Cabinet Refinishing & Remodeling in Columbia, SC
When Your Cabinets Need More Than a Good Cleaning
Most Columbia homeowners figure it out the same way. You repaint the walls, replace the countertops, maybe swap out the light fixture — and then you look at the cabinets and realize they're dragging the whole room down.
New cabinets from a box store or a custom cabinet shop will run you $15,000 to $40,000 or more for a full kitchen. That's before installation. For most people, that number doesn't make sense — especially when the cabinet boxes themselves are in perfectly good shape.
That's exactly where we come in.
At Columbia Premier Cabinet Refinishing, we specialize in transforming the cabinets you already have. Whether you want a fresh coat of clean white paint, a full refacing with new doors and drawer fronts, or a completely custom distressed finish that looks like it belongs in a magazine — we've done it in homes all across Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Forest Acres, Cayce, and the surrounding Midlands.
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What We Do
We handle every aspect of cabinet transformation — from prep and paint to hardware and crown molding.
Our work falls into three main service areas:
Cabinet Remodeling & Refacing
This is where we get structural.
If your cabinets look dated, have damaged doors, or just don't function the way they should, refacing and remodeling changes everything without gutting your kitchen.
We re-skin the cabinet boxes, swap out old doors for clean new ones, replace drawer fronts, and modernize the hardware and hinges. We can also spray your island a contrasting color, realign sagging shelves, or add crown molding to give plain upper cabinets a finished, custom look.
A lot of clients in Columbia come to us after getting a quote for a full cabinet replacement and realizing refacing gives them 80% of the result at about 30% of the cost. The boxes are solid. The layout works. They just need new faces on the whole thing.
Services in this category include:
- Kitchen Cabinet Refacing
- Cabinet Door Replacement
- Drawer Front Replacement
- Cabinet Hinge Upgrading
- Cabinet Hardware Installation
- Island Cabinet Color Accents
- Cabinet Shelf Realignment & Repair
- Kitchen Cabinet Spraying
Cabinet Refacing & Interior Remodeling
Not just kitchens.
Cabinets show up all over your house — in the bathroom vanity, the laundry room, built-in bookshelves, mudroom storage. Most refinishing companies focus only on kitchens. We work throughout the entire home.
We handle antique cabinet restoration for older Columbia homes where the existing woodwork has real character worth saving. We prep and degrease cabinet surfaces before any work starts (skipping this step is the number one reason DIY paint jobs peel within a year). We update small kitchens where a full remodel doesn't make practical sense. And we bring cohesion to homes where every room has slightly different cabinet styles that were never meant to go together.
Services in this category include:
- Antique Cabinet Restoration
- Crown Molding Installation for Cabinets
- Bathroom Vanity Refinishing
- Built-in Bookshelf Painting
- Laundry Room Cabinet Update
- Small Kitchen Cabinet Updates
- Cabinet Prep & Degreasing
Cabinet Painting & Finishing
This is our craft.
Painting cabinets sounds simple. It isn't. Cabinets take constant abuse — heat, grease, steam, daily handling. A bad paint job starts chipping within months. A proper one holds up for a decade or more.
We spray most cabinet finishes using professional-grade equipment that lays down a smooth, factory-like coating. No brush marks. No roller texture. Just clean, even coverage that looks like the cabinets were built that way.
We offer a full range of finishing options — solid colors, stained refreshes, hand-brushed finishes with intentional texture, glazed finishes that add depth and aging, distressed or torn-edge looks for a rustic or farmhouse feel, wood grain filling for a glass-smooth base coat, and eco-friendly low-VOC options for clients who are sensitive to fumes or want a greener approach.
Color changes are one of our most popular requests. A dark, honey-oak kitchen from the early 2000s becomes a bright, modern space with white or gray uppers and a navy or forest green island — without touching a single cabinet box.
Services in this category include:
- Professional Cabinet Painting
- Cabinet Color Changes
- Solid Color Cabinet Finishes
- Hand-Brushed Cabinet Finishing
- Cabinet Glazing
- Torn-Edge or Distressed Cabinet Finishing
- Factory-Finish Cabinet Coating
- Wood Grain Filling
- Stained Cabinet Refreshing
- Eco-Friendly Cabinet Painting
A Few Stories From the Field
The kitchen that almost got torn out.
A homeowner in Lexington was two days away from signing a contract with a cabinet company for a $22,000 replacement job. Her husband wanted a second opinion. We came out, looked at the bones, and told them honestly — the boxes are solid, the layout is good, and we can reface and repaint the whole kitchen for a fraction of that. They went with us. The kitchen looked completely unrecognizable when we finished, in the best way.
The antique piece that almost became a trash pile.
We got a call from a client in Forest Acres who had a built-in china cabinet that had been in her family for three generations. It had layers of old oil-based paint, a water stain near the base, and a drawer front that had split. Most painters would have passed on it. We stripped it, repaired the wood, filled the grain, and refinished it in a period-appropriate color. She cried when she saw it. That's the work we like doing.
