05/28/2026
Pleasure working with Erwin on this beautiful Kirkland remodel. Everyone told us to rip them out.
We’re glad we didn’t.
These were cherry cabinets. If you know, you know — cherry is one of the hardest refinishes in the business. The grain fights you. The red undertones bleed through.
Most finishers won’t even attempt it. We did it anyway. The goal was to make them look like natural oak — warm, light, modern. The kind of kitchen you see in a magazine and assume was a full gut renovation. It wasn’t. Not even close.
What it took:
👇 🪵 Extensive prep work to neutralize the cherry grain
🎨 Multiple toning rounds to kill the red undertones
🔁 More coats than we’ll admit to get the depth right
🖤 Matte black hardware to seal the whole look
✨ The result? Even we do a double take sometimes. If you’ve been quoted $50-80k to replace your cabinets — get a second opinion first. A refinish done right can be just as transformative for a fraction of the cost.
Drop a 😮 if you had no idea these were cherry. And tag someone who needs to see this before they gut their kitchen.
