaner, not just soap and water
- Full scuff-sanding of doors, frames and boxes
- Bonding primer matched to the existing finish, including thermofoil and melamine
- Sprayed topcoats in a controlled area for a smooth, brush-free finish
- In-place spraying of boxes and frames with full kitchen containment
- Reinstallation, alignment and hardware refit
How We Do It
- 01
Assessment
We check what the doors are actually made of — solid wood, MDF, thermofoil or melamine — because each one needs a different primer to bond.
- 02
Strip and label
Doors, drawer fronts and hardware come off and are mapped so every piece returns to the exact opening it came from.
- 03
Degrease and sand
Years of cooking residue is cleaned off with a proper degreaser, then every surface is scuff-sanded to give the primer a mechanical key.
- 04
Prime and spray
Bonding primer, then sprayed finish coats, with the kitchen fully contained and ventilated while frames and boxes are done in place.
- 05
Cure and reinstall
Pieces cure fully before refit, then doors are rehung, aligned and hardware refitted so everything closes true.
What It Costs
Typical cabinet refinishing cost in Ontario
$2,500 – $6,500 per kitchen
Pricing is driven by door count, whether boxes and interiors are included, and the existing finish. Thermofoil and previously-oiled cabinets need extra bonding work. It is still typically 20–40% of the cost of replacing the same cabinets.
Cabinet Refinishing — Common Questions
How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in Ontario?
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Most Ontario kitchens fall between $2,500 and $6,500 to refinish, depending on the number of doors and drawers and whether cabinet interiors are included. That is usually 20 to 40 percent of the cost of replacing the same cabinets with comparable quality.
How long does cabinet refinishing take?
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Plan for four to seven days for a typical kitchen. Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed off-site or in a contained area and need full cure time before refit — that cure window is what sets the schedule, and shortening it is what makes finishes stick and print later.
Can you paint thermofoil, melamine or laminate cabinets?
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Yes, with the correct bonding primer. Thermofoil and melamine have no porosity for standard primer to grip, so they need a dedicated bonding product. Peeling or delaminated thermofoil should be repaired or replaced first — we tell you at the estimate if that applies.
Will the finish be smooth or will I see brush marks?
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Smooth. We spray rather than brush and roll, which is the entire point of doing cabinets properly. A sprayed and fully cured finish has no brush texture and behaves like factory work under daily use.
Can I use my kitchen during the project?
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Partially. The sink and appliances usually stay usable, but the cabinets themselves are out of service while doors are off and boxes are being sprayed. We tell you exactly which days that applies to before we start.
Cabinet Refinishing Near You
We provide cabinet refinishing throughout Ontario. Choose your city for local detail.
Other Services
Interior Painting
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors finished to perfection, with full prep and priming on every surface.
Exterior Painting
Weather-resistant finishes that protect siding, trim and masonry through Ontario's full four-season climate.
Commercial Painting
Offices, retail, warehouses and multi-unit buildings painted with minimal disruption to your operation.
Deck & Fence Staining
Staining and sealing that extends the life of decks, fences and outdoor wood through Ontario winters.
Get a free cabinet refinishing quote
We come out, measure the job properly, and give you a fixed written price with the preparation scope included. No obligation, no pressure.