Most of the kitchens we refinish in North County were built between the late 1980s and the mid-2000s, and the cabinets are structurally fine. The boxes are solid, the doors close, the layout works. What's dated is the finish: honey oak, orange-toned maple, or a factory laminate that's yellowed. That's the ideal candidate for refinishing.
A proper refinish is not a coat of paint over the existing surface. Doors and drawer fronts come off and get labeled. Every surface is degreased, because kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking residue that will stop paint from bonding. Then everything is sanded, primed with a bonding primer, and sprayed with multiple thin coats of a hard cabinet enamel.
Spraying matters. Brushed cabinets show brush marks and dry unevenly. Sprayed doors come out with a smooth, factory-like surface that wipes clean and resists chipping. The boxes are masked and sprayed in place, so the kitchen stays usable and the mess stays contained.
When should you replace instead? If the doors are warped, the particleboard boxes are swollen from water damage, or you genuinely want a different layout, refinishing won't solve the real problem. We'll tell you that during the estimate rather than take a job that won't make you happy.
For everyone else, a professional refinish delivers a new-looking kitchen in about a week, at a fraction of the cost of replacement, without tearing out counters or plumbing. Laundry rooms, bathroom vanities, and built-in shelving get the same treatment.