Cabinet Refacing, Refinishing & Painting in Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square is a North Side Chicago neighborhood built around the meeting of Lincoln, Lawrence, and Western, and it has held onto its character better than most. Cabinet painting, refacing, and refinishing are what we specialize in, not a service tacked onto general contracting, and that specialty is exactly what a Lincoln Square kitchen calls for. Settled by German and English farmers in the 1840s and named for Abraham Lincoln in 1925, the neighborhood still carries its German roots in its old apothecary, its bakeries, and the DANK Haus cultural center, and the Giddings Plaza fountain still anchors the walkable heart of it. The homes here have real vintage character, and the kitchens inside them deserve cabinet work that respects the house rather than fighting it.

The homes in Lincoln Square

The neighborhood is mostly private homes and small apartment buildings, most of them built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You will find Chicago bungalows with their low rooflines and art-glass windows, brick and frame two-flats and three-flats, greystones, worker's cottages, and single-family homes, along with vintage courtyard buildings and newer condos near the Brown Line. In homes like these the kitchen is often compact and set toward the back, which puts a premium on smart layout and a finish that makes a smaller room feel brighter and larger without stripping away its character.

Matching the color to the architecture

Vintage city homes take beautifully to color. A painted Shaker in white, off-white, sage, or a soft muted tone brightens a bungalow or a flat kitchen, and keeping a stained island or a run of real wood in the mix nods to the oak trim these homes are known for. Two-tone is a favorite, a painted perimeter with a white oak or walnut island that adds warmth and a little depth without touching the layout. A designer consultation comes with every sizable project. Together you land on a cabinet color that works with your floors, your trim, your light, and the age of the home.

Older kitchens, and the quirks we plan for

Homes this age come with their own quirks, and planning for them up front is the whole game. Cabinets settle over a century of a building shifting, hinges and pulls get painted over through decades of touch-ups, and there are usually layers of old finish to work through. Where the cabinetry is solid real wood, and in a bungalow or a vintage flat it often is, the boxes tend to have good bones, which makes them strong candidates for refinishing to bring the grain back, or for refacing or a fresh painted finish. You keep the layout you trust and put the work into the doors, drawer fronts, and finish you see and touch every day. All of it gets noted at the first walkthrough, so nothing catches you off guard mid-project.

Working in Lincoln Square's flats and condo buildings

Because so many Lincoln Square kitchens sit in two-flats, three-flats, and condo buildings, a project here usually takes some coordination, and that is handled as part of the job rather than sorted out on the fly: certificates of insurance, building or association rules, protecting stairwells and entryways, and keeping shared hallways clean. Lincoln Square is a straight run up the North Side from the Fulton shop, well within the service area, so getting a crew to your block is simple. Expectations get set from the very beginning, and from the first coat to the last, the only job is to meet them and exceed them.