Dream kitchens on a budget

Mitch Allen • April 11, 2025

Jason Hick’s American Wood Reface does fast, high-quality kitchen transformations—for less.

A kitchen with a blue center island, speckled granite countertops, white cabinets, stainless appliances, and a chandelier.

Locally owned American Wood Reface uses today’s modern techniques and technologies to create beautiful new kitchens without a full tear-out.


My wife and I remodeled our kitchen four years ago. Although we were highly pleased with the outcome, the project took two months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. That’s a long time to go without a stove. I supposed we could have purchased a George Foreman Grille, but we chose to spend even more by eating out...a lot.


So when my daughter told me she was remodeling her kitchen, I advised her to get ready to be inconvenienced for a long time and spend some big money.


She replied, “What are you talking about, Dad? We’re doing refacing with American Wood Reface. They’ll be done in a week.”


Then she showed me the before-and-after photos above, and I was shocked. I remember refacing from 30 years ago, when existing cabinets were simply covered in plastic laminate. But my daughter informed me that American Wood Reface uses only topnotch materials and matchless craftsmanship to create a brand-new kitchen in a fraction of the time and cost compared to completely tearing out and replacing cabinetry.


“You won’t recognize your old cabinets at all,” says company president Jason Hicks. “That’s because we reface your cabinets with premium 1/4-inch solid wood and install brand-new, solid-wood doors and drawer fronts. Plus, you’ll enjoy furniture-quality construction similar to a full-custom cabinetry build.”


Spend Your Budget Wisely

The money you save with refacing can go toward things that are really important, like appliance upgrades, new countertops, flooring, an undermount sink, tile backsplashes, and under-cabinet lighting. And the company’s offerings include improvements you might expect only with replacement cabinetry. For example, extending cabinets to the ceiling, modifying cabinets for larger appliances, or adding an island in a complementary color are all within the skillsets of the carpenters dedicated to your job.


“We complete most projects in seven to eight days instead of seven to eight weeks,” Jason says. “You get better quality cabinets and a gorgeous kitchen—with all the modern amenities but without the hassle.”


The team also converts standard base cabinets to practical and spacious drawers. “No one wants to get down on their hands and knees to reach to the back of a base cabinet,” Jason adds. “Those days are gone. We convert as many base cabinets as possible to convenient drawer banks.” 


American Wood Reface is BBB Accredited (50-plus reviews), and has near-perfect 5-star ratings on Google (with 100-plus reviews), and on Angi (300-plus), where it’s earned Super Service Awards for 16 years straight. It’s also won five NARI Contractor of the Year awards. There is no charge for an in-home consultation and estimate, and the team handles everything so you can avoid juggling five different contractors.


American Wood Reface serves all of Northeast Ohio and beyond. For a free, no-obligation estimate, call 800-645-4594. For more information or to view featured projects, visit WoodReface.com.

  • A modern white kitchen featuring an L-shaped granite counter, a blue island with wooden stools, and hardwood floors.

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    AFTER: It’s hard to believe this photo and the next one are of the same kitchen, especially considering that American Wood Reface completed the project without tearing out existing cabinets. 

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  • A spacious kitchen with light wood cabinets, granite countertops, a central island with stools, and stainless appliances.

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    BEFORE

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  • Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a dark island with two stools, granite countertops, and a hanging pot rack.

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    AFTER: Usability upgrades, such as extending cabinets to the ceiling, are possible with cabinet refacing when you hire the experts at American Wood Reface.

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  • A kitchen with light wood cabinets, teal walls, a center island with bar stools, and a hanging pot rack overhead.

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    BEFORE

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Save $500


For a limited time, mention this article in Mimi and receive $500 off the purchase of your full kitchen reface. Call 800-645-4594 for a free in-home estimate.

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