Repairing old finish on cabinets
Hi, I'm moving into my first house and am seeking advice on refinishing the kitchen and bath cabinets (photos below). I'm reasonably handy and appreciate wood, but haven't previously had the opportunity to do much woodworking or finishing (apartment life). The cabinet faces appear to be solid wood (I'm not sure what species; possibly plywood for panels), and appear to be good quality. I suspect that all cabinets were installed 13 years ago. The finish on the lower kitchen cabinet faces appears to be degrading, particularly at seams or near edges. A contractor advised me that it would be too hard/costly to repair the finish (particularly matching the repaired finish to anything that didn't require repair), so we'd be better off just painting it. My question is, from the pictures here, would you agree or could you suggest any relatively simple/easy approach that would allow me to avoid painting over the wood? Thanks!
Posted Mar 6, 2026, 5:41 PM UTC