The bathroom vanity nobody thought could be saved.
Water damage around the base, veneer peeling at the corners, and a color that hadn't been fashionable in 20 years. We prepped it correctly — something a lot of people skip — replaced the hardware, and sprayed it in a warm charcoal. Looked brand new. Total cost was under $800. A new vanity cabinet and installation would have been three times that.
Why Proper Prep Changes Everything
Here's something worth knowing before you hire anyone.
The biggest reason painted cabinets fail — peeling, chipping, bubbling — isn't the paint. It's the prep. Cabinets in a kitchen collect grease, cooking oil, and residue that bonds to the surface over time. If you paint over that without degreasing and sanding properly, the new finish doesn't bond. It sits on top of the grease layer and eventually lets go.
Every project we do starts with a thorough degreasing and surface preparation process. It's not glamorous work. But it's the difference between a finish that holds for 10 years and one that starts peeling before winter.
Serving Columbia and the Midlands
We work throughout the Columbia metro area, including:
Columbia (including downtown, Shandon, Rosewood, Forest Acres) · Lexington · Irmo · Cayce · West Columbia · Blythewood · Chapin · Elgin · Springdale · Gilbert
South Carolina humidity and temperature swings put more stress on cabinet finishes than most people realize. We account for that in the products we use and the application process — so your cabinets hold up through the heat and humidity that defines a Midlands summer.
What to Expect When You Work With Us
- Free on-site estimate — We come out, look at what you have, and give you an honest assessment and clear quote. No pressure, no upsell.
- Detailed scope of work — You'll know exactly what we're doing, in what order, and what the finished result will look like before we start.
- Professional preparation — Every surface is cleaned, degreased, sanded, and primed before any finish goes on.
- Spray-applied or hand-finished coating — Depending on the look you want and the specifics of your project.
- Hardware and detail work — Hinges, pulls, knobs, and crown molding installed or reinstalled to complete the look.
- Final walkthrough — We go through the finished project with you before we pack up.
Cabinet Refinishing Frequently Asked Questions
How much does cabinet refinishing cost in Columbia, SC?
Most cabinet painting projects in the Columbia area fall between $1,200 and $4,500 depending on the number of cabinets, the condition of the surfaces, and the finish type. Full kitchen refacing with new doors and drawer fronts typically runs $4,000 to $10,000. We give you a firm quote after seeing the project in person — no estimates over the phone that end up doubling once we're on site.
How long does cabinet painting take?
A typical kitchen cabinet painting project takes 3 to 5 days from start to finish. That includes prep, priming, painting, and reinstallation. Larger refacing projects or jobs with significant repairs can run longer. We'll give you a realistic timeline before we start.
Do I need to empty my cabinets before you start?
Yes. We remove the cabinet doors and drawer fronts to paint them separately, and we'll need access to the cabinet boxes. Clearing out the contents before we arrive makes the process faster and helps protect your belongings.
Can you change the color of my cabinets?
Absolutely. Color changes are one of the most common requests we get. Oak cabinets to white. Dark stain to light gray. Two-tone kitchens with a contrasting island color. If you have a color in mind, we can match it. If you're not sure, we can help you narrow it down based on your countertops, flooring, and lighting.
Will the paint hold up with regular kitchen use?
When cabinets are properly prepped and finished with a professional-grade coating, yes — the finish holds up very well. We use products designed specifically for high-traffic cabinetry, not standard wall paint. Proper prep is the most important factor. Skipped prep is why most DIY cabinet paint jobs fail.
Do you work on bathrooms and other rooms — not just kitchens?
Yes. We refinish bathroom vanities, paint built-in bookshelves, update laundry room cabinetry, and restore antique built-ins throughout the home. Cabinets are cabinets — the same prep and finish principles apply regardless of where they are in your house.
What's the difference between cabinet refacing and cabinet painting?
Cabinet painting changes the color and finish of your existing doors, drawer fronts, and cabinet boxes. Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts entirely with new ones and re-skins the exposed cabinet boxes. Painting is the lower-cost option. Refacing makes more sense when your existing doors are damaged, outdated in style, or when you want a completely different door profile.
Do you offer eco-friendly or low-VOC options?
Yes. We carry low-VOC and zero-VOC finish options for clients who are sensitive to fumes, have young children or pets, or simply prefer a greener approach. These products have improved significantly in durability and are a solid choice for most residential projects.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. We are fully licensed and insured for all cabinet refinishing and remodeling work in South Carolina. Ask us for documentation — we're happy to provide it.
How do I get started?
Call or text us to schedule a free on-site estimate. We'll come out, look at your cabinets, talk through your goals, and give you a written quote with no obligation.
Ready to Stop Looking at Cabinets You Don't Like?
You don't need a full remodel to get a kitchen — or a home — that looks and feels completely different. The right paint, the right finish, and the right hands doing the work can change everything.
Call Columbia Premier Cabinet Refinishing today for your free estimate.
We serve Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Forest Acres, Cayce, and the surrounding Midlands area.