Repaint or Replace?
A Kitchen Cabinet Case Study

New Jersey-based ARC Painting & Refinishing put the power of expert refinishing and premium Benjamin Moore paint to the test in this kitchen—with gorgeous results.

A before-and-after photo of a kitchen transformation where cabinets and island were repainted.

This profile was adapted with permission from APC (American Painting Contractor).

To Replace or Repaint Old Kitchen Cabinets?

Faced with layers upon layers of painting and glazed coatings applied over decades, the homeowners of this Montclair, NJ home were unsure of the best approach to take for their kitchen cabinet overhaul.

They turned to ARC Painting & Refinishing, LLC of Union, NJ to help them decide: ARC stands for Affordable, Reliable and Customer-focused, so a consultative, service-first approach is integral to the company's ethos.

The question was whether to reclaim and refinish the kitchen cabinets—or replace and recycle them.

"The multiple layers of various coatings on cabinets were thick and peeling in areas, which gave the finish a rough and mottled look and feel," says ARC owner Rosanne Courtien.

Before making their final recommendation, the husband and wife team removed the layers of paint and other coatings, sanding down to investigate the type of surface they were facing. Upon seeing the solid hardwood surface underneath the many layers of coatings was in sound condition, the team felt confident that the job was an excellent candidate for priming and painting.

Keeping the Kitchen Functioning

Too often, when homeowners think of renovations, the fear of chaotic upheaval is not far behind.

Not so with ARC's approach. When it came to this kitchen cabinet overhaul, the expert ARC team was able to keep the kitchen fully functional for the homeowners at the end of the day throughout the renovation.

To start, all doors and drawers facings were removed and taken off-site to the ARC shop. There, the kitchen cabinets were sanded down to the wood substrate and sprayed with paint, which reduced the amount of time they were working in the home. Since the bases of the kitchen cabinets needed the same prep but couldn't be taken offsite, ARC used a dust extractor and sander to eliminate dust and keep the site clean and family-ready.

Tapping into the Furniture-Like Finish of ADVANCE^®

Once the kitchen cabinets were stripped down to bare wood, priming and painting began. After priming, the team applied two coats of Benjamin Moore ADVANCE^® Interior paint. Preferred by professionals when it comes to repainting kitchen cabinets, ADVANCE^® levels to a smooth, factory-like finish. ARC was sure to lightly sand between each application to ensure the smoothest kitchen cabinet finish possible.

One of the reasons ARC chose Benjamin Moore ADVANCE^® was because the waterborne-alkyd acts a lot like an oil-based paint during application, but in a waterborne system. Plus, it is available in all of Benjamin Moore's more than 3,500 colors, in a range of paint finishes. Find other Benjamin Moore products TDS and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in our Product Documentation section.

"ADVANCE^® is unlike anything we've ever used. It has great open time, you always get a smooth finish, and you see no difference between the sprayed doors and the brushed boxes," says Courtien.

For the upper cabinets, the team chose China White OC-141 from the Benjamin Moore^® Off White Collection, with Chelsea Gray HC-168, from the Historical Collection for both the lower cabinets and the kitchen island.

After installing new, soft-close hinges and decorative pulls on the cabinet doors, the final look was complete. The newly refinished and repainted white and blue paint color combinations created a "wow" factor in the updated kitchen.

Trusted Expertise Meets Excellent Products

The newly refinished kitchen cabinets provided a fabulous finishing touch for the full kitchen makeover, providing once again that the best contractors paired with the best premium products can help homeowners salvage existing kitchen cabinets instead of spending much more to replace them.

Refinishing kitchen cabinets is not easy. We recommend you find a painting pro near you to take advantage of their expertise. If you're an ambitious DIY-er, check out our How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets video and see our guide to painting kitchen cabinets yourself.

Please Note: The new counters, floors and walls in the Montclair home were installed by a different designer and contractor, not ARC.

About ARC Painting & Refinishing, LLC

With a focus on quality workmanship, timely completion, competitive pricing, and integrity, ARC specializes in cabinet painting, refinishing, restoration/decorative/faux projects in Northern and Central New Jersey.

This profile was adapted with permission from APC (American Painting Contractor).

To Replace or Repaint Old Kitchen Cabinets?

Faced with layers upon layers of painting and glazed coatings applied over decades, the homeowners of this Montclair, NJ home were unsure of the best approach to take for their kitchen cabinet overhaul.

They turned to ARC Painting & Refinishing, LLC of Union, NJ to help them decide: ARC stands for Affordable, Reliable and Customer-focused, so a consultative, service-first approach is integral to the company's ethos.

The question was whether to reclaim and refinish the kitchen cabinets—or replace and recycle them.

"The multiple layers of various coatings on cabinets were thick and peeling in areas, which gave the finish a rough and mottled look and feel," says ARC owner Rosanne Courtien.

Before making their final recommendation, the husband and wife team removed the layers of paint and other coatings, sanding down to investigate the type of surface they were facing. Upon seeing the solid hardwood surface underneath the many layers of coatings was in sound condition, the team felt confident that the job was an excellent candidate for priming and painting.

Keeping the Kitchen Functioning

Too often, when homeowners think of renovations, the fear of chaotic upheaval is not far behind.

Not so with ARC's approach. When it came to this kitchen cabinet overhaul, the expert ARC team was able to keep the kitchen fully functional for the homeowners at the end of the day throughout the renovation.

To start, all doors and drawers facings were removed and taken off-site to the ARC shop. There, the kitchen cabinets were sanded down to the wood substrate and sprayed with paint, which reduced the amount of time they were working in the home. Since the bases of the kitchen cabinets needed the same prep but couldn't be taken offsite, ARC used a dust extractor and sander to eliminate dust and keep the site clean and family-ready.

Tapping into the Furniture-Like Finish of ADVANCE^®

Once the kitchen cabinets were stripped down to bare wood, priming and painting began. After priming, the team applied two coats of Benjamin Moore ADVANCE^® Interior paint. Preferred by professionals when it comes to repainting kitchen cabinets, ADVANCE^® levels to a smooth, factory-like finish. ARC was sure to lightly sand between each application to ensure the smoothest kitchen cabinet finish possible.

One of the reasons ARC chose Benjamin Moore ADVANCE^® was because the waterborne-alkyd acts a lot like an oil-based paint during application, but in a waterborne system. Plus, it is available in all of Benjamin Moore's more than 3,500 colors, in a range of paint finishes. Check out the Technical Data Sheet for ADVANCE^® Waterborne Interior Alkyd Matte 791, and easily find other Benjamin Moore products TDS and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in our Product Documentation section.

"ADVANCE^® is unlike anything we've ever used. It has great open time, you always get a smooth finish, and you see no difference between the sprayed doors and the brushed boxes," says Courtien.

For the upper cabinets, the team chose China White OC-141 from the Benjamin Moore^® Off White Collection, with Chelsea Gray HC-168, from the Historical Collection for both the lower cabinets and the kitchen island.

After installing new, soft-close hinges and decorative pulls on the cabinet doors, the final look was complete. The newly refinished and repainted white and blue paint color combinations created a "wow" factor in the updated kitchen.

Trusted Expertise Meets Excellent Products

The newly refinished kitchen cabinets provided a fabulous finishing touch for the full kitchen makeover, providing once again that the best contractors paired with the best premium products can help homeowners salvage existing kitchen cabinets instead of spending much more to replace them.

Refinishing kitchen cabinets is not easy. We recommend you find a painting pro near you to take advantage of their expertise. If you're an ambitious DIY-er, check out our How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets video and see our guide to painting kitchen cabinets yourself.

Please Note: The new counters, floors and walls in the Montclair home were installed by a different designer and contractor, not ARC.

About ARC Painting & Refinishing, LLC

With a focus on quality workmanship, timely completion, competitive pricing, and integrity, ARC specializes in cabinet painting, refinishing, restoration/decorative/faux projects in Northern and Central New Jersey